The Harvester
by CZ-VT
Summary: Follow Hematite- a new Harvester Gem -and the Diamond Authority as they try to learn how to work together. [[Plot-driven, SU-inspired standalone series. Rated Teen: frightening imagery, alcohol, violence & peril, themes of mental illness, and some themes not suitable for all readers. Read at your own discretion. Continued on AO3, discontinued here.]]
1. The Test

_An SU Spinoff series written by CZ [CorrieZodori] and VT [VT-Scribbles]. "The Harvester" is a multi-series, multi-chapter, weekly-updating series inspired by the world of Steven Universe that is set entirely from Homeworld's point of view!_

Follow the Diamond Authority: White Diamond, Yellow Diamond, and Blue Diamond as they try to figure out how to work alongside White Diamond's newest creation, 'Hematite' gems. They're a set of 15 skilled harvesters with unique traits, one of them being the ability to drastically change size. But, these gems are unpredictable and strange, and their biology hides a dark secret. What will become of White Diamond taking on one of these gems as her personal bodyguard? Only time will tell...

 _The creators of this work of fiction claim no affiliation with Cartoon Network, Rebecca Sugar, the Crewniverse, or Steven Universe as a copyrighted franchise. World building and character depictions are based heavily on headcanon, Steven Universe canon as of November 2015, and original ideas._  
 ** _[Contains intense scenes of non-graphic violence, mild swearing, and some frightening imagery. Contains no sexual tones/no smut whatsoever. Does not star any characters from Steven Universe exactly as they are in canon, except Rose Quartz. [Depicted as Pink Diamond]]_**

* * *

 _[This chapter marks the beginning of Arc 1.]_

 _Summary: The Diamond Authority tests a new batch of skilled hunting gems to see if they have what it takes to do their jobs properly. One of the gems performs a bit differently from the rest._

* * *

The injector drills had been programmed to a halt, an eerie quietness spread throughout the stale air of the kindergarten. Word had been spread that there was a very important meeting today, and the workers had gathered what gems they could near the warp pad. There were smaller gems; some Peridots, some others, and a few much, much larger gems lined up behind the workers. About 80-100 feet tall, to be exact. They all stood in a perfect line in a professional stance. Each of them had a dark gray gem somewhere on their front, and each wore an identical visor similar to the Peridots over their eyes. The workers in front of the larger gems fidgeted with their gadgets, killing time until the others arrived for the meeting.

Not long now, right? They had to show up soon, these.. Diamonds.

A small rock cracked underfoot as Hematite shifted nervously in place, changing his weight from side to side ever so slightly. The smaller green gems, Peridots, if he wasn't mistaken, said the gems that were coming soon were their leaders. They were coming to look them over. Something about Harvester Qualifications, whatever that meant...

Though he was supposed to keep his eyes forward toward the 'warp', as the Peridots had called it, Hematite found himself glancing around curiously. There really wasn't much to see around here. Walls, holes, rocks, worker gems. _Was there anything beyond the high cliff sides?_

Quietly, Hematite's visor made a single 'chirp' sound in response to him staring quite intently at a hole in the wall. It was slightly bigger than the other ones around it. The visor's activation sound startled the huge gem slightly and made him stand a bit straighter. Now his view was slightly obscured by a small, white box with some sort of text. Hematite willed the box to go away, but had no such luck. Nervously, he looked sidelong at the other, arguably taller Hematites, that stood beside him. Were their visors being weird?

The gem's eyes landed on the largest and meanest looking of the bunch of them. A small note appeared next to the box on Hematite's screen, and his visor gave another chirp before shutting back off. Hematite wasn't sure what had just happened, but he was glad it was over, as the moment he stood straight again, the blue warp pad began to glow.

–

With the flash of light, three tall figures stood on the warp pad. The worker gems all stopped what they were doing immediately, regaining their stances in a straight line. They placed their hands over their chests, standing on point. The figures stood far taller than any of the gems that worked within the kindergarten, but nowhere near as tall as the other Hematites that stood behind them. The tallest was a white gem, a prim and proper form. The second tallest was a yellow gem, professional and with a presence that demanded respect. The shortest of the three was a blue gem, standing with a grin. She looked far less menacing than the other two.

One of the Peridots stepped forward slowly, and bowed.

"My diamonds, it is a pleasure to have you here. We have gathered the Hematites up for you. You may look to them at your leisure. We hope you find what we have to offer here acceptable." They spoke, averting their gaze towards the three. The tallest spoke first.

"Thank you, you may all leave back to your stations, but I would like you and these Hematites to stay."

The Peridot nodded, and the rest of the workers dismissed.

–

The hair on the back of Hematite's neck stood up when the three gems arrived, and he couldn't help but let his neutral expression falter. He looked at the three of them in turn with a quick glance, remembering what his visor had done not moments ago. He felt the Hematite to his left shift slightly, her fingers behind her back rubbing together idly. Was she nervous? The curious gem spared a glance at the much taller Hematite's face. He noticed that she was watching the Peridot, who was talking to the three Diamonds about something, very intently. It was hard to tell what her expression was, as it was obscured by rather messy, dark black hair.

Hematite forced his eyes forward again, trying his best to keep an expressionless face. He very nearly started staring at the Diamonds again when they dismissed the Kindergarten workers, but he kept his stance, and focused on a spot on the wall opposite of him.

The one thought that kept going through his mind that he couldn't ignore, however, was why these gems were so much smaller than he and the other Hematites. Were all gems that small? Hematite pushed aside the thought for now, trying not to get distracted.

–

The diamonds walked off the warp pad in an unsettling unison, their steps matching perfectly with one another. The Peridot stood aside, moving out of their path. She looked very nervously up at the yellow one in particular as she passed by. The taller gems stopped, each moving a little further apart from each other. The Blue one had placed her hands on her hips, and the Yellow one had crossed her arms. They looked idly around, but the tallest gem placed her fingertip to her lip inquisitively. Her monochromatic eyes narrowed, scanning the line of the larger gems standing before her. None of them dared to move, aside from the occasional shift in weight. No one had spoken a word.

–

The larger gem to Hematite's left was now standing perfectly still, aside from a mild breeze that brushed some of her hair from her face. Her fidgeting had stopped, and her breathing was so subtle that Hematite could have sworn she had frozen in place. He tried to mimic her perfect stance, but as soon as the Diamonds moved closer, he felt his expression twitch.

What were these Diamonds here for? They didn't move like any of the other gems he'd seen around... They almost seemed like one singular entity instead of three individuals. Though the yellow and white ones definitely unnerved him more than the third, blue one. As the three of them looked over the line of Hematites, he suddenly wondered if his slight lack of height would be pointed out. Swallowing nervously, he rubbed his thumb and index finger together behind his back. He certainly hoped it wouldn't.

–

The Blue Diamond had kept to a specific direction. She only really looked over at the Hematites to the left. The Yellow one had started pacing back and forth, without a word. She glanced occasionally to the right, but was more focused on the others. Her gaze soon moved towards the middle...and rested upon the ebony haired Hematite that stood next to the shortest. She stopped then, her arms still crossed. She seemed to look as though she were sizing up the Hematite with just her look, piercing canary eyes searching up and down. Her brows furrowed, followed by a quiet 'hmm', too quiet for any of them to hear. She looked away.

–

Well, if his nerves weren't fried before, they certainly were getting there. The nervous giant glanced at the three observing gems and silently prayed none of them would say anything to him. He'd already been teased by the Hematite to his left. He would have hated to suffer the same from these incredibly high ranked officials. The shorter gem glanced at the ebony-haired Hematite, who seemed to be getting looked over by the yellow Diamond. Or was he imagining things?

–

The White one, however, seemed to look evenly through them all, as if she was processing one thousand thoughts at once. Everything seemed fine, until she looked over the smallest of the Hematites. She froze and looked up at him. Her gaze met his, fierce and determined. She had not looked at any of the other Hematites like she had this one. She stared for a moment, transfixed. But it only lasted a few seconds, before she closed her eyes and placed her palm on her hip.

"Thank you, Peridot. This batch will be adequate. Have them sent to the Pink District within the next 7 rotations." She spoke, opening her eyes once more, this time fixed on the small, green technician. The Peridot nervously saluted the tallest gem. "Y-yes ma'am, as you request!"

The diamonds all nodded, and followed after the White one. They all promptly stepped onto the warp pad and blipped away without another word.

–

And then the white one made eye contact with him. If he had a heart, it would have stopped. He felt his breathing hitch. Had she looked at anyone else like that? _Was she disappointed?_

Within a few moments, she looked away, and Hematite could breathe again. An odd feeling settled into the pit of his stomach, and he couldn't help but stare as the three Diamonds walked back to the warp pad and vanished. He took a long look at the Hematite to his side, and was surprised to see her cold expression had shifted to something of faint panic before she shook it off and cleared her throat.

Hematite glanced down at the Peridot below, and quietly muttered 'Pink District?' under his breath.

–

Within 7 rotations, just as the diamond had declared, the Hematites were taken from their stations and lined up in another clean row, this time in an entirely new area. None of them had seen any area different from their Kindergarten home, so this was a new excitement to them. However, the area that they were lead to by a small handful of the workers left a lot to be desired. Rubble and decay littered the vast expanse where they stood, wildlife overgrowing marble stone pillars, crumbling away with age. They all stood near the city wall, which bore a humongous door and what looked to be a gem-made railing, built into the gigantic wall, which stood roughly 6 stories high. To the left of the door, there was another warp pad, but it looked as though it had been poorly taken care of. Still, as they had appeared to have used it themselves, it still functioned. After what seemed like hours of standing around, the warp pad gleamed brightly and there, once more, stood the three ominous figures that the Hematites had witnessed before. Except, this time, they all held small, rectangular devices in their hands, branded with a diamond insignia.

The White Diamond stepped forward.

"Greetings, Hematites. We have yet to properly meet, allow us to introduce ourselves to you. My name is White Diamond."

The yellow gem stepped forward, her hands behind her back. "I am Yellow Diamond."

The Blue one soon followed. "And I am Blue Diamond!"

The white one spoke again, placing her palm to her chest.

"We are the leaders of this world. Together we rule this planet, and all of gem-kind. You are a very special type of gem. You are Hematites, but you are not only Hematites- you are the Harvesters. You work under our rule and specialize in a very specific line of work. Heavy lifting, deconstruction, recon, crowd control, battle, and gem retrieval." She stopped briefly, closing her eyes.

"However... Not all of you will be cut out for your occupations. What you are about to participate in is a test to see who is the most capable of handling their jobs. This is not a "one winner take all" type of test. If you pass, you win. If you fail... You will be sent to do work accordingly, adjusted to your skills."

Yellow Diamond walked up behind the White Diamond, looking onto the crowd. She spoke up.

"You are all under the specific rule of White Diamond, here. But you all follow under our rule in general. You are Hematites of the White District. You will do your jobs and follow our rules, or we will take action. If you are unfamiliar with our standards, do not worry. You will all, regardless of performance, be given a lesson after this test."

–

Finally, a change of scenery! There was something oddly comforting about the Kindergarten and the little green gems that darted to and fro, doing their various tasks, but there was something incredibly exciting about finally seeing something beyond those huge walls of rock. Hematite was unable to keep himself from poking at some overgrown plants and some rubble with his foot when no-one was looking, and even when the Hematites were lined up again, facing the familiar sight of a warp pad, he couldn't stop himself from looking around.

To his slight displeasure, he had been placed next to the ebony-haired Hematite, who had fully taken to picking on him when no-one was supervising them. Her expression was slightly more expectant than the previous time the Hematites had awaited the Diamonds' arrival, and he wondered if she was looking to impress the yellow Diamond,

Hematite straightened up when he noticed the warp pad gleam to life, and the sight of the three Diamonds once again made the hair on his neck stand up. There was something about them that intimidated him, even at their small size. Curiously, the giant found himself focused on the little rectangles the three of them were holding.

As they spoke, he hung on every word, wanting to be sure he didn't miss anything. Taking note of what White Diamond had said, he found himself distracted by that word, 'Harvesters'. Gem retrieval, recon, destruction.. That last one he could understand, they were rather big, but what would they be destroying? From what he'd seen, everything was pretty wrecked as it was.

He then focused on Yellow Diamond, and gave the slightest of nods in response. Alright, so they were under White Diamond's rule? Great, the scariest of the three. Hematite kept his thoughts to himself and listened to her last comment. There was already a lot to process, tests, winning, losing? Jobs? And then a lesson afterward?

' You'd think they would have introduced us to all this slowly... ' Hematite couldn't help but wonder how the others next to him felt about all this. If they had any feelings on what the Diamonds said, they weren't showing any signs of it.

–

The Diamonds quickly picked up.

The Blue one stepped forward. Her smile had curved into an incredibly unsettling grin. Her eyes narrowed, looking up to the Hematites. "Now about the reason you are all here. We're gonna cut to the chase, because we all have pretty important things to attend to. You're all going to be hunting a handful of smaller gems. Here's the rules." She placed her palm to her forehead, where her azure gem was located. It glowed for a moment, and from it, she pulled a massive mace. She slammed it on the ground, the sound resonated throughout the vast, cold air. Everyone fell silent, and anyone not standing in proper unison was quickly straightened up.

She placed her palms over the massive weapon, standing in a proper position. The other Diamonds, unlike the rest of the gems, were completely unphased.

"Your goal is simple. Locate, hunt, and retrieve the gems we set loose into the pink district. There are 15 of you, and only 10 other gems. You are all instructed to use whatever means necessary to capture and relocate one of the gems to us within the span of 6 hours. Any gem caught leaving the pink district will face severe punishment. You may use whatever method you choose to get the job done, but just make sure you get it done and do it by any means necessary. We want progress, we want promise, we want to see what you are all capable of. Show us everything you've got."

Her words were loud, strong, and most importantly, it demanded respect.

"You will bring your captured gem back to the entrance of the pink district upon retrieval. After that, your task will be complete, and you may stand aside until the remaining gems are captured."

The other diamonds, standing perfectly once more adjacent to the Blue gem, drew their own weapons as well. The yellow one drew a long sword, gracefully swiping it to the ground and placing her own palms on it just as Blue did to hers. White drew out a pole arm, spinning it before thrusting the metallic spear into the soft dirt beside her.

"One last, very important rule. You are not to harm the gem itself in any way. Do not crack them, do not shatter them. You may poof them if necessary, but if any actual harm befalls the gem itself, you will be severely punished."

On this note, ten gems stepped forward from behind them, all with glowing white bracers on their arms. They looked noticeably nervous, some more-so than others. Some were very small, and some were taller, more well built.

"The gems you see here are who you will be capturing. Capture no more than one, but do your best to capture them."

The Yellow diamond held her sword to the sky valiantly, a fiercer look in her eyes.

"The Gems behind us will be given a five minute head start. Their goal is to evade you, to avoid capture by any means necessary. Remember that you all have 6 hours to retrieve a gem. Once this five minutes is up, you Hematites will be let loose to hunt down these gems!

Remember the rules, and do not disappoint us!"

With that, a massive, sudden bolt of bright lightning shot out from the diamond's sword and into the sky. The ten gems behind them made a run for it, all splitting up in different directions, some bumping into one another in a blind panic to get moving.

The game had begun.

–

Though he was slightly taken aback by Blue Diamond's sudden change in demeanor, Hematite did his best to listen to her every word as he had with the other two, and gave one or two quick, subtle nods. As the Diamonds revealed their weapons, and the smaller gems behind them were revealed, Hematite could feel his breathing hitch. Capture a gem. Bring it back. Simple. At least, Hematite hoped it'd be simple. A few rotations prior, the Peridots had held a mass lesson on how to work the visors that all the Hematites had, and while he wasn't exactly 'bad' at controlling his, Hematite found it difficult to focus long enough to make it work properly. He and the other gems had been instructed that during their 'test', they would need to put on their visors and put them to good use. He now understood why. Glancing to his side, he saw that the ebony haired Hematite's hand was twitching, and she was shifting her weight from leg to leg.

The moment the gems were sent out into the field for their head start, the line of Hematites, in near perfect unison, lifted their hands to their visors, swiping their fingers over the surface to activate them. A few of them had to swipe again to get it right, but Hematite sighed in relief that his decided to cooperate on the first try. The gem HUD blipped online with a few chirps and a soft whirring sound, and Hematite was surprised to see more words on it than he had before. There were notes on each of the Diamonds, a few little radars which he could only assume were the 'gem signatures' the Peridots had mentioned. The other Hematites muttered to themselves, also getting used to this new addition to the visor tech, which now Hematite assumed had only recently been activated if they were all seeing it for the first time. As he looked around, Hematite was surprised to see the ebony haired gem to his left was staring right at him with a cocky sort of smile on her face. Though, with the lack of visual on her eyes, he couldn't exactly tell what her expression was. Her smile cracked, and in a tone low enough not to be heard by the Diamonds, she muttered, "Have fun getting around in this place, _pebble."_

Hematite felt himself bristling, and nearly made a snide remark in response, but thought better of it when he saw that the Diamonds were watching the line of gems intently. Instead, for a moment, a faint target flickered on his screen, unseeable to his own eyes. Thankfully for him, the other Hematite had already looked away, and was impatiently waiting for the five minutes to be over. Disgruntled, the shorter Hematite drew his attention from the gem next to him, and looked around him intently. He'd seen where a few of the smaller gems went, but the real question was where would they hide. Setting his jaw, Hematite stood, tense, waiting for the time to be up.

–

Time ticked by ever so slowly, the Hematites all seemed to be on edge, ready to go. After a few minutes, Yellow flicked her sword again and pointed it in the general direction of the Hematites. "Alright, Harvesters! Your task begins now! Do not disappoint us! Now GO!" She shouted, and they were let loose to do their jobs. Blue and white both dissipated their weapons, standing bare now. Yellow soon followed.

–

Before he could so much as move, Hematite's hair was swiped into his face by the sheer speed that the ebony haired Hematite moved with. She dove behind a nearby pile of rubble, tossed over a pillar, and was already hot on the trail of a gem that decided to try and be slick by pretending to go further than they had. Before disappearing around a corner, she gave Hematite a dangerous look that warned him not to follow her. Around him, the other gems were already bolting off, in search of their targets. Hematite was left in the dust, and looked toward the three Diamonds standing near the warp panel. He swallowed, taking a look around before meekly asking,

"You said any non-harmful methods, right?" He paused, and looked up at the wall before quickly adding "O-oh, and are the boundaries of the district clear?"

–

The diamonds froze, staring in disbelief up at the Hematite. Blue looked curious, quickly looking behind her at the wall. Yellow looked fierce, almost offended...disgusted. But she said nothing, and glanced away. This was all White's. He was her gem, and every decision made here would be lead by her today. White stood, cocking an eyebrow. She looked up at the much taller gem, crossing her arms and narrowing her eyes...but her face was more one of deep thought, than anger or frustration. "Yes, the boundaries to the Pink district are clear. You will find that the main Homeworld city is separated in four sections, which you will be informed of later. There are huge walls surrounding this area, you cannot miss them. As for your hunting methods... yes. Any. Just get the job done." Her voice became more strict at the end, though she kept her patience. "Now, get out there, you are wasting precious time, Hematite." She spoke firmly, turning her head a little but never averting her gaze.

–

As soon as she had answered his question, he was off, in the direction he noticed none of the other harvesters had gone. He had an idea, but he wasn't exactly confident about it working out... But he had six hours, that was plenty of time. He hoped.

Getting around the fallen buildings and debris, not to mention the grossly overgrown brambles and other plant-life was difficult, to say the least. Now and again, Hematite heard the scuffles of what he thought were footsteps, but then were revealed to be either a small gem creature or a frustrated Hematite making their way through the rubble. Any time Hematite found another of his kind, he stopped to watch for a moment.

Eventually, he caught one of them on the trail of a gem. His first instinct was to try and take the catch from the other huge gem, but once he saw how agitated they were, he thought better of it. He was considerably smaller than her, and unless his memory was terrible, he didn't remember any rules against the Hematites fighting each other.

So, instead of trying to sabotage the other hunter, he settled down to watch. They were rooting around in some overgrown plants, getting scratches on themselves every few times they thrust their hands into the brambles. His curiosity spiked, however, when the Hematite grabbed a large pillar and began pressing it down on the clump of brambles, crushing the thick wooden vines. within moments, a small red gem scurried out from the bush, and right into the clawed hands of their pursuer. The hunter grabbed up the small gem, which Hematite could only guess must have been a ruby. Their grip was so rough that a puff of pinkish smoke poofed from their clenched fist. Hematite's eyes widened slightly, and he ducked down behind the building he was using for cover. Well, there went one... and the one the ebony haired Hematite had made two.. Only eight more left, if nobody else had gotten lucky.

Eventually, Hematite moved on, deeper into the city, around the center.

' If any of them try to cut across the city... they'll have to come around here, right? '

The huge gem, on his way over, had encountered three more Hematites and watched their methods. One had cornered their catch, another chased it down with staggering speed, and another had tossed obstacles in the way of their target. The most recent one, Hematite thought, was very foolish. She could have easily missed and damaged the gem she was chasing more than she did. All three of the hunters Hematite had seen ended up poofing their catches, either by being too rough, or by accident, or even out of malice, in the case of the second hunter he watched. He wondered if any gems would be left to catch before the end of the third hour.

–

Hunted. Cowering...run. The small Agate gem's mind raced. Run... Run. Get away, hide, survive. They used the terrain to their advantage. Having been to the Pink district once or twice, they knew a little bit of the area. They knew what the best hiding spots were...but they knew better than to stick around in one spot for too long. They scurried into the underbrush, past a few broken pillars and ran into a rather large, abandoned, and crumbling building. Maybe they wouldn't be found here...at least, that's what they had hoped. Unfortunately, in their hurry to run, they failed to realize they likely weren't very quiet going into the foliage on their way in.

On the other side of things, the diamonds had taken turns running about the fields, following the actions of the Hematites. On their rectangular pads, they'd press into the screen a few times, as if they were writing something down. Then, they'd continue on, following their methods and movements. White in particular was on the field, somewhere out of sight, in the same area as the shortest hematite. She had watched some of the others, but this one intrigued her. Something about them piqued her interest. She wrote many notes on this one, quietly out of his vision. This Hematite did not act like the others. They were much more observant. They didn't seem to be the fastest, or the boldest, but they seemed to stop and think a lot more than the others. Would this be their downfall? Or could there be more to this one? She continued to watch and take notes. She could not make any judgment one way or the other as of yet.

–

Not ten minutes after he'd arrived at the center of the city, Hematite had taken to moving things around. To anyone watching, it would seem he was looking for a gem rather lazily, as he wasn't checking things thoroughly, but was instead was picking up pieces of wall, pillar, chunks of dense foliage, and placing them in odd positions when he was done 'searching' under them. He'd continued this for a good twenty minutes, until he finally stopped and wiped his face. Moving things around after such a long trek into the district was taxing him, and he idly wondered how the other Hematites hadn't seemed to slow. Pushing that thought away, he looked around at his work. At this point, a pile of rubble laid around a large, open clearing in the buildings. To someone giving it a passing glance, the area looked terrible for hiding places, but clear of any obstacles, should they be running from someone. But, in every alley, in every path that a gem could run, Hematite had carefully placed barriers. The clearing was a well-disguised deathtrap.

In all honesty, Hematite was grasping at straws. Of all the Hematites he'd seen up to this point, no-one was using traps. They were all resorting to completely direct methods of hunting, but with the luck he was having, he didn't know if that would work for him. He had a plan that probably would have made the other Hematites laugh at him, but it was just crazy enough to... This could work, right? He just needed a victim...

And that's when he heard the rustling. Just behind him, a few streets down, Hematite picked up on erratic rustling of some overgrown grass that had stopped growing at the edge of a decrepit building. As silently as he could, Hematite crept over to the grass, just in time to see the rustling die down. Something had just run into the building.

Trying to even his breathing, Hematite took a deep breath and crouched low to the ground, out of sight. His visor dimmed involuntarily in his attempt to keep hidden, and the giant took to peering into the windows and multiple large holes in the wall. There was a gem in there, somewhere... If he could just get some sort of read on them, his visor could do the rest. At least, that's how he thought it worked.

Slowly, the giant gem placed a piece of wall in front of the hole the gem had scurried into the building through, and continued to block off any exits he could find until there was one hole in the wall that lead to the '''clearing''' he'd just fashioned.

An idea nagged at the back of Hematite's mind, but he bit his tongue and kept looking through the building's visible rooms. If push came to shove, he'd try what he'd thought of whilst arranging the rubble earlier.

–

A good 10 minutes had passed, and the anxious gem lurking around inside the building knew they couldn't stay there much longer...so they bailed. Except, what was this? Everywhere they looked, the holes were sealed. Their heart sank. They began to panic, until they realized there was one opening. They quickly scurried to it, ducking under the small entrance and making their way through the path. It unsettled them, the walls were crooked and little light managed to creep in from the night sky above. But they couldn't stay in the building, so there was only one way to go. Their hands trembled as they walked in a hurry, looking frantically around, scanning the walls that seemed to twist and turn them in different directions. They had no idea where they were going, or where they would end up. But at least it was forward.

–

There they were. Hematite's visor hummed to life when he spotted Agate moving through the building, checking all the old exits, but he didn't move. Not yet. The target flickered around as the small gem in the ruins looked for an escape, and Hematite felt a small smirk cross his face when they snuck out the hole he'd left available. Right where he needed them.

Slowly, so as not to alert them, the huge gem moved through the ruins, never losing sight of their target. The pale moonlight didn't give him away just yet, but it would in the clearing. But by then, it would be too late.

Hematite settled on a rise near the trap he'd laid, and watched as Agate reached the huge, seemingly escapable clearing, and waited for them to make a move. Any moment now.

–

The Agate's heart would be racing if they had one, but they surely felt an ominous chill rise in their frame. Their pace quickened slightly, turning through the ever winding path. They were sure they'd find the exit soon, how big was this place? Then, they saw it, a larger opening, to which they bolted through. Their speed skidded to a halt, eyes widening in horror as they had realized they were now in a dead end. The stars flickered above them, the moon illuminating a small fraction of the contents of the 'room'. A small gasp escaped them, their vision darting from side to side, scanning abruptly for any chance of escape...but the only way to go was back. And back, the only way to go was forward. "No, this can't be right..." they chuckled quietly to themselves, before turning to go back through the path...and with a mighty shudder, they stopped...and looked up.

–

Silhouetted against the pale moonlight, crouched in waiting, his visor locked onto its target, Hematite was poised to pounce. His stance was something rather akin to a stalking feline's, and all his senses were strained onto the tiny gem in the clearing. Here went everything.

He still didn't move. It was obvious he was tensed, and ready to leap down from the rubble he was perched on, but he wasn't making any show he was going to move. Instead, he lifted his head just slightly, and in an even tone, he spoke down to the small gem.

"Gem located: Agate. Status: No gem faults detected. Mission Objective: Relocate."

Raising his chin, the Hematite narrowed his eyes.

"There is no-where to run." A pause. "If you come quietly, I promise your capture will be far less violent than the others."

As if to show he meant business, Hematite pushed down on the rubble below his hands, and the path the Agate had taken before was quickly blocked off by crushed rock. They were trapped.

–

The agate shook in horror, their jaw hung open as if they were going to speak...but nothing came out, except small, terrified whimpers. They backed up slowly, holding their hands in front of themselves, unable to look away from the figure that towered above them. They backed up into a piece of rubble, gasping at it. They looked back, then around, then back at the figure.

They were right.

They were trapped, cornered, and nowhere to run.

The voice sent shivers down their spine, making the hair on the back of their neck stand on end. They swallowed nervously, and took a deep breath.

"A...Ah, Are you...are you sure?... What are you gonna do?" They managed to squeak out, holding their palm over their chest, where their gem was located. They never took their eyes off of them.

–

As the tiny gem backed themselves into the wall Hematite had put up, the huge gem felt something _odd_ in his chest. Almost on instinct, he slowly lowered himself closer to the ground, his eyes never leaving Agate. He'd caught his prey. There was no-where for them to go, and if he so wished, he could snatch them up at any moment. An odd feeling of... _satisfaction_ was urging Hematite to go back on his word and leap at his target.

But something in the way the tiny thing put their hand over over their gem made him stop. They were terrified, and rightly so. But he was given orders not to damage whatever gem he caught, so why were they...

"I will not poof you. If you come over here and let me capture you, I will bring you back in one piece." He went silent.

The visor whirred quietly.

–

The gem cowered as the large figured hunkered down. But, to their surprise, they didn't lunge at them. Their free hand grasped at the rubble to which they were backed up into, and they nervously bit their tongue. Their eyes clenched shut, and for a few moments, they waited... Waited to see what would happen. Waited for the inevitable. Waited for the pain. Waited for the terror.

But nothing came.

What seemed like an eternity later, their eyes shot open suddenly, tears welling in them...staring right at the visor. But...

They had stopped shaking.

They felt an odd, unexplained calm rush over them. What was this? Why did this happen?

If the larger creature had wanted to harm them, they probably would have by now...easily.

The Agate stepped forward, starting to tremble a little more, but took a deep breath.

"I... I'll go peacefully... Just please don't hurt me."

–

He couldn't believe it. It actually worked. After all the violence he'd seen, his weird plan had actually succeeded.

Slowly, Hematite started to move down the rise which he was perched on. Rocks , plant life, pieces of fallen buildings, all cracked and were forfeit under the weight of the huge gem. He finally touched down in the clearing, about fifty feet from the terrified Agate. Crouched, knees bent, he beckoned the tiny gem closer with one 'clawed' finger, making no other move to go after them. The target on the hunter's visor still gleamed, focused intently on the gem before it.

–

The Agate closed their eyes again, cowering as the huge gem crumbled down towards them. More waiting, but again nothing happened. They peeked through their arms which they had used to cover their face, and noticed they were now on the ground completely, and still not pursuing them. They knew if they ran, there would be trouble...and probably little chance to escape. They knew that the building beyond the pathway was shut off, and there was nowhere to run here. Might as well get it over with.

Their legs felt like lead as they urged themselves forward, trying to keep their vision focused on the finger instead of the gleaming lens that displayed above them. Every instinct they had told them to run. To get away. And yet, they kept their focus...they knew better. They shuddered, now a few feet from the clawed finger of the giant, holding out their hand shakily.

What was their next move? They froze in place, too terrified to think of what would happen if they made any sudden movements. Their legs went from lead to jelly in an instant, collapsing onto the ground and shaking, quickly covering their head with their arms again, stifling a squeak of terror as their instincts kicked in.

–

As the gem drew closer, Hematite resisted every urge that rushed through him to snatch them up. Things were going smoothly, don't ruin it now...

Soon, the Agate was mere feet away, and Hematite stopped motioning for them to come closer. Instead, his hand turned over, and he slowly reached for the terrified thing, only hesitating slightly when they collapsed to their knees, shaking.

Carefully, he wrapped his fingers around the trembling gem's form and picked them up off the ground, their entire body now held in a loose fist. He'd seen how the other harvesters handled their catches. All of them he'd seen ended up poofed, as the other Hematites seemed to not know their own strength.

But he was careful. He did not squeeze Agate, he didn't pinch them between his fingers, and he made no move to hold them tighter than he was.

"Mission completed."

The target blipped from his screen.

–

The Agate gasped shallowly, but did not move an inch. They were, much to their surprise, gentle. Far more than they had expected. They still shook, but looked up in the darkness of the giant's palm, flecks of light streaming through where their fingers parted slightly. Not enough to escape, not that the Agate would dare try to at this point. So far they had kept their word, and they remained unharmed. They weren't dumb enough to try to risk throwing that chance away, so they stayed perfectly still, awaiting their fate.

On the other side of this, a tall figure stood in the shadows, far out of sight from the other two... but in a way that they could survey the entire ordeal. Piercing white eyes gleamed through the dark air, shifting from one figure to the other. The figure quietly mumbled something to themselves. They reached down to the rectangular pad that they held and wrote something on it.

"Strategic - Successful."

White Diamond couldn't help but give a small grin. A brow raised sharply as she watched the Hematite make their leave with the gem in hand, and to her knowledge, unharmed. She turned, jumping up over the wall, making her way back to base.

Meanwhile. the blue and yellow diamond stood at the warp pad along with a few other of the Hematites that had completed their mission. They idly chatted, waiting for the rest to return. Yellow looked as though she were muttering something a little irritably, but the Blue one shrugged often. They talked under their breath, whispering to one another.

"Where did she go? She's been gone a long time."

"It's only been an hour, Blue. Give her time."

"Aw come on, there are 9 Hematites back already... I'm ready for the results."

"Ugh, will you please be patient?"

Their conversation was interrupted when the larger white gem quickly trotted up to them, holding the pad to their side. "The final gem has been captured. Release the signal for everyone to return."

With that, the Yellow diamond nodded, drawing her sword from her gem once more, and placing it up to the air, which then struck a massive bolt of lightning just as they had before. A resounding clash of thunder ripped through the pink district. No one could miss it.

–

It didn't take long for him to get back, about an hour or so. He knew the way much better this time, but did have to move a tad slower with his catch in tow. He didn't want to risk tripping and hurting the Agate, or worse. He was quiet the whole way back, and had removed his visor for the time being. He didn't need it right now. The gem in his hand hadn't made to much as a peep, but he could feel them shaking just slightly. It quelled over time, and Hematite figured they had finally relaxed enough to believe he really _wasn't_ going to hurt them.

Soon, he stepped into the clearing near the wall where the other Hematites were gathered by the warp pad. He wasn't surprised to see the ebony haired one there, but was surprised to see that the largest of the group looked visibly... nervous? The other gems seemed fine, but he was glancing around anxiously.

Regardless, he ignored the arguably bitter scowls he received from a few of the Hematites that looked down on him for his size, and made his way directly to the three Diamonds. He knelt and carefully placed Agate near the warp pad, and was surprised to note that he didn't see any of the other small gems waiting there. Had they all been poofed?

The ebony haired giant gave a distasteful snort at seeing the Agate, and silently wished Hematite hadn't caught anything. She didn't want to work with him.

–

The diamonds stood together, the blue and yellow both went wide eyed for a moment. The yellow one whispered something to the blue one, eyes narrowing and looking at the Agate, then back to the blue diamond. White stood perfectly still, scanning the line of Hematites.

"Excellent work. You all have managed to bring back a gem. You 10 are the successors of tonight's game. I shall see to it that you are all rewarded accordingly. However, until the other Hematites arrive, I cannot continue my speech. So please wait patiently for the others to arrive.

Thank you." She stated loudly, turning to the other diamonds. They all spoke to one another, but quiet enough to where no one else could hear. There was a guard nearby, a warrior gem, that held all of the gems that the harvesters had collected...and stood guard over the one that came back un-poofed, which cowered behind them, eyes widened, staring up at the hematite that had caught them.

–

Glad to finally be in the clear, Hematite's shoulders relaxed, and he walked over to join the other gems that stood against the wall. He made sure not to stand by the ones that were giving him dirty looks, and instead stood by two that seemed to at least be ignoring him. Hands clasping behind him, he listened to White Diamonds' mini-speech, and then looked out at the district when she was done. Now they just had to wait, huh? Well that was certainly a pleasing break from the last three hours or so. Hematite couldn't be sure how long it'd been.

Soon, the remaining Hematites gathered, and they all stood in their line, awaiting what was next.

–

At the moment the final Hematite had returned, the diamonds walked over in unison once more, standing side by side in a perfect line.

Yellow diamond stepped forward first, however, much to their surprise.

"To all of the Hematites who participated in this event, well done. Regardless if you had caught a gem or not, we will see to it that you are given jobs accordingly. All of you have performed up to expectations." She closed her eyes. The Hematites seemed to all gather a small grin, one or two even nodding in both thanks and approvement.

And then Yellow diamond's eyes opened abruptly, a stern, cold, merciless look plastered across their face. They turned to the largest Hematite and glared at them right in the eyes.

"Except one."

–

Much to Hematite's surprise, Yellow Diamond was the first to speak, though he had expected White Diamond to take the first step forward. As she doled out a congratulations, he couldn't help himself from smiling a little bit. There was a sense of satisfaction, admittedly mixed with apprehension, that he was the only one to bring back an unpoofed target. He spared the Agate, who was standing behind the warrior gem a little ways off, a quick glance.

His attention was quickly brought back to Yellow Diamond when her tone changed, and his blood ran cold. For a split moment, while he wasn't watching her, he thought she was looking at him. His shoulders lowered slightly, however, when he saw that Yellow Diamond was not looking at him, but the large, extremely anxious looking Hematite.

 _What did you do..._

–

Yellow diamond took her sword and pointed it to the larger hematite, right at their gem. Then, she held out her free hand, clutched into a fist. Her fingers uncurled, revealing 7 glimmering shards of the same color.

"This gem has been shattered due to your careless action." She said, loud and coldly.

"I am Yellow diamond. The gem of truth... Honor... courage..." She narrowed her eyes, still fixated on the large Hematite. Her very form could have shaken them with ease, despite being significantly smaller than them.

"...and Justice."

At that last word, hundreds of warrior gems peered over the wall that towered above them, holding cross bow-like weapons with arrows that appeared to be mini-gem destabilizers.

Their sudden appearance caused many of the Hematites to gasp quietly, shifting their weight and staring up at them. Every single one of the warriors all had their weapons pointed towards the large hematite.

"You were given explicit instruction not to harm the gem in any way...and you have brought this one back dead ." She said coldly, her voice like venomous daggers sticking into the Hematite's nonexistent heart.

"Now you must pay the price."

–

The largest of the Hematites was tense, and stared helplessly at the furious Diamond in front of him. He could do nothing but clench his fists, flinching at her words. But honestly... did he truly regret it? **No. It was fun while it lasted.**

At the sight of the guards, Hematite felt his breath catch in his throat, and his eyes went wide. His body went rigid, and he suddenly felt very, very small. Sparing the larger Hematite a pitiful look, he couldn't help but close his eyes, turning his face away slightly. This wasn't going to be pretty... he didn't want to watch.

–

Yellow diamond flicked her sword to the side, followed by a yellow trail of glowing, hot sparks.

"FIRE."

In perfect unison, the hundreds of warrior gems shot out the destabilizing arrows, all piercing into the larger Hematite's body. A bright, fizzling flash glowed around them, then...

 **CRACK.**

A loud snapping sound followed, fizzling and buzzing sounds fading in and out. Yellow, circuit-grid patterns spider-webbed out from the destabilizers, quickly growing. The other Hematites gasped in horror, moving away from the bigger Hematite.

Suddenly, there was a loud poff as a massive cloud of gray smoke enveloped everyone that stood near the larger hematite. There was a soft clink, and when the smoke cleared, the Hematite's gem lay in the grass, gleaming and formless. Yellow diamond stepped forward, her eyes fixated on the gem.

She lifted her foot and placed it over the gem. Then, she ominously lifted her head, facing the rest of the Hematites. With narrowed eyes, she shifted her weight... then...

 **Snap.**

An eerie silence fell upon every one of them. Without averting her gaze from the rest, she lifted her boot, revealing the Hematite's gem; broken into pieces, lifeless on the ground below.

No one said a word.

–

Hematite couldn't stop himself from looking over at the loud poof, and waved the smoke away from his face. He stared down at Yellow Diamond, and the lone gem that laid in the grass. The moment that followed seemed to stretch forever.

 **Snap**

A heavy shudder crept up Hematite's form, and he stared in disguised horror at the pieces of the once giant gem's gemstone. He swallowed nervously, and attempted to meet YD's, albeit general gaze, evenly.

If he wasn't scared of her before, he certainly was now.

–

Yellow diamond took her sword and placed it firmly in the ground in front of her, resting her palms upon the gem on it's hilt. Her words were loud, piercing, and carried well.

"Do you all see now? If you do not follow our orders, if you do not heed our word, if you do not mind the rules, you all can and will be brought to your knees. Just because you all have an advantage in size over us does not mean that you can overpower us. If you believe otherwise, we will be more than willing to correct you. Not only this, if you need any more reminders as to why we are the leaders here, we will be glad to show you. " She placed her sword back into her gem, reached down to pick up the pieces of the shattered Hematite, and fell back into line with the other two diamonds that stood behind her.

White diamond stepped forward at last.

"This being said. Follow our rules, mind our policies, and you will be just fine." She said calmly, but firmly. She took a deep breath, taking a look up at the Hematites.

"Do we make ourselves clear?"

–

In response to White Diamond's words, Hematite gave a shaken nod, and attempted to resume standing at attention, as the other gems around him had begun to do. Soon, they all stood in a neat, albeit unnerved, line. The ebony haired Hematite fidgeted behind her back, clearly bothered by the events that transpired. This could happen to any of them.

But that was it, he just had to follow the rules, and he'd be fine, like they said, right? Swallowing again, the giant gem watched the Diamonds before him, and silently wondered what came next...

–

The white Diamond's hands clasped together, a warm grin transpired over her face, night and day from what she had seemed before. It was an eerie calm.

"Now that that is taken care of, and we are at an understanding. The remainder of you Hematites shall be issued your jobs. The five Hematites that did not catch a gem, please stand back. The 9 of you who did, please step forward."

–

Reluctantly, the Hematites that had not passed the test all took a few steps back, leaving the remaining gems to take one step forward. With a smirk on her face, the ebony-haired Hematite lifted her chin just slightly, clearly proud she was among the 9 to pass the test. Not to mention, the first.

The shortest of the group was not as proud, however. He had no idea if what he had chosen to do was right, or if there would be repercussions. The Diamonds had said 'any' means, but did they still expect him to poof his catch? Was that an unspoken expectation? Would he be seen as weak, or worse, unable to poof a gem, even at his size?

A thousand thoughts whirled through the gem's mind, but he remained as stoic and professional as he could, watching White Diamond intently.

–

White Diamond crossed her arms and took a look up at the Hematites before her.

"The Hematites standing within this line have all performed to expectations tonight. You will all be given more opportunities and better ranking jobs."

She stopped, tapping a single finger on her arm, scanning the larger gems.

"All except one."

–

There it was. Each of those three words sent a cold shiver down Hematite's spine, and he forced himself to look away, toward the wall behind the Diamonds. Maybe if he didn't make eye contact, he could keep his composure. To the discerning eye, however, he was not masking his rising anxiety well.

–

"One of you... has exceeded all expectations."

She spoke, the grin widening a little. She closed her eyes and continued. The diamonds behind her crossed their arms as well and looked up to the crowd.

"One of you has performed different than all the rest. One of you thought intelligently. One of you used the terrain to their advantage, used their wits...used strategy. This chosen gem will be given a special opportunity to work directly under me, White Diamond, as my bodyguard, among other higher ranked jobs. This gem will be given a new life under special protection and order under the direct Diamond Authority, if they so choose." Her eyes scanned the line of Hematites before finally resting on the shortest one.

The diamonds held their breath behind the White Diamond, as if they too were waiting in anticipation for the choice.

–

The shorter gem's eyes widened considerably, and, despite trying to keep his face neutral, he felt a dark gray, almost purple tint rising to his cheeks. Exceeded? But he hadn't even poofed his target, he was ineffective as a hunter! A bodyguard, too? He was the smallest out of the gems standing to his sides!

The gems who, understandably, were either shooting him dirty looks or muttering to themselves. If he wasn't mistaken, Hematite heard one of them flat-out growl at him. This was a group of edgy hunters, and he was just given what he assumed to be a huge opportunity...

Hematite drew his eyes back to the three expectant Diamonds, and after a long, flabbergasted moment, he managed to swallow and nod.

"I accept, White Diamond."

–

White diamond smiled, looking intently up at the smaller hematite. The two diamonds behind him stared on in almost disbelief. The blue one's face morphed over to one of curiosity, drifting into a steady grin. The yellow one, however, had a face of appalment and distrust.

White Diamond looked over to the agate, still cowering behind the warrior gem.

"You were the only Hematite to bring back a completely unharmed gem."

She looked back up to the rest. "You have shown me that you have much potential, Hematite. Do not disappoint me."

Yellow diamond stepped forward and placed a palm on White's arm.

"Are you sure about this, White? Just look at them, they're...much smaller than the rest..." She whispered, unable to look away from the hematite as she spoke.

White raised a brow, her smile fading.

"It does not matter how big or small they are, you of all gems should know this."

Taken aback, Yellow frowned and muttered something under her breath, but said no more.

"Blue, please take the remainder of the Hematites to the briefing hall and report to the White Diamond tower as soon as you are done. Yellow, you will follow me." She turned and looked up at the smallest, chosen Hematite.

"You will follow as well. We have much to talk about."

–

He was dumbfounded. This gem, this powerful leader, saw his mercy as 'potential'? Though he couldn't catch what Yellow Diamond said to White, Hematite could tell it wasn't a word of approval. Standing a little straighter, he tried to look professional. If he was chosen for this special position... he'd do his best to prove he was worth it!

As Blue took the other Hematites aside, the shorter gem was left alone with the remaining two Diamonds, and shifted his weight from side to side until White Diamond ordered him to follow. He nodded and did as he was told, trailing after the two with measured steps, so as not to overtake their pace.

–

A few hours passed by, and the Diamonds had met up on the rooftop of the White Diamond sub-buildings. Blue had showed up far after everyone else, rushing to the three gems standing idly.

"Haha, sorry I'm late! Whats up?" She said, running her fingers through her fluffy hair. She looked up at the Hematite that stood tall and proud before them, beside the building so that they were almost head level with them. She gave him a smile, but was unsure if he'd notice. She too had a curious hope in this one. White turned to the other diamonds, holding the rectangular pad in hand. She began reciting what notes she gathered on this particular Hematite. The two Diamonds stood, listening to her words. Yellow looked more bored than anything, but remained professionally stood.

–

Though the gem kept a professional air about them, Hematite couldn't help but think about how this gem was following his every move when he put his plan into action, and yet he hadn't seen her a single time. He'd thought that he heard footsteps once or twice, but figured it was wildlife or a retreating target gem. To think that White Diamond was there, watching, completely unknown to him...

As she listed the notes she'd taken, Hematite couldn't keep a subtle tint of purple from his cheeks, but thankfully it was quick to fade, and he remained in his professional stance, keeping his head high. Right. He'd earned this. He took a risk at the expense of possibly failing the test, did something no-one else did, and it paid off. So why was there still a sense of foreboding in the pit of his stomach?

–

White turned to the hematite, there was no smile on her face, but she looked calm and collected.

"And now, hematite, I am going to ask you to shift down. We would like to speak to you closer, a little easier. Do you know how to do this?" She asked, holding her hand out high. The other diamonds backed up a little bit, Yellow's eyes fixated on the Hematite's, and Blue watched white intently, but with a semi-nervous smile, from what could be seen.

–

What was this about 'shifting'? Hematite could have sworn he heard the Peridots mention it once, but they hadn't gone into detail. At least, he didn't think they had, he was a bit distracted during that part of their speech. If he remembered right, the ebony haired hematite had been tugging on his hair to pester him.

As White Diamond held out her hand, Hematite blinked in surprised confusion, and after a moment of nervous hesitation, lifted his own hand and gently placed it on hers. He was acutely aware of Yellow Diamond's gaze, and noticed that Blue Diamond looked... well, a tad unsure of what was going on. To be honest, he didn't look very confident himself. Regardless, he tried his hardest to remember the bits of the lecture he'd caught... Something about visualization, picturing where your feet needed to be, and then using the same energy as when gems shape shifted. So, this was the same, but he just needed to be smaller?

Taking a deep breath, Hematite nodded.

"I think I know how." He glanced at the place on the roof in front of White Diamond, and focused intently on imagining himself in that spot. It took a few moments, but his gem began to glow, and his form gleamed brightly as he shifted down in size, his hand never leaving White Diamond's. At a certain point, Hematite naturally lost control over whatever size he was aiming for, and defaulted to about the height of a Pearl, his form still gleaming with light. A moment later, he was left standing in front of White Diamond, his small hand holding onto the tips of her fingers. Momentarily shaking off the odd feeling he'd just experienced, the smaller gem looked up at the three Diamonds towering in front of him.

 _Oh._

–

The three gems stood a good foot or two taller than the Hematite. White, with the Hematite's hand still in hers, let her hand away from them for the moment and nodded in approval.  
"Thank you, Hematite. Now we may properly speak." She said poshly. Yellow Diamond stood tall, taking a deep inhale and narrowing her eyes at the smaller gem. Blue, however, placed her hands on her hips and kept smiling.

"Are you alright? How do you feel?" White asked, looking back down on the Hematite. They all seemed to inadvertently size them up.

–

Needless to say, he was... Well. Hematite had grown used to the other gems of his kind standing one or two, even three heads taller than him, so that was nothing new, but to see these gems at that size, when only moments ago he towered over them, well. It was intimidating to say the very least. At least at his taller size, he'd felt some level of security. But now? There was no security, he felt absolutely tiny next to these powerful gems.

Letting his hand fall to his side, he stared in unmasked awe at the three of them for a long moment before he gathered his thoughts and swallowed. Well, might as well try and make them smile.

"How am I feeling?" he echoed. Pretending to think it over, he glanced up and to the side, pursing his lips for a moment before smiling awkwardly at them. "Well, short, for one."

–

In an instant, Blue started to snicker behind them, but turned quickly away to hide her face. Yellow's eyes widened, and she let out a groan of exasperation, looking back at Blue. White simply raised a brow, but couldn't help but smirk.

"Not to worry. You will soon get used to your many sizes. We will teach you all that you need to know about what you can do, your job here, the rules, and any questions you may ask...provided we have an answer for you." She said simply. Blue, who was still stifling chuckles behind the white gem, turned back to him at last.

"Heeey and don't look so stressed out! A lot of gems get spooked by our presence. That's normal. As long as ya don't do anything against code, you'll be golden." She said cooly. Yellow rolled her eyes and grumbled, but looked out to the horizon away from everyone else.

White looked down at the Hematite with another grin.

"Anything you'd like to know before we begin?"

–

At the sight of White and Blue Diamond's response, Hematite couldn't help but smile in spite of himself, his shoulders raising slightly in an attempt to not snicker at Blue's reaction in particular. But when he glanced at Yellow, his shoulders and smile dropped, and he cleared his throat, resuming the professional stance he'd held when he was big moments ago. He squared his feet and listened to White Diamond, nodding silently.

When Blue spoke up, he gave a small, thankful smile at her reassurance, and nodded in reply. Though he didn't look at her, Hematite silently wondered if Yellow Diamond would say anything. However, that idea was dashed when she looked away. Honestly, he was disappointed.

The small gem looked up at White again and seemed to mull her question over. This time he gave a curt nod.

"Hm. Just one. What do you want me to do first?"

–

White smiled and held her arm out once more, taking the Hematite's hand. "I like your eagerness, Hematite. Come, you have much to learn first." She said, starting to walk to the door that stood on the roof. She gave a wave of her other hand to the other Diamonds, dismissing them promptly. Yellow said not a word, but Blue raised her hand up.

"Good luck, newbie!"

They all had no idea what kind of adventure they were in for...what sort of events were going to unfold. They could never have predicted the outcome of one single choice. In an instant, their lives would be changed forever. The dawn of a new day had risen.


	2. In Check

_Summary: Hematite learns something new about his abilities and is given an errand by White Diamond._

* * *

 _Thus, Hematite started working under White Diamond's direct authority. The other gems of his kind were set to work on Homeworld, though a few of them were sent to different planets to assist some high ranking officials stationed there. Not having passed the Harvester test, five of the Hematites were set to more recon and destruction-based jobs. Occasionally, if other Hematites were unavailable, they were given the leftover jobs, but those were few and far in between. They would have a chance again to earn their full Harvester rank one day in the future. One day, they would have another chance to prove their potential to White Diamond._

White Diamond, arguably the most mysterious of the Homeworld leaders. She was always poised, level-headed, had an answer to almost anything. Well, that's the impression Hematite got from her. The white-haired diamond was rather hard to read on a day to day basis, and the service gem found it hard to tell what she was thinking most of the time. It didn't frustrate him, persay, but he did wish he could get a more solid impression of her. All he knew is she kept him busy and on his toes most of the time, and that, despite her very imposing presence, White Diamond was a good leader. Her district was well kept, peaceful, and had the highest concentration of aristocratic gems. From the archives White Diamond had Hematite read, he could tell that her district wasn't as advanced as the Yellow District, but other than that, there didn't seem to be too stark of a difference. Then again, he had yet to set foot in the Yellow District. Hematite was curious what it looked like, outside of his archives and holograms.

Yellow Diamond was rather intimidating, but there was something about her that Hematite couldn't help but be curious about. She was well-presented, professional, and it seemed she was always making progress in some way. The more Hematite saw from her, despite her cold attitude toward him, the more interested he became in his yellow superior. Despite his personal caution of her, because of the 'display' she put on in front of the Hematites at the end of that test, Hematite couldn't help but respect her. She was powerful, poised, progressive. Any time Hematite saw her, she was working hard on something. He could appreciate that! And in fact, it only pushed him to work harder on his own missions. He'd show her that no matter how small he was, he could do his best at any task.

Months went by. Hematite had finally settled into his role under White Diamond, and was able to perform most of his jobs rather well! Certainly, he wasn't as fast or powerful as some of the other Harvesters, but he got the missions done quick enough. Even in a few short months, he'd already been given over fifteen or so missions, and had completed each one to the best of his ability. A few harvesting missions, some recon, a destruction job or two in the Pink District, and extensive amounts of reading up on Homeworld, common gem types, and anything else he could get his hands on in his spare time; that was his life for the past few months. Hematite still had yet to leave Homeworld, but he was okay with that. He still had yet to learn everything about his home planet, he wasn't ready to go anywhere else just yet! Because of his new and incomplete knowledge of Homeworld and its rules, Hematite had slipped up here and there, but White never seemed to scold him too much. They were silly little mistakes. Saluting incorrectly, bumping into a gem that he wasn't supposed to, or speaking out of turn during meetings, none of these were worthy of any real 'punishment'. As the weeks went by, Hematite found himself far more comfortable in his knowledge of Homeworld rules and ethics. And in all honesty, he also felt more comfortable with his powers as well. It had taken a while to figure them out, but he felt he had a pretty good handle on them now.

Well, he **thought** he did.

 _This was bad. This was really really bad, wasn't it? He was going to be decommissioned for sure, there was no way White Diamond was going to have any of this. Why had this even happened?!_ All Hematite could think about was how White Diamond would react to his most recent... 'development'. Would she laugh? Would she be angry and tell him that his job was done for? Would she stare at him and quirk an eyebrow and not say anything and make it impossible to know what she thought of it?  
 _Probably the latter._  
At only a few inches tall, the ivory-haired service gem made his way into his superior's office. Over his head, he carried a silvery bubble that held a small yellow gem. It was a common Topaz. The small silvery-pink bubble gleamed in the light that filtered in from the window as the gem scurried over to White Diamond's desk. He wondered for a moment if she'd even seen him come in. After waiting a moment, he cleared his throat as loudly as he could, standing a few feet in front of her desk.  
"Hematite reporting, White Diamond!"

White Diamond, for a moment, didn't move, and from Hematite's smaller perspective, all he could see was a desk. Soon, her head peered over the edge, brows raised, a smile on her lips.  
"Oh good, I see you've gotten the Topaz. Well done, Hematite." She said simply, sitting back down in her chair, disappearing out of his point of view. "Topaz warriors can be such a handful, even the common ones. I see they must have gotten a little rowdy with you. Is your gem undamaged?" She asked from afar. She seemed oddly unfazed by his little predicament.

The tiny gem on the floor blinked up in confusion, and was silent for a long moment before finally hoisting the Topaz a bit higher so he could peer from under it more effectively. He arched a brow in confusion when White disappeared back behind her desk.  
"Y-yes, at least, I believe so. But I seem to be... unable to shift back to normal. And I nearly passed out after becoming like this." He bit his lip and looked around for a moment."It's not cracked, but I didn't shrink down on purpose... so." He looked back up at his leader's desk, his foot scuffing the ground idly.

"Relax, Hematite. This is actually normal with your kind." She said, stepping out from behind the desk, to the left. "When you expend too much energy, you shrink down to a very small size. It's temporary, so do not worry too much." She said idly, moving over to the shelf next to her. She rummaged through the books for a moment, grabbing one of the metallic pads that sat on the shelf. She turned to the small gem and knelt down, slowly handing him the pad and taking the gem from his hands. "However...you still have work to do, I'm afraid. I need you to take that to Yellow Diamond's office right away. It's a bit of a long walk, especially at your size...so you'd better get going." She said promptly.

Surprisingly, Hematite found himself able to keep his cool, even with White Diamond towering over him. He'd managed to adjust on his way back to being so small, but the sight of a gem actually approaching him at such a height was... daunting. As she knelt down, Hematite let go of the bubble and took the metal notepad from her. Honestly, although he wanted to ask if he could get an escort, he knew it was best not to ask White for help with a job he could do by himself. Even if it would take a little longer...  
"R-right, well." He forced a cheerful smile. "Here's hoping it wears off soon! Doing errands like this isn't time efficient!"  
With that, he hoisted the pad above his head and rushed out the door, his little footsteps fading down the hall. Great, Yellow Diamond's office... Hematite sighed. Well, maybe this wouldn't be so bad! She could have further answers for him about when he'd change back. Then again, she probably wouldn't tell him anything that White Diamond couldn't.  
His footsteps quickened, and he ran toward the other tower as fast as he could. This was going to be a long walk.  
–

-  
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU AUTHORIZED THE CONSTRUCTION OF A SHIP WITHOUT ANY SPECIALIZED PILOTS?" Yellow gripped the edge of her desk tightly, baring her teeth at the Peridot standing in front of her. The green gem stammered, knees shaking. The tall, yellow gem stood up and slammed her hands on her desk, glaring wide eyed at the terrified Peridot standing in front of her.  
"YOU CAN'T HAVE A SHIP WITHOUT A PILOT YOU IDIOT... GO. GET SOME SPECIALISTS OR SOMETHING!" She hissed, pointing at the door. The Peridot nodded quickly and got out as fast as she could. She was lucky she wasn't harmed at all. Rushing through the door, she hardly noticed she was passing by a much smaller gem on the bridge. She just wanted to get away.  
Yellow sat down in her chair, pinching her brow and grumbling something to herself. She was seething.

Looking up, the tiny service gem smiled at the approaching green gem.  
"Oh, good eve-... ning." Hematite trailed off as the panicked Peridot raced by, and the tiny gem couldn't help but think that couldn't be good. Regardless, he had a job to do! And he didn't just spend two hours running here to turn tail now.  
Quietly, Hematite made his way into the rather irritated gem's office, unable to see her face past the metal pad he was holding up. Something in the pit of his stomach told him to put the pad down and leave, and that it wasn't a wise choice to stay, but he cleared his throat and called up, "H-hematite reporting, Yellow Diamond! I brought something from White!"

There was no response... for a few moments. Suddenly, much like white had done before, a face peered over the desk. Her eyes were widened, but her brows were furrowed as though she was angry. She was frowning, and didn't look the slightest bit pleased.  
His fears were right.  
However, if that alone didn't rack his nerves, she soon disappeared back over the desk and came out to the right, now standing ominously above him. She looked as though she were both surprised and pissed off at the same time...not a very good combination. The Hematite found themselves cast in her shadow, her tall figure looming ominously over him. She didn't say a word, but leaned down, grabbing the metallic pad and lifting it quickly and carelessly. She looked at it, then back at the Hematite, before narrowing her eyes and placing it on her desk.

Her sudden appearance over the edge of the desk had already startled him, but when the huge, rather angry looking Diamond walked up to him, he found that he couldn't hold onto his composure like he had with White Diamond.  
"I-I uh. Had a rough mission. Here's your-" he was cut off mid-sentence as the huge gem practically yanked the pad from his hands, lifting him off the ground slightly before he let go, landing unsteadily back on the floor. Regaining his stance, he saluted politely, and tried to make eye contact.  
"If that is all, I should be getting back to White Diamond's office."

She shot him a quick glare, placing a foot quickly next to him, cutting off his direct route to the doorway.

 _Ooooh that couldn't be good, could it?_  
Hematite looked up in surprise at his superior when she blocked off his path, and felt a weak tremor pass through his body. He wasn't sure if it was from her footfall or his nerves...

"Not so fast, now." She said darkly, with a low tone. Yellow suddenly knealt down, now much closer to the miniscule service gem. Raising her hand, she quickly lowered it over Hematite's tiny frame, cupping it firmly over him and the floor, pinning him in place. Like a cat with their paw on a mouse's tail, she scanned over him with piercing yellow eyes. "I'm sure White can wait a little while. Besides, its such a long walk back you know." She smirked, which in itself was rather unsettling. "Especially at your puny size..."

Before he could protest, her hand was upon him, and he let out a surprised 'oof' as he was pinned to the floor. He looked up at her, barely able to meet her intense stare. He managed a slightly nervous grin.  
"U-uh, yeah, it is. Were you considering giving me a lift back? I'd appreciate it, if you're... not.. too busy." He trailed off, the knot in his stomach making itself known, even worse than before.

She scowled, tightening her grip on his body and curling her fingers around him. She started to lift him, clawed fingers trapping him within her merciless grasp. She lifted him swiftly up to eye level, uncomfortably close to her face. She stared over him like a hawk.  
"Excuse you?" She growled lowly, slightly tightening her already firm grip. He certainly wasn't going anywhere now. "Of course I am busy... how _dare_ you ask me that, I'm not your _escort_." She bared her teeth, eyes narrowing at him.

Hematite quietly gasped as he suddenly found himself face to face with the huge gem, and he couldn't help but tremble under her gaze. He winced as her grip tightened, and for a moment, he was afraid she'd poof him then and there.  
"I-I didn't mean anything by it! I apologize, of course you're too busy." He was looking away from her face, trying to stay as calm as he possibly could. That didn't stop him from glancing at her bared teeth, another shiver shaking his tiny form.

Yellow turned the tiny gem in her palm a little bit, examining him.  
"I don't fully believe you understand the position you hold here, Hematite," she said coldly, raising a brow. "You're so used to being big, you forget how small you really are." She grinned, teeth gleaming. "Perhaps you question your position... perhaps you even think you are remotely stronger than us. But we'll be waiting, Hematite... waiting for you to slip up if you ever even _think_ of turning on us. Don't get too cocky. Don't forget where you stand... or else."

The tiny gem quietly protested as he was turned over in Yellow Diamond's hand, and he had to blow his hair out of his eyes a few times so he could see his superior's face. He didn't want her to be out of sight for too long.  
He listened to her words, and a look of disbelief and fear plastered itself across his face. He shook his head.  
"I-I would never! I'm here to serve you, White Diamond, and Blue Diamond! I would never question my position!" He was full-on shaking at this point, the smallest of whimpers escaping him. Small, scared, powerless... _is this what his mission targets felt like...?_  
"I'm sorry, I won't forget, I swear it!"

"No."  
Her eyes narrowed in an ominous calm.

"You _won't."_  
-

 _..._

 _-_  
After a quick warning not to share what had happened with anyone, and a brusque sending-off, Hematite was back in the great sky bridge, the door to Yellow's office closing behind him. The sun had set, and the bridge back to White's office stretched ahead, empty, silent.

His visor was back to normal at this point, and his steps were measured and even. Until about halfway down the bridge, that is. The lone gem suddenly slowed, until he was standing in a pale shaft of moonlight. A breeze blew through the stone walls, chilling the gem's damp form. He finally looked at himself. His hair was plastered to his suit and neck, his bangs stuck to his visor. Even now, away from Yellow Diamond, a vague sense of terror still lingered in his stomach.  
Until it jumped into his throat, and a sharp mix of a cry and a gasp escaped him. Hematite covered his mouth, his shoulders shaking once again. Looking up, the tiny gem spotted a large crack in one of the 'pillars' separating the outside world from the bridge, and he rushed over to it, slumping back against the cold stone. His visor was quickly removed and placed on the ground. Trembling, Hematite drew his knees to his chest, crossing his arms over them. He stared ahead, tears in the corners of his eyes.

He just had a **_talk_** with Yellow Diamond. That's all. She discussed some business with him, and taught him a new rule he didn't know.

 _It wasn't a lie._

He'd messed up and spoken out of turn, so he deserved it, right? But... he hadn't meant anything by it.

Nobody had to know about this. Nobody _could_ know about this. He couldn't tell White that Yellow... that she-  
The tiniest whimper echoed hollowly through the bridge before fading into the night.

 _He wished he'd never said 'I accept'._


	3. The Blue District

_Summary: Hematite is shown around the Blue District._

* * *

Several weeks passed since Hematite's rather _unpleasant_ encounter with Yellow Diamond... he wasn't quite sure he was ready for this yet.

Standing outside of the third Diamond's office, the gem swallowed and scuffed the ground with his foot. White gave him orders to spend the day with Blue Diamond. For what reason, he couldn't possibly figure out, and after running some errands first, he now stood in front of her door.  
Admittedly, Hematite was nervous, anxious even. White had proven herself, over the past couple of weeks, to still be incredibly unreadable in most situations, and yet there was a sense of caution that he always had around her. He respected his leader, and didn't plan on getting on her bad side any time soon. He'd had tea with her once... so that was nice.  
Yellow Diamond, was, _well_... He _feared_ her, more than anything else. Certainly, she was powerful, organized, well-respected, and had the most advanced district of them all, but Hematite would be lying if he said he didn't question her methods of keeping gems 'in line'. There was still a level of respect he had for the intimidating leader, but it was overshadowed by his fear of angering her and ensuing her wrath. It was clear she thought little of him, as she constantly let him know with dirty looks and verbal jabs when no-one was watching. He'd tried his best to stay on her good side ever since that one evening weeks ago. Despite that, though, his yellow superior hadn't let up with her onslaught of fear-mongering and insults. To Hematite's relief, she never did anything like she had that one night, but he wasn't sure she wouldn't do it again if she could. Perhaps she figured that method of scaring him would only work once. She was keeping him firmly under her thumb, and soon enough, Hematite couldn't go about his daily business without feeling like she had her eyes on him. She was hardly ever _around_ , but he could feel her presence.

But _this_ gem? Blue Diamond? He'd seen her maybe a handful of times, and had never spoken to her _directly_. Hell, Hematite had never even been to her _office_. This would be the first time he hadn't seen her in passing since that day White Diamond chose him from the other Hematites. He had no idea what she would be like, aside from the fact that she seemed to have a sense of humor... Unless of course she'd been laughing at _him_ instead of his joke. That was entirely possible.  
For his sake, he just hoped she wasn't as scary as Yellow.  
Steeling himself, Hematite cleared his throat and knocked on the door, walking in soon after and giving the gem inside a polite salute.  
"Blue Diamond, White Diamond has ordered that I spend the rest of the day with you."

The door hissed open, revealing a rather messy office. Papers and writing utensils were scattered ungracefully among the desks, shelves, and floor. On one of the walls, there was a row of beat up and shredded cloth dummies, and target boards with chips and holes in them. Behind the primary desk, there sat the blue gem, legs crossed and propped up over the desk. She laid back in her seat, arms behind her head in a relaxed state.  
"White, eh? Meheheh..." she chuckled a little darkly, leaning back in her seat. Her eyes were shut, and she was grinning ear to ear. "Come on in, kid! Don't worry, I won't bite!" she said, opening her eyes and snickering. Waving her hand, she beckoned the Hematite further into the room. "I know why you're here, White's already spoken to me... For the rest of today, you're gonna do what I say."

Hematite glanced around the room, and the anxiety in his stomach began to boil. _Oh, stars, she was even_ _ **worse**_ _, wasn't she?_ The messy state of things was off-putting, to say the least, compared to the neat offices of White and Yellow that he was used to. Taking a few hesitant steps further into the room, the short gem tried to keep his composure, and stood straight as he stopped in front of Blue Diamond's desk.  
"Y-yes ma'am. Whatever you say."

Blue promptly took her legs off of her desk and leaned forward, looking up and down the smaller gem. She grinned ear to ear, then, without warning, began chuckling even harder than she had before. After a few moments, she stopped, slamming her palm loudly onto the desk. With a spark in her eyes, she leaned over to the Hematite, now on her feet.  
"Alright Rookie, don't look so uptight! Stars, Sparky and Priss got ya _so_ wound up! You need to learn how to relaaaax!" she said in a loud, rowdy voice.

Admittedly, she'd caught him off-guard, and that was saying something, considering his guard been up almost _constantly_ as of late. Hematite couldn't help but lean back slightly when Blue closed some of the distance between their faces, and he blinked in unmasked surprise at the two nicknames.  
"Sparky and... wh- what?" He shook his head to clear the shock. "I-I, uhm. I'm not here to relax, I'm here to do what White Diamond told me to."

She stood up and swung around the desk, placing an arm around Hematite's shoulders. She had an almost sleazy look to her...she definitely seemed much different from the other two Diamonds. _Was she really a leader? Why did she act this way? Was she serious, or just testing him?_

Hematite tensed up almost immediately as Blue Diamond came around her desk and put an arm around his shoulders, and he quickly added,  
"B-but if that's what you want, then by all means, I'm completely relaxed!" He gave the taller gem the most awkward, uncomfortable smile and chuckle he possibly could have. Yes, _clearly_ he was calm and collected.

Blue gave Hematite a pat on the shoulder and smiled.  
"Well, White ordered you to spend the day with me! And she told ME... to show ya arounnnnd! Introduce myself properly! I mean, of course, you know I'm Blue Diamond and all...but ya don't know _Blue!"_ She chuckled, releasing her grip from the confused gem. "Since you're working so close to us, I figured it would be a good idea to really show ya around, get to know me too. I mean, I can't stand around and watch Yellow and White hog you up all the time! I wanna hang out with ya too! Sooooo I pulled some strings and... persuuuaaaaded White to let me borrow ya for the day!" she said, cracking her knuckles and promptly placing her hands on her hips. "Whadda ya say, Rookie?"

Hematite was admittedly... confused. He couldn't tell if this gem was serious or not, and what her actual personality was like... One moment, like back in the kindergarten, she was terrifying, the next she was being all chummy? It unsettled him, to say the least; but he put on a brave face for her and nodded curtly.  
"Whatever you say, Blue Diamond. I'm eager to see the rest of the city."  
And that stuff about getting to know her better? Last he checked, the diamonds made an effort not to show their true thoughts around other worker gems, so why was she so eager to be this open? Was she testing him with all this?  
Determined to show her he was up for whatever she had in mind, Hematite put on the most serious face he could muster and stood straight, though he didn't salute this time.  
"Whenever you're ready to go, ma'am."

Blue took Hematite's hand and started immediately for the door before he could even finish his last sentence  
"Just call me Blue, Kiddo!" she said eagerly. The door hissed open, revealing the main Sky bridge leading from her tower, and a circular hall that lead to an elevator down to the city grounds. From the brief time she had been exposed to Hematite, she didn't act like the standard diamond. She didn't even seem to follow the normal _rules_. The diamonds didn't really ever make physical contact with the common gem... and the common gem wasn't _ever_ supposed to touch a Diamond under most circumstances. Why did she act the way she did? For the moment, it seemed as though she was more unpredictable than White!

Needless to say, Hematite was already incredibly nervous with Blue putting her arm around his shoulders, but for her to take his hand, well that was another matter entirely! He knew worker gems were never supposed to make physical contact with a Diamond unless their leaders' lives depended on it, so why was this Diamond so casual about it? On the other hand, Hematite didn't argue. So far, this beat the experience he had with Yellow Diamond.  
Trailing, or rather being drug, behind Blue Diamond, the shorter gem looked around as they headed for the elevator.  
"Where will we be going first, Blue Di-... Blue?"

The Diamond drug the Hematite into the elevator, rapidly pressing a button as soon as they stepped in. The door whirred shut, the weight under them shifting.  
"Oh, I've got a few ideas! Say kiddo, ya ever been to a bar before?" she asked, giving him a wink.

At the diamond's question, Hematite blinked in surprise and shook his head.  
"I can't say that I have, Blue. I've barely been outside the towers when I'm not on a mission. I think I heard it mentioned once, by a worker gem, but.."

A melodic ding rang through the small room before the door hissed open again.  
"I've been around the block quite a few times in my day, I know all the best places to go! Oh, there's also the great aquarium. Did you know there's 2748 different types of aquatic gem creatures?" she hummed out. She took his hand once more and started out the elevator, making her way down the hall. It led to the main exit to the tower.

The gem trailed off as Blue continued, and he gave a little nod.  
" _That_ I did know. There was actually a new species discovered recent-LY" his last word came out more as a grunt as Blue exited the elevator with him in tow, and he went quiet as he observed the area around him.

Humming a soft note to herself, the diamond rounded the building and made her way towards the outer wall that surrounded the center of the capital where the four diamond towers resided. The two gems soon stepped through a small tunnel guarded by a carbonite gate that was currently down. They were let out down a pathway which looked to be lined with ornate marble stone statues. Some of them were old warriors, while the two closest to the wall entrance were of Blue herself. Two huge warrior gems stood with axes near an archway that seemed to lead outside of the tower square. They saluted Blue and parted in opposite directions in perfect unison, revealing the opening.

By reflex, Hematite's visor chirped to life and began taking notes. He couldn't remember if he'd been this direction before, but he wanted to note things just in case. When he came close to the warrior gems, he looked away politely and deactivated his visor.

Blue gave them a snap of her finger as they moved aside, probably a sort of thank you? It wasn't certain. The archway was tall and thin, and lead out into what looked to be a street. It was bustling with lively gems, all chatting and walking to and from different places. Buildings of different styles and heights laid out densely beyond the walls surrounding the diamond towers, stretching out as far as the eye could see. They had arrived in the outer city.

As the gems moved aside, he nodded a thanks and followed behind Blue, looking around at the local gems as they walked to and fro, busying themselves with their own lives and jobs. Hematite looked up at Blue, who was considerably taller than him, even as the shortest of the three Diamonds, and tilted his head to the side ever so slightly.  
"Blue, I do have a question. Why didn't White Diamond take me to see the city? I mean, I am her bodyguard and a White District gem."

Blue let go of Hematite's hand and motioned her arms in front of her as she took a deep breath. She moved her hands out in front of her as if beholding the massive street before her for the first time.  
"Haaaaa! I love this place!" She whizzed around to face the shorter gem with a hand on her hip and threw out her arm as if she were showcasing the entire city. "Because, rookie, this is the Blue District! Tuhuh, and plus, White wanted to use today for you to get to know _me_ a little better, too! If White has a city to show you, she'll be showing you the White District. Same with Sparky and her Yellow District!" she stated with a hint of sass. Turning back to the busy streets, Blue grinned and huffed softly through her nose. The gems walking among them didn't stop to look at Blue, who was now just standing around. It was as if it were completely normal for her to be there in the first place! Shouldn't they be curious? Shouldn't they think something was up if a Diamond was walking around the city?  
"Come on, I wanna show ya my favorite place."

Hematite was indeed confused by the lack of interest the other gems were showing in their leader, why wasn't there more of a reaction? Was this a normal thing for Blue Diamond to do, just walk around the city like a regular citizen? Yellow and White certainly didn't seem to do such a thing.  
The shorter gem nodded at her reply, as it made sense. If this was just to show him around the Blue district, it was obvious Blue should be the one to do it. As far as the Yellow district went, he didn't look forward to that 'outing'. Though perhaps Yellow Diamond would act differently in public. That is, he thought to himself, if she even would do such a thing. Doubtful.  
Hematite nodded to the diamond and followed after her. His visor chirped online again as the gem studied what he could. Gems, businesses, technology, it was all a little odd to see things up close and personal rather than in his archives he was given to study.

After about 8 or so minutes of brisk walking, Blue stopped abruptly in front of what looked to be a large shop. Rather, it was a bar. A neon sign hung above the fairly sized doorway, written in gem text. It read "Morganite's Club". Blue rubbed her hands together, smiling ear to ear, then yanked open the door. There was upbeat electronic music resounding through the air, and many conflicting smells lingered throughout the establishment. The tone of the business held a dark tone to it, with slowly fluctuating, multiple-colored lights. Gems walked to and fro, filling the place with lively chat. There appeared to be a dance hall in the right half of the bar, though it was blocked off by half-windowed walls. An Amethyst guard stood watch at the doorway leading to that half of the business, watching the patrons carefully behind a standard quartz-soldier helmet. The main part of the club appeared to be a far more relaxed, lounge-type area with a large, colorful bar and many small tables scattered about here and there. There was a cubby and table area to the left for gems to store their belongings, should they wish to, and off on the far side of the bar laid small, half-blocked off 'rooms' for gems to chat and relax in. All and all, it was colorful, full of new sights and smells, and very, very busy.

Well this was certainly going to get weird quickly, wasn't it? The city was far more lively and... diverse than Hematite was led to believe. All he'd really been exposed to were the towers, with their Pearls and Peridots here and there, along with a few other worker gems, and the few citizens and rebels he'd run into on missions. Being in such a loud, busy place was... Unsettling.

"Hey heeeey, Blue!" a particularly flamboyant voice called from over the counter nearby. Blue rushed in, hopping down on a bar stool "How's my favorite Diamond?" it called again, though the owner of the voice was nowhere in sight. Blue, despite being unable to see the source of the mysterious voice, placed an arm on the counter and smiled. She looked back at Hematite, motioning for him to come have a seat.  
"Doin' great, Morgan! I'm showin' a newbie the ropes, thought I'd give em the tour of one of my faaaavorite bars in the whole capital city!" she chuckled.

Hematite's half-gloved hands found their way to a section of his long white hair, and he nervously tugged on it, slowly following after Blue, trying not to bump into anyone. And when he did, he quickly apologized and got out of their way.  
He stopped next to Blue and attempted to peer over the counter, quickly discovering that he was just short enough to not be able to see anything. Of course.

Blue chuckled and hopped out of her seat briefly, grabbing the Hematite by his waist and hoisting him up onto the seat. After Blue returned to her seat, the faceless voice finally came out from behind a shelf just out of view. A very tall, warrior sized gem with a svelte figure spun into the more open area behind the counter. They had a very feminine look to them, with gorgeous dull-pink hair. They gave the two a wide grin, holding a plate skillfully with one hand with three drinks rested upon it.  
"My my that's so very kind of you Blue! Your favorite? Realllyyyy?" A purplish blush appeared over his cheeks, and he chuckled charmingly. "You flatter me! So who's your accomplice?" He asked, setting two of the drinks down onto the counter in front of the gems.

Fiddling with his lock of hair, Hematite silently looked from one gem to the other, utterly shocked at how casual they were being. If he ever talked to Yellow or White like that, he'd be decommissioned so fast his head would spin. Well, more than it was at the sight of a Diamond conversing so flippantly with a warrior gem.

"This here is Hematite, a new worker gem in the White District! Though, they're also White's bodyguard... and a lot of other things, so we'll be seeing him a lot more in the future!" She introduced, swirling her hand in a circular motion. She looked down at the drinks, eyes sparkling with joy. "Oh wow, you already had my favorite ready!" She exclaimed, picking up her glass with a cheeky smile.  
"I heard from a little gem that you might be on your way, so I thought I'd take a chance, haha~!" He chortled, taking one of the glasses on the other side of the bar and wiping it with a cloth. "These are on the house! You and your friend here make yourselves at home!" he continued politely.

Upon Blue's introduction, Hematite felt his cheeks darken, and he politely nodded. He wasn't sure if that last part was true about him being seen around more often, as he didn't plan on coming to this sort of place on his own. The gem swung his feet idly, tapping the pole that held the chair up beneath him. His feet didn't touch the ground, so he needed something to do with them. Hematite looked around the bar, still a bit dizzy from all the lights, sounds, and smells. How could someone work here?  
Curiously, he peeked at the drink Blue was holding, and tugged on his hair slightly.  
"What's that?"

"Oh, this is a special alcoholic drink that I like to get while I'm here! You should try yours! I will warn ya though, it's got a bit of a weird taste haha... Aaaaand if ya drink too much of it, it'll do weeeeeird stuff to your head!" She realized that description was probably very off-putting, and smiled a little awkwardly. "W-well, I mean, not that that's a bad thing, really! Go on, give it a shot, tell me what ya think!" She said, pointing towards the glass. "Of course ya don't have to if ya really don't waaaant tooo..." She trailed off, rolling her eyes and looking at the Morganite, who snickered quietly.

Scrunching his nose up, Hematite glanced at the drink in front of him and eyed it suspiciously.  
"Why would you drink something like that..." he muttered, not quite loud enough to be heard. Best not to question the Diamond out loud. Reaching over the counter, Hematite pulled over the glass and sniffed the contents, making a rather amusing expression afterwards. He puffed his cheeks out and shook his head, the hair he was fiddling with falling back behind his shoulders. He didn't want to try this cringe-inducing substance, but Blue Diamond insisted, and she and Morganite were clearly amused by the idea of him not trying it, so he steeled himself and took a sip.  
 **Regret.**  
The small gem barely repressed a gag and shook his head, forcing himself to swallow the sip he managed. He shuddered, turning to Blue with a look that was a mix of 'why do you drink this' and 'why did **_I_** just drink this'.

The Morganite gave a flustered smile, followed by another deep blush. Blue chuckled rather loudly, for what seemed like a whole minute as the service gem continued to try and clear his palette.  
"Hooooo Hematite, you're hilarious! It's alright though, that stuff's not for everyone." She said, still shaking off the laugh. She took the glass away from the smaller gem and gave it back to Morganite, who didn't look the least bit offended thankfully. "Between you and me, I really just like to come here for socialization. Buuuut since you're here, I'm not so chatty with the others. Don't wanna be rude!" the Diamond said with a quirk. She gave Morganite a wave, and hopped out of the seat. "This place is probably more or less an ... acquired taste for a gem like you! Not to worry though, I think I have an idea of another place to take ya, hehe." She offered a hand to the smaller gem.

Hematite gave an apologetic smile to Morganite, and was glad that he didn't look offended. He looked to Blue and nodded before hopping down from the chair and hesitantly taking her hand. He followed Blue out, still trying to get the odd taste out of his mouth. As they left the bar, Hematite looked up at Blue Diamond and cleared his throat.  
"So, where are we going now?"

"We're goin' to another one of my favorite places! After I show you a few places, that is." She chuckled, "Don't worry though, ya won't have to drink anything weird there." She made her way down the streets, and on occasion she'd give a wave to a passing gem. Everyone seemed fairly happy in this district. Were the other districts this lively? The walk to wherever Blue was going took significantly longer than the walk to the bar before. Blue would occasionally look up at the sky while she walked, and gave Hematite a basic rundown of the places they passed by. The two of them took a while to get through this section of the district, both of them losing track of the time. It was getting later in the evening when the Diamond finally headed away from the main city, toward the center of the district.

Hematite was taking note of anything he could, the symbols and gem-speak flitting around on his visor screen. Everyone seemed rather content here, and the more Hematite saw, the more he wondered if he'd just gotten off on the wrong foot with Yellow Diamond. Surely, if people in her district were like this as well, she couldn't be that bad, right? But, that was going off of the assumption that all the districts were as chipper as Blue's.

Finally, after about another 30 minutes of walking, they stopped in front of a massive wall with a huge gated entrance, and two smaller ones to the sides. It looked much like a city wall, but lower. What was this odd place? Blue walked in the archway, waving at the guards that stood once more, and into what looked to be a large dirt-floored clearing. All around them, the room opened up, revealing a completely massive arena surrounded with bleacher-like seat rows. There were a few groups of gems scattered here and there.  
"This is the great Coliseum! Many gems go here to roughhouse and participate in battle events!" She exclaimed. "I like to come here and spar with some of the warrior gems on my time off! You ever had a good spar, kid?"

As they neared the arena, Hematite found himself looking straight up at the huge walls of the outside, and couldn't mask his awe at what the inside looked like. This place was the size of a small battlefield, it'd even be big to him at his full size!  
"N-no, I can't say I have."

Not long after she finished her introduction, there was a sudden fit of yelling from their left side, rapidly getting closer. Without much more warning, a group of 4 small red gems all dog piled on Blue. Falling to the ground with a startled yell, Blue quickly busted into a crazed laughter. The 4 red gems clung onto her form, all giggling and grinning deviously.  
"RUBY SWARRRRM!"

The small gem's mouth hung open in wonder, but he was snapped out of his stupor by the sudden shouting to the left. Leaping back out of the way, Hematite was barely able to dodge the onslaught of Rubies that knocked Blue over. His first instinct was to crouch into a battle stance to knock the Rubies off, but a moment later he realized Blue was laughing instead of sounding distressed, and he stood down, blinking confusedly at her and the small red gems.  
"What on _Homeworld_...?"

The rubies laughed and crawled all over their blue leader.  
"Come on ya lil' rascals, I've got important business to attend to!" She said, laughing. The rubies all groaned in disappointment, un-attaching themselves from her. Blue stood up, brushing the dirt from her pants. She shot a look of amusement to Hematite, and looked back at the rubies. "These are Rubies. You may or may not have encountered a few already?" She snapped her fingers, and the rubies all started laughing again, and this time jumped onto the Hematite! They clung to his arms and legs, hugging them and growling playfully. "They like to tussle, but don't get too into it! They're like little fireballs, literally! Hehehe!" Blue teased, watching the rubies climb all over her accomplice.

The small gem had nodded in confirmation that he had indeed seen Rubies before, but that wasn't why he was confused.  
"Yes, but why are they doi-AH!" Hematite attempted to make a run for it, but didn't make it two steps before the Rubies had latched onto his limbs, weighing him in place. He feebly flailed his arms, grunting and trying to shake the Rubies off. If he wanted, he could have shifted and knocked them off easily, but he'd been told not to do so while off the job unless something dire happened.  
"Bluuue! Get' em off!"

After quite a few moments of chuckling, Blue waved her hands and clapped them together.  
"Alright alright you guys, hop off. We're here to spar, not goof around," she said. The rubies seemed satisfied, nonetheless, and let go of Hematite immediately. They started off in another direction, but not before one of them waved goodbye to them both.  
"Always be prepared for the Ruby swarm!"  
Blue snickered, gesturing for Hematite to follow her.

As soon as the Rubies climbed off of him, Hematite dusted himself off and adjusted his hair, making sure it was properly back in place. He followed after Blue, looking around the bleachers of the arena. There were a few gems here and there, but they seemed to be 'hanging out' more than anything else. Hematite was dumbfounded by the thought of how many gems could fit in those stands...

They moved some distance further in the ring, away from the others, before Blue spun on her heel to face Hematite...with an ominous fire in her eyes. This was a certainly an abrupt contrast of how she had been 5 minutes prior...

Taking his eyes away from the empty seats, Hematite looked back at Blue and was startled by the fiery look in her eyes.  
"B-Blue Diamond?" He smiled nervously. _Uh-oh, what had he done?_

Blue placed her hand to her gem and, after a short second, it illuminated brightly. From it, she pulled out her huge battle Mace, slamming it into the dirt in front of her, placing her palms on its hilt.  
"Alright kid! I wanna teach you a few tricks and see what you're all about on the battlefield! Show me what you got! Go on now, don't be shy! If you're gonna be White's bodyguard and hang around the Diamonds, you gotta know how to fight! I've been curious since the moment I first saw you! I wanna see your spirit, Rookie! I want to see what you can do!" Her eyes narrowed, but her smile never left. Her booming voice came back altogether, just like when Hematite had heard her speak back in the Pink district.  
"You know how to summon your weapon, right?!"

Admittedly, the sudden appearance of Blue's weapon shook Hematite, and he reflexively brought his hands up to his head, guarding it. But after a moment, he opened his eyes and stared at the gem's weapon, his form shaking violently. As she began speaking, he forced himself to stand up straight again, his trembling quelling for the moment.  
"F-fight? Uhm, I-I don't..."  
Him. Fight a Diamond? Was she _cracked_?  
Hematite fidgeted with his hair nervously, biting his lip.  
"I know how to summon it, I think, but I don't see how.. I can.." He wanted to say 'There's no way I can possibly stand my own against you, what are you going on about?', but he didn't want to end up on the business end of her mace for speaking against her.

Blue laughed proudly, swinging her mace up and propping it on her shoulder as if it was entirely weightless. The massive weapon had left a small dent in the ground where it had been slammed down before.  
"Don't worry about it! I'll go easy on ya, kid! But you better not hold anything back!" She egged on, multiple gems from the stands gathering what was going on. A soft murmur gathered in the small crowd around them, gems in the ring moving to the edges and climbing up into the bleachers. If a Diamond duel is what was about to happen, they weren't gonna miss a show like that.

Hematite couldn't help but notice the gems that were gathering in the stands. They were going to have an audience for this? What was going on? He was going to be poofed within moments! What little combat training he _did_ have would be useless against a Diamond!  
The small gem meekly held up his hands, balled them up into fists, and swallowed nervously. The lessons he'd learned from the Peridots back at the Kindergarten rushed through his mind. If he wasn't mistaken, the Hematites shared a cache of weapons. He remembered war hammers, clubs, electric energy, which was shared among almost all of them, and a few other, smaller weapons... But he had no clue what his was yet. He knew how to summon his weapon, but had no chance to thus far.  
"A-alright, uh. Hold on, let me just."  
He looked at his fists, frowning at them. "C'mon..." Shaking out his hands, he glanced nervously at Blue. "One second, just..."  
Fidgeting with his hands, Hematite huffed and held one of his fists, cracking his knuckles rather loudly.

 **Z-A-P!**

A startling spray of electricity suddenly flew from the tiny gem, most of it sinking quickly into the ground, though one or two stray bolts did hit Blue Diamond. The current was incredibly weak, as Hematite hadn't meant to unleash it, but it was still enough to tingle. A moment later, Hematite looked at his hands, sparking silvery-gray knuckledusters with large blunt prongs locked onto his fingers.  
"Oh. So that's what it is."

Blue Diamond's eyes widened, the smile on her face growing at the sight of Hematite's new found weapons. Not even the small sparks that swept against her seemed to cause so much as a flinch.  
"Not bad kiddo! Now, lets see if you can use em..." She said intently, swinging the mace into her other palm, clutching it tightly. She moved her stance into a more offensive position and smirked. This was gonna get _interesting_.

"Wait what?"  
The small gem looked toward his opponent as she readied her battle stance, and he shook his head, putting his hands in front of him.  
"W-wait wait aren't you going to teach me something first? I don't even know how to use these!" She had a mace, and he had some fancy welded rings?! How was he supposed to fight with these? Surely they wouldn't do anything against a weapon of war, much less one wielded by a Diamond!

"The best way to learn is through action! At least, that's how I do it!" She said, briefly holding a finger curiously to her lip. She returned to her intimidating state as quickly as she had left it, grasping the mace and lifting it at an angle, laughing maniacally. The small crowd behind the two gems started to cheer wildly. What an exciting turnout for them! Blue never took her eyes off the small gem, grinning ear to ear. "Take a risk, take a chance! Whether you're fighting Diamond or a Ruby, you'll have to be prepared for anything! So show me what you've GOT!"  
And with the last note, her mace came swinging forward.

And with that, Hematite was gone. Sprinting away from Blue and her mace, the small gem tried to ignore the crowd's jeers and ran for the exit as fast as his legs could take him.  
"Blue I don't know how to fight, this isn't fair!" he called back, trying to stay respectful, but still trying to get his point across.  
"Can we at least have some hand-to-hand combat?!"

Blue advanced forward, swinging her mace back over her shoulder and chasing the smaller gem down.  
"Get back here! Don't run away from a fight, show some courage!" She shouted after. Before Hematite could get to the exit, the two guards that stood their ground at the gate stood in the archway, clashing their axes together and blocking off his exit.  
"Come on, Rookie! I'm not gonna crack ya or anything! Just take a shot!"

Hematite had skidded to a halt in front of the guards, hopelessly looking up at them through his visor. He spun on his heel, watching with dread as Blue quickly approached.  
Then he froze.

 ** _Show some courage._**

Her next words were drowned out. Hematite wasn't listening anymore. With that one phrase, she'd hit a raw nerve, and the small gem she was fast-approaching was intensely staring at her, not budging an inch.  
And then he suddenly moved.  
As soon as she was within range, Hematite lunged forward a few quick steps, mere inches away from Blue. With a sharp battle cry, he forced a heavy punch to the middle of her abdomen with all his strength, right in her center of gravity.  
And sent her flying thirty feet back.

The crowed gasped, becoming quickly restless. Did that just happen? What a twist! Was Blue alright? Surely she was, there was no cloud of blue smoke. Thudding against the ground, she lost grip of her mace, but she quickly regained her footing. She gasped quietly to herself, eyes widening in utter surprise. What a blow... it had completely knocked the wind right out of her! There was a moment of awkward, silent tension.  
"Ha...hahahahaha... HAHAHAHAHAAA!"  
She erupted into laughter, placing her hand to her head and quickly drawing out another mace, the other dissipating on the dirt some 12 or so feet away.  
"THERE YA GO, ROOKIE! THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT! " She cheered with a fiery tone, the crowd roaring after her words. She held the mace back, darting back towards the other gem.

 _That won't work twice._  
Blue was headed for him again, and he was quickly thinking over his next move, without meaning to. All of the archives he'd read over were rapidly whirring through his mind. She'd be smart enough to protect her middle again. _She'll probably actually try to land a hit this time. Don't get hit. She's slow. Make her slower._

 ** _Go for her legs._**

Hematite's eyes were wide, intensely focused. He crouched, only taking a few preemptive steps back as Blue drew closer.

Blue's mind raced, her teeth bared with anticipation for the fight. She glanced quickly as she advanced faster towards the small gem, and without warning... Her mace hit the ground with a quick THWAK , and using the force of the hilt to jut herself into the air from the inertia, she leapt. She soared over him, spinning in the air and landing behind him, delivering a swift punch to his back, right between the shoulder blades. The sheer amount of force within that single blow would surely knock him forward a few feet.

Blue's move had caught him off guard, and he looked up in surprise as the larger gem sailed right over him. Before he could turn around, her fist met his back, and he was sent flying and then stumbling forward, roughly rolling onto the dirt after he landed. But instead of remaining on the ground, Hematite suddenly moved with the roll and landed on all fours, his back arched. He bared his sharp teeth at Blue, his hair fluffed up in anger and fear. Within another moment, he was back on his feet, his fists up and ready. This time, he kept on the move, taking quick, flighty steps backwards.

"YEEAAAHHH That's the spirit! I can see it, the blazing inferno of your soul! The passion, the moxie, the RAW FIERCENESS! " She cried out, creating yet another mace from her gem. She had a strange feeling of pride that welled up inside her, fueling her spirit even more. The way he moved, the way he seemed to put his fears aside at last, the way he rushed in and moved so gracefully even as he fell. She couldn't help but admire it. This was new, this was _exciting_. She advanced forward, once again holding her mace to her midsection, baring her own teeth and yelling out an unbridled war cry.

Alright so she was tricky, fine.  
 _Time to get rid of that mace for a second._  
Hematite rushed backwards, trying to make sure he had the right amount of distance as Blue charged at him, giving him a fierce battle cry. His whole body shot forward once he had the right window. He looked as if he was going to go for a sweep of her legs, but instead, he suddenly latched onto the handle of her mace, letting out a splitting yell as he chucked her over his shoulder by the weapon, forcing her to release her grip with a frightening amount of strength.

With a startled grunt, she went literally head over heels, hands still attached to the bar of the mace. About a third of the way back down, she let go, spinning once more and landing on her feet. The mace slammed into the ground, and she darted back quickly, the grin never leaving her face. It was unsettling just how much she was smiling throughout this whole ordeal. The crowd began to chant, but the words were indeterminable She chuckled, bouncing for a moment in place, clenching her fists and narrowing her eyes. She didn't go right back for a 4th mace.  
"I'm lovin' it, Rookie! You got a lot of spunk, I can respect that!"  
Real respect? From a Diamond? Even if it was Blue, that was nothing to sneeze at!  
She rushed to the side quickly, maneuvering herself backwards so she could keep an eye on him. "But is that really all ya got? Come on, I know you can dig a little deeper! "

Hematite's head was pounding, his breathing heavy, but measured. He was crouched on the ground on all fours, his body low. Every inch of him was tensed, ready to strike, but he didn't move.  
His visor flickered.  
"You want a real fight, huh?!" His voice was ragged, and had much more of an edge to it. He was full-on yelling at her. "Then COME ON! HIT ME!" he roared, his voice cracking just slightly. The knuckledusters on his hands sparked and glowed, the crackling sounds of electricity filling his ears, his hair frizzing up a bit from the static.

Blue's eyes lit up, the crowd gasping and falling silent for a moment. This was certainly interesting!

"Well damn, Rookie! You're full of surprises aren't ya! Keep it up!" She encouraged, drawing another mace from her gem. She went to strike, but right as she was about to swing, she pulled another tricky move and, instead of slamming down, she skidded in the dirt and flung herself in the opposite direction in an attempt to throw off his prediction, full on swinging the mace to a point where, as it reached its greatest potential, she let it go, and it was sent in a harsh spiral right towards him.

He'd hoped she would go in for a direct hit.  
But she didn't.  
Hematite skidded backwards as Blue swung the mace around, and the small gem let out a loud cry of frustration, barely dodging the mace as it went flying by him. Admittedly, it _had_ hit his arm, but he didn't feel it right now. Not at its full severity, that is. He tumbled to the ground, on all fours again, still sparking with electricity and baring his teeth as he glared at her.  
"Is that the best YOU'VE got?!"

Blue bared her teeth back, brows furrowed. So he wanted more of a challenge? Alright, she was going to go easy on him, but now it seemed as though she needed to turn up the heat. She stood for a moment, chuckling darkly, cracking her own knuckles. She reached for her gem, but this time, it took a little longer than it had before to pull out...and they all soon found out why. She manifested a mace that was twice the size of her last one, and once again swung it into her palm as if it were weightless.  
"Alright Rookie, you asked for it!" She shouted with heart, lifting the mace up ever so slightly and widening her stance. Her hands started to glow blue, the trail moving gradually up her arms... until it enveloped her whole body, a soft blue aura shimmering from her. The ground beneath her began to crack, and everyone in the arena could swear they felt an incredible pressure increase in the air.  
Her eyes dilated, and every ounce of empathy and sanity that they seemed to carry before had all but vanished.

As Blue brought out her next weapon, the sparks around Hematite grew more intense, and his eyes widened. His 'clawed' fingers dug into the ground, sending small cracks through the dirt. As the pressure around him increased, his breathing suddenly went... _funny_.

Hematite's gem began to glow.  
As Blue raised the enormous mace higher, the crouched gem's hair fluffed out further, his eyes following the weapon as it was raised into the air.  
 _Wait for it._

She watched carefully, brows still furrowed from before and clutching her mace tighter. Something about him became... feral. Interesting. _Veeeery interesting_. She had seen many gems go into an animalistic state before when they panicked or got too riled up, but this was a whole new _level_ of beast-like. She was astounded. With a mighty laugh, she stepped forward, the ground crumbling slightly with every step. She was slower, _significantly_ slower, but then she started to swing the mace. Its massive weight shifted, driving it stronger and faster towards the small gem, its force only becoming stronger as it neared. If it managed to hit him at his current state, his body _would_ be reduced to a smoke cloud.

The mace barreled down on him.  
If it hit, he was done. Hematite's whole body began to glow. The mace was upon him, ready to crush his tiny form.  
But it didn't.  
A shock wave and a loud CLANG shuddered the entire arena with a flash of light, violently cracking the ground beneath the fighting gems. Harsh electricity crackled in the air, charging it with static. The crowd felt the hair on the back of their necks stand on end, and not just because of the charged air.

But because of what was now on the arena floor.

The dust from the shock wave began to settle, and there was Hematite, crouched on the ground in his same feline-like stance, his now huge fist tightly grasping the end of Blue's mace, holding it above him.

He'd shifted up within an instant, and now crouched at his full Harvester size.

Hematite's face was down, his breathing coming in heavy pants, each exhale sounding like a growl.  
Slowly, the giant gem looked up at his opponent, his visor glazed over, his eyes no longer visible. His teeth were bared, and though his face was half hidden, it was clear he was staring right through Blue.

Blue winced and grunted in pain, the force of the blow jutting back onto her from the abrupt stop. Letting go of the mace, she watched in awe as the thick dirt in the air cleared, her vision drifting upwards, and her jaw parted slowly as she realized what just happened. The audience was an anxious stew of silence and fear. They had no idea what was going to happen next, most were too afraid to find out. They'd never seen such a gem, not when it wasn't a fusion! Blue, however, remained astonished...now more than ever.

Without so much as a warning, Hematite slammed the large mace into the ground next to him, leaving a very clear imprint that would not go away easily. He turned to Blue, teeth bared, taking a single 'pace' forward.

Every single one of the gems in the arena flinched as the mace made a solid contact with the ground. Blue had instinctively backed up, looking from the crater back up to the looming figure. Her eyes widened, the softer look she once bore before returning to her...but this time, it was different. Her smile had faded, a very faint anxiety rising in her chest... but it was not a fearful kind. No, it was the anticipation of what would happen now. Of seeing Hematite in this new, enormous form...even bigger than she thought he could get. The smallest of grins came back to her, the corner of her mouth curling upwards.  
But then he advanced.

Hematite's huge, clawed fingers dug up small scores in the ground as he neared the tiny Diamond. He glowered into the crater Blue found herself in, stopping his approach. There was a long, silent moment of tension.  
With a low growl in his chest, Hematite suddenly crouched low to the ground, and within the blink of an eye, he lunged for his opponent.

And pinned her to the ground under his massive clawed hand.

Before she could even react, he was already upon her, a massive hand cutting off her escape or any other move for that matter. Grunting wildly as she found herself forced onto the ground, there was a moment of panicked silence from the crowd. Was she alright? What was this huge gem going to do? Was she in danger? The guards at the door even clutched their weapons and took a single step forward... But didn't make it far, before...

"AAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAA!"

That's all it took to drag him back to the real world.  
Hematite blinked rapidly in an attempt to clear his head,, his breathing slowly returning to normal. A small sound of confusion escaped the huge gem, and his stance relaxed considerably. Within a moment, his visor cleared, his eyes once again visible, leaving nothing but a few sparks and a very concerned looking Hematite.  
 _Oh stars, what had come over him?_  
What was she going to do? There was no way he wouldn't be punished, he was-  
The crowd started to murmur.  
Quickly, Hematite lifted his hand and scrambled back, switching to sitting on the cracked ground, his knees close to his chest.  
"I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-!"

Blue bolted upwards, swinging her arms up above her head, cheering. The crowd soon followed, erupting into a sea of thrilled, excited praise.  
"THAT WAS AMAZING!" Blue shouted, a delighted gleam in her eyes. She ran quickly up to Hematite, who despite still being massive, did not deter her in the slightest. She placed a hand on his foot, almost trembling with exhilaration.

Hematite's hair stood up on his neck as the crowd erupted into cheers, and he stared at the collected gems in disbelief. Then, Blue approached him, her face positively glowing.  
No-one had ever looked at him like that before.

"I had no idea!... I... This is incredible! I knew White had a powerhouse of a gem in the making, but I couldn't have comprehended she could make something this astounding!" She looked up at him, face plastered with the utmost joy. "Hematite, thank you!"

She thought he was incredible? Astounding? Sh... She was _thanking_ him? What in the world was she talking about? He'd just attacked her! And yet she was looking at him with unbridled exhilaration, not even flinching at the state he was currently in. And the crowd was cheering for him too...  
Hematite felt a lump rise in his throat. But, wasn't he unimportant, a worker, just another gem living their regular life?  
Or did he actually... matter in some small way?  
Hematite stared at Blue in shock and confusion, tears pricking the corners of his eyes.  
"A-aren't you angry?"

"What?! Of course I'm not angry! I'm, like, the opposite of angry!" She laughed, grabbing onto his leg and hoisting herself up his calf. She drug herself up onto his knee and waved her hand out to the crowd. "Just look at them, Rookie! They love you!" For a moment, there was another cheer. Whistles and howls of endearment arose like a wildfire from the stands. Every single gem who was on the arena before had cleared out and made their way to the rows to watch the show that they had put on. And they loved every minute of it.

Hematite was surprised to see Blue climb up to his knee, the two of them now almost level with each other. He sniffled quietly, tears still in his eyes, and as she waved to the crowd, he looked out at them again. He slowly gazed at the collected gems, his eyes wide as he listened to Blue's words. She'd had 'fun'? The crowd loved him?  
Every mission Hematite had conducted up till now flashed through his mind. All the fear, the panic, the destruction he'd had to cause. It didn't matter if it was a demolition job or a harvesting one. The result of his size shifting was always the same. He was huge, intimidating, fearsome.  
But Blue and the crowd... They weren't afraid of him, or, at the very least, they weren't terrified of him.

 _He could be himself without bringing gems to their knees in a trembling, hopeless panic?_

"You're a natural! And you put up one hell of a fight! You got a lot of potential, kid! I've fought a lot of gems in my day, but... Oh my stars, if that wasn't one of the most fun fights I've had in centuries! You're so full of mysteries, too!" She praised, placing her hands on her hips with a wide grin. "So yeah, thanks! That was a ton of fun! Ah, I had almost forgotten what it was like to have a real challenge! We should do this again sometime, hehe!"

The giant service gem stared at his superior. He blinked slowly.  
And then he cracked the tiniest smile.  
"Ha... haha.." A choked chuckle rose in his chest until it broke into a happy, genuine laugh that rang out across the arena, bright and clear. He turned and waved back at the crowd, earning another swell of cheers and whistles. Hematite's eyes were brimming with tears, but he kept smiling.  
After waving to the crowd a few more moments, he turned to Blue, still smiling from ear to ear.  
"Y-yeah! Just, maybe we shouldn't get so intense next time!" He sniffled and gave a soft chuckle, looking at the mace-shaped crater in the ground.  
"The arena may not last long if we do."

A hearty chuckle escaped the Diamond.  
"Ahhh kid, I like you. You aren't like most other service gems. You've got a spirit, a sense of humor, you don't act like a robot. It's a relief to know that we still have gems with emotions." She teased, crossing her arms. "This is the most fun I've had in a long time! I think we're gonna get along juuuuust fine." She smiled warmly, much calmer now.  
The sun by this point was setting, warm hues washing over everyone in the arena. Night was upon them soon. She closed her eyes for a moment, and relished in her own silence, drowning out the crowd behind them completely.  
"Hey, Rookie. I got a proposition for ya. Ooooone last place I wanna take ya before I send ya back to White for the night. This is the most important part of today, alright? You hear me?"

Hematite watched Blue curiously as she went quiet, and then blinked in surprise when she mentioned this 'last place'. He shifted carefully, sitting up a bit straighter, but was careful not to knock her off his knee.  
"Oh? Sh-should I. Uh. Do you wanna walk, or?" he asked meekly, giving her a nervous smile.

She opened her eyes and gave him a wink.  
"Feel confident enough to put me on your shoulder?" She asked, feeling adventurous still. "There are some training grounds not too far from here. It's a big open clearing. I wanna show ya something."

Shoulder, huh? Well he was just gonna carry her, but that worked too. He just hoped she had the balance not to fall off!  
Carefully, Hematite reached over to Blue Diamond and scooped her up in his hands, waiting for her to adjust. He slowly stood, getting the attention of at least a few gems that were still watching what was going on. Once he was up and had his balance, he gently placed Blue on his shoulder. A Diamond hitching a ride on a deadly Harvester...

 _Now that was certainly a first._

Hematite carefully made his way out of the arena. He had to duck slightly to get through the main gate at the end, but thankfully he came out the other side without incident.  
Following Blue's directions, the gem made his way over to the training grounds, and looked around when he came to a stop.

Blue held onto the Hematite's shoulder, closing her eyes and feeling the wind rush past her as he walked. It was magnificent...mesmerizing. She had never felt anything like this before. She had been in high up places before, sure, but to be so high up, moving, resting on the shoulder of a giant gem? That was _something_.

The stars had begun to flicker into view, purple shades soon taking over beyond the parted clouds. She sighed heavily in contentment.  
"Sit down, Hematite. Relax... and look up."

Hematite looked at Blue as she sighed, but then paused and did as he was told, sitting down on the ground, resting his feet in front of him. He looked up. A short exhale of disbelief escaped him, and he stared in awe at the sky, the stars and clouds reflecting on his visor. Deep shades of blue and violet faded together above the two gems, and hundreds of stars shimmered brightly between the sparse clouds. He'd never seen such a sight in the White district.  
"It's... beautiful, Blue. Do you get to see this every night?" he asked quietly, his voice almost a whisper.

Blue had taken to sitting down on Hematite's shoulder instead of standing. She smiled softly, leaning back a little against his neck and getting comfortable.  
"Unfortunately, not every night... buuuut I do get to see it a lot. So there is that." She said quietly. There was a long pause, the two of them simply enjoying the embrace of night that slowly swept over them. After a little while, Blue sighed again, leaning forward and resting her elbow on one of her knees. She continued looking out to the stars with a mystified, almost solemn look.

"You know... It's amazing how small we all really are, when you think about it..."

"Mmm." Hematite didn't smile, per say, but stared up at the stars with a calm sense of wonder. He recognized a few constellations from his archives, but didn't bother jotting down anything in his visor. He wanted to enjoy this for what it was. A breeze blew the giant gem's hair back, and he sighed softly.  
As soon as Blue sighed and shifted, he looked at her quietly. He blinked at her words and was quiet a long moment.  
He wasn't sure how he felt about that last statement.

She didn't look at him.  
"It's amazing... how small we are, but we can still make such big differences." Her smile grew slightly. She finally looked over at the Hematite's face, giving him an almost empathetic look.  
"No matter how big or small a gem is, no matter what anyone says, lives and history can be easily changed in the blink of an eye... Listen. Rookie. I'm not sure what you really think of me, but I'm sure by now you've realized I don't do things like the other diamonds. I have my own ways of doing things. I have my own methods. My own reasons... my own choices." She shifted her position slightly, now standing up on her feet, placing her palm on his cheek. She looked out to the horizon. "You aren't like other gems we've had around. From what I've seen today, there's something about you. Something unique." She paused briefly, taking her other hand and running it along one of Hematite's strands of hair that draped over his shoulder just next to her.  
"Not a lot of gems these days are like that. Sure, there are a few here and there, but, with service gems especially, well..." Blue smiled in an odd way before pausing. "Do me a favor, Kid." She looked back at him, her brows furrowed, a wide, almost sly grin on her face.  
"Diamond's order, now... Keep your spirits up. Don't let them take your personality away." She stifled a single chuckle.  
"I admire it."

He wanted to say so many things. So many things that could likely get him into trouble if Yellow Diamond found out. About how she ridiculed him, put him down, gave him no respect. How he knew that no matter how hard he tried, he'd never make that much of a difference. There was just no way.  
Sure, maybe now he had one 'victory' under his belt, but what else?  
Well, he had Blue's respect, at least. That was something.  
If she saw something special in him, that accounted for a lot, right?

 ** _Right?_**

Hematite looked down at the Diamond on his shoulder and smiled thankfully.  
"Alright. I'll try."

The Diamond nodded and gave the gem another pat on the side of his face.  
"Good. Now, you should probably be getting back to white. Honestly she's probably gonna bark at me for keepin ya for so long." she chuckled, eyeing the horizon again. "I'll need a ride to the Diamond tower, first, though." She flicked her wrist in the opposite direction.  
What? She wasn't going to walk all the way back. Well she could, but she didn't fancy it right now...besides, riding on his shoulder was much too fun to pass up another opportunity.

Walking back to the towers, right... He had to get back to work, didn't he? Though, after today, he wasn't sure going back would feel the same. But orders were orders, and he couldn't very well stay here all night without risking White Diamond's scorn.

"Oh...and uh, one more thing, Hematite." She said, her tone becoming softer, more concerned now.  
"If you ever find that you need someone to talk to...You can come find me."

Hematite looked at her as her tone changed, and he felt something heavy in his chest.  
"... Do you promise?"

She nodded lightly, giving him a warm smile.

"I promise."


	4. Spar

_Summary:_ _Yellow Diamond displays her fighting skills._

* * *

 _A tall figure stood in front of her window with what looked to be a small gem in her fingers. It looked to be about noon, the light from the outside shining in through the glass panel. She turned and placed the gem in a white bubble, tapping it gently and sending it away with a single flick._

"Good job out there today, Hematite." She said calmly, looking down upon them with the faintest of smiles. "I believe that's the fastest you've ever gotten a gem back to me. I'm pretty impressed. Now, there's still the rest of the day..." She paused, moving over to her desk and grabbing one of the metal pads from a drawer. It blipped on with a single motion, and she placed it back on the desktop. Looking down at it, she began thumbing through the screen idly.

Rocking slightly on his feet, Hematite smiled brightly at White Diamond's praise, and he nodded his head politely.

"There was a large clearing I was able to track them in, the rest was easy," he beamed up at her, and watched as she made her way to her desk and flicked on the small tablet. He peered curiously from where he stood, though he didn't try TOO hard to pry into what was on the screen.

After a moment, the diamond glanced up at the service gem before her before looking back down at the device on her desk.

"Yellow wanted to have a word with you today."

She went quiet for a moment, a chill silence in the air.

"Please report to her to see what it is she wants. You may return when you are finished."

–

A shudder climbed up Hematite's spine, and his hair fluffed out subtly at White's words. Anxiety began to bubble in his stomach, and he had to cross his arms behind him to keep from grabbing some of his hair to hold.

"Yes, my Diamond. I will head over there right now." With that, he saluted and left White's office, his composure immediately dropping as the door hissed behind him.

He'd been lucky to avoid _her_ as of late. The past few months were just... do his job, fight in the arena once in a while, help White Diamond, hang out with Blue.

What did _she_ want from him all of the sudden? She hadn't said two words to him since that one night.

 _Maybe she wants to show me around the Yellow District, that's all! I haven't seen it fully yet, and now would be a good time._

 _Yeah, that was it._

A lengthy walk later, and Hematite found himself in front of Yellow Diamond's office. He cleared his throat and knocked, putting on his most professional stance and expression he could.

–

The door whirred open on its own, revealing the same ominously pristine room that Hematite had seen so few times before. Within the room, there stood Yellow Diamond and what seemed to be her fancy Pearl. The pearl had her eyes closed, stood in a professional pose with a regretful look on her face.

"I don't care what it takes, just get the job _done_. I want every single _one_ of those gems to pick up the pace. I don't have any tolerance for slacking on the job. Do I make myself clear?" A familiar dark voice hissed through the room. The Pearl nodded and turned, making her way out of the office, opening her eyes briefly to peer at Hematite with a stern look as she passed by. What was that all about?

Yellow turned her head, noticing the smaller gem that had walked in.

"Oh, wonderful. You made it. Come in." She said in a monotone voice.

–

As the Pearl walked by, Hematite was slightly taken aback by her rude stare, but tried to shrug it off as he walked into the office, keeping his cool.

 _ **For now.**_

Hematite stopped a few feet away from the stern-faced leader and saluted her politely, his chin high. Being in her office this time felt a little less overwhelming, with it being midday instead of night. And, well. He wasn't tiny this time... _So there was that._

"White Diamond said you wished to speak to me." His voice was even, as professional as it was when he spoke to White Diamond.

–

She turned to him finally, raising a brow.

"I'll cut right to the chase. I've heard that you've started fighting in the Coliseum, and that you're quite the crowd pleaser." She said. She crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes, but instead of a cold look, it was more of a dreadful calm. "Is this true?" she spoke harshly.

–

 _Uh oh. Well this didn't seem good._

It WAS true, Hematite had taken to fighting in the arena in various spars or small events whenever he had time off from work, and because of his rather unusual abilities, word of his fights had spread quickly through the Blue District. Each time he sparred in the arena, he had a slightly larger crowd, and he had actually started to recognize a few regulars! It was nice to have something to do when he wasn't working, but with how Yellow was acting... Was he not _supposed_ to be fighting in the arena? Was that against the rules, and Blue just didn't care? Honestly with what he'd seen from her, that wasn't entirely impossible.

"Yes ma'am, it is true." He _barely_ kept himself from stammering, and thanked his lucky stars that his voice didn't waver.

–

Her face didn't change whatsoever after his response.

"Hm."

She tapped her fingers on her arm for a moment, looking away towards the door, then back at Hematite. She placed her hand on her gem, a bright glow soon following. She drew her sword from the diamond, spinning it in a fancy way before bringing it down into the floor with a powerful chink. She looked down at the gem, sizing him up once more, narrowing her eyes.

"Then perhaps you would like a _real_ challenge, yes?..."

–

Admittedly, Hematite had flinched when the gem in front of him pulled out her weapon, but he tried not to let it show. He was fine. This was fine. He hadn't done anything wrong.

 _Wait... what did she mean by a challenge._

Hematite blinked in surprise, his eyes widening slightly.

"Y-you want to spar?"

Fighting with Blue was one thing, that he knew how to do by now, but he'd never even seen how Yellow Diamond fought, what did she want to spar for?

–

"Yes, I do," she said, bringing her sword up and propping it on her shoulder, much like how Blue had done with her mace on multiple occasions. There was an unsettling grin plastered on her face now. Seeing her smile in general was ominous enough, but this?

"I commonly spar with gems. It keeps me on my feet, keeps my skills in check. You can learn a lot from sparring. It's also a good way to train yourself. You should consider it."

She spoke, her words laced with a bittersweet, biting tone.

"Unless of course... you aren't up to the challenge?" she said almost mockingly, still holding her grin, her eyes narrowing. _That was more like it._

–

Hematite fought back every urge to flinch back at her unsettling smile, but he somehow remained in place and swallowed quietly. At her last words, his brows furrowed, and a determined light sparkled in his eyes. Well, he'd improved some by fighting in the Coliseum, so yeah! _Why not?_

"I accept your challenge, Yellow diamond!" He saluted her again, the faintest of smiles on his face.

 _Finally, a chance to show her what he was capable of!_

–

–

With a blinding flash, the Diamond and the Hematite stood upon the warp pad. The taller of the two stood with a proper stance, her hands behind her back. She stepped off the surface and walked through the archway. The exterior resembled the great Coliseum, except the walls were built a little lower, and the place looked more evenly shaped, with squared off corners instead of rounded ones. The floors were a smooth, marble stone tile, and the stands were barren. Lifeless. Clouds danced around the arena here and there. They were in Yellow's massive sky arena.

As Yellow walked, her steps echoed throughout the open stadium. The entire place looked to be about half the size of the great coliseum, but still absolutely massive. She turned on her heel to face the smaller gem, placing her hand to her own gemstone.

"Stand ready." She said valiantly, gem glowing. She pulled out her sword, which she flicked around in different directions before gracefully waving it down to point at him.

–

Hematite had certainly never been here before! The moment they arrived, the small gem's visor chirped to life and began taking notes, an open smile on his face. The two of them soon stopped in the middle of the arena, and Hematite stopped and looked curiously at Yellow. As she turned and brought out her sword, he blinked in surprise. So this would be a sword fight? _Oh boy._

The smaller gem stood in his usual battle stance, feet slightly apart, shoulders down. He cracked his knuckles, his weapons appearing with a much more minimal light show than the first time he summoned them. This time there were no sparks or lightning, but instead they appeared rather simply. Hematite smiled with determination at Yellow Diamond, ready to show her what he could do.

–

Yellow darted back and swung her sword in a graceful pattern again, keeping her eyes fixed on her opponent.

"Let's go!" she shouted, standing in place, in a threateningly poised stance. She made no sudden movements. Wasn't she going to strike? What was her plan? It looked as though she was going to wait for Hematite to make the first move before she did anything. Maybe she was testing him like Blue was? From the way she spoke, surely that must be it. Right?

–

Wait, he had to make the first move? What was he supposed to do against a sword? He remembered some tactics he'd seen while studying, but he hadn't touched on it since it didn't apply to his weapon.

 _Should he fight her like he did Blue?_

Well, no point in standing around to find out.

With a knot of apprehension in his stomach, Hematite took a few steps back before trying to skirt around her, going in for a quick jab.

–

She kept a disconcertingly straight face and twisted around behind him, swiping her leg immediately into his in an attempt to knock him over right off the bat.

"Oh come on, really? Surely you must be joking. You have no grace." She said, bouncing up on her heel, swinging her sword around to face him again. Her eyes narrowed and she scowled. "Certainly you can do better than that."

–

Hematite was understandably surprised when Yellow Diamond knocked his feet from under him, and he unceremoniously fell on to his backside, wincing. He quickly got back to his feet and frowned in confusion. He couldn't get close when she had her weapon! His knuckledusters were made for close combat, this wasn't going to work. Clearly she was just a, well, a tad more agile than he was. This wasn't going to be like fighting Blue...

 _He just hoped it didn't end the same way._

"Do you have any advice for me? I'm still rather new to close-quarters combat."

–

At any given moment when she wasn't striking, her sword was always pointing at Hematite.

"Well for one, you shouldn't stay on the ground too long when you get knocked over. You're a sitting target like that." She said swishing her sword and walking backwards.

–

"Right, sorry!" He nodded in understanding, trying to think of what weaknesses Yellow Diamond could possibly _have_. He knew next to nothing about her, except that she didn't seem to move nearly as much as Blue did.

So maybe...

"Get back on your feet quickly when you fall. You must think carefully. Think like your opponent. Know what their next move will be, exploit any weakness." Her eyes narrowed coldly. "And strike them down." She lunged forward, making a quick swing towards him.

Hematite shouted in surprise when Yellow Diamond lunged for him, and he barely dodged it, tumbling to the side, making a much more graceful recovery. But he didn't waste time. Instantly, he launched at Yellow's side, acting like he was going to go for her abdomen, but instead he faked out and put all his momentum into trying to knock her legs from under her.

–

Yellow tossed her sword up into the air and jumped up, flipping skillfully out of his way. Landing a few feet behind him, she landed perfectly on her feet, held her hand out, and caught her falling sword. It was pointed at him yet again.

"You are predictable." She said monotonously. She then clutched her sword tighter, took a deep breath, and lowered her body. She never averted her gaze, and with a ridiculous amount of speed, she quickly closed the gap between them, sword pointed out in front of her. She was going right for a direct hit.

–

Hematite was astounded by her swift dodge, and felt himself unable to recover quickly enough to gracefully dodge her direct attack. Barely missing her blade, he leaned backwards and fell on his back, instantly rolling to the side to avoid whatever attack she had planned next. A moment later he realized her sword had nicked his shoulder.

As soon as he leapt to his feet, he took rapid little skips backwards, trying to gain some distance. Okay, so she was a lot faster than he thought.

Quietly, he muttered something to himself and furrowed his brows.

 _Think like your opponent._

But how could you do that if you didn't know what they were thinking?

 _If only I could get that sword out of her hands for a second._

The small gem suddenly had an idea.

–

The Diamond kept her patience, spinning around to face him. Raising a brow, she quickly took more swings, thrusting her sword at him rhythmically. She took small steps forward, one hand behind her back. She kept a steady glare on her opponent, sizing him up as much as she could. He couldn't keep dodging forever. But that was her plan.

–

Well, this was gonna be risky. Hematite knew she wasn't going to take her eyes off of him, but that's what he hoped she'd do. The small gem barely dodged her attacks, taking a few nicks here and there. Once he saw the smallest of openings, he went straight for her legs.

 _Please work._

–

Yellow's speed got the better of her on this one, and Hematite's hit landed. She stumbled slightly, her sword knocked out of her hand. She quickly regained her footing, hopping back up to regain her stance.

"That's more like it."

She clenched her fists, sparks resonating around them. She bared her teeth in a growl, weaponless. She could easily make another sword, but it looked like for the moment she was going to close-combat. She strode forward, quickly delivering an electrified punch to Hematite's chest, knocking him back. While he was busy with that, she turned quickly and skid across the slick floors to her sword, swiftly grabbing it up again and swirling back. The lightning fizzled around her hands and traveled down the blade, making the sword glow with spiraling electricity.

–

That wasn't what he was going to go for, but he landed a hit! The small gem beamed at getting some sort of praise from Yellow Diamond, but his smile vanished when she made a go for him with her bare fists. He'd tried to dodge her, but the attack hit its mark, and he was sent tumbling back. The electricity coursed through him, but it was unclear if it effected him, from the outside. The wind was knocked out of him, and it was hard to tell if it was purely the punch or the extra zap that did it. He stood back up as his opponent grabbed her sword, and his eyes widened.

 _That's gonna hurt if it hits._

Putting his fists up again, he bit his lip, quickly trying to plan his next move. Alright, so she hadn't jumped that time. Maybe she would if he went for her legs again and made it more obvious?

Or maybe if he risked striking her blade...

–

She gave him a dark smirk, blade pointed in his direction, the lighting fizzled brighter, and she ran. She darted around his side, swiping her blade towards his feet. Smaller bolts of lightning zapped towards him, striking the ground very close to where he stood. With any luck, he'd stumble and put himself off balance, giving her an open window. As she maneuvered herself behind him, her blade gave off a soft flash. It was fully charged now. She raised it high, giving off a disturbingly wide, toothy grin.

She advanced towards him, lunging powerfully with her sword swinging downwards.

–

Glancing at the bolts that hit the ground beside him, Hematite's eyes widened, but instead of stumbling back, his knuckledusters glowed dimly, tiny sparks falling from the silver metal. As she swept behind him, he spun on his heels, still in place.

His feet were planted.

His weight shifted.

As soon as Yellow Diamond bore down on him with her sword, he took one step back with his left foot, giving himself the leverage he needed. He was wide open for the attack.

 _Until he put his fists up._

The sword struck directly in the space between two of the prongs on Hematite's knuckle dusters, sending a powerful surge of energy through his arms and putting small cracks in the marble beneath him. He let out a cry of pain, instantly regretting what he'd done. The lightning from the blade coursed through him, his hair frizzing up from the static. But other than that, it didn't seem to effect him.

–

Yellow Diamond started back, yanking her sword violently away from his hands. Her eyes widened fiercely. That...that would have knocked a normal gem out of their senses. The sheer amount of lightning that surged through him should have at LEAST made him fall back... but it didn't. She growled, the noise quickly erupting into a frustrated yell. She shot forward, delivering a swift kick in the midsection, sending him flying in the other direction. She glanced briefly at the ground where the force from the Hematite's defense had cracked the marble. At the very least, that was interesting.

She held her sword up and tossed it away, fists glowing with more sparks of electricity. She stormed forward, her boots clacking on the ground. She looked absolutely _furious_. She walked unnervingly fast, but it wasn't a flat out run. She towered over the gem and clenched her fists, reaching down to grab him. She picked him up by the shirt, her eyes still wide open and fierce.

–

The shock from the force of the sword had made his arms useless, and Hematite wished he'd just dodged. His body was still fizzing with electricity when he looked up in surprise at Yellow Diamond's frustrated yelling. A sharp grunt of pain escaped him when she struck him in the stomach, and his weapons vanished as he tumbled onto the floor about fifteen feet away. Trembling, he sat up and held his stomach, shaking his head with a cough. His arms were screaming at him to stay down, but he forced himself to his feet just in time to see Yellow Diamond advancing.

 _Very quickly._

His eyes wide, he was unable to move before she grabbed him by the shirt. He put his hands up out of reflex, but couldn't do much else once his feet left the ground.

–

Without a word, Yellow Diamond delivered another massive punch square into Hematite's chest, letting go as she did. The impact once again threw him back. She chuckled darkly, walking forward again and punching him again once he'd gotten back up. They were slow, rhythmic, and unrelenting. One after the other she delivered smaller, yet effective punches to her opponent. She didn't blink; she wasn't even remotely out of breath.

 **"Pathetic!"**

She delivered one more harsh punch to Hematite's jaw, pulling back slowly after she'd landed her hit. She walked forward, the lightning fading away from her hands, but still looming over the beat up gem. "All this so called practice and you've learned nothing. You've accomplished nothing. You are so weak... The most you can do is dodge and block, and you can hardly even do that right..." she began, narrowing her eyes in a sinister manner.

–

Needless to say, Hematite was defenseless against her onslaught of punches, and by the time she delivered her final blow to his jaw, he was on his hands and knees, his shoulders trembling. He coughed weakly, holding the side of his face. His visor had flown off from the blow, and was laying, cracked, about ten feet away from him.

 _In my defense, I've only been fighting Rubies and middle class warrior gems._ He wanted to say it out loud, but he stayed silent, trying to catch his breath as she she loomed over him. His hair was hiding his face.

–

"Just look at you..." She sneered in disgust, crossing her arms. "Whatever White saw in you, I certainly don't see it. You're small. You're weak. You're **nothing**." There was a darkness that loomed overhead, clouds becoming thicker and darker. Had it been like that before? "I don't know what they've told you, but remember this, Hematite... Don't go thinking you mean anything. You are a service gem. Nothing more. You are lucky to have the job that you do now. You might be White's body guard, but if you ask me, she should have picked someone else. You can't even hold your own in a fight," she spoke spitefully. Her arms fell to her side, her demeanor turning eerily calm.

–

Hematite slowly raised his head after she spoke, every word weighing down on his shoulders. He looked up at her, his hair falling away from his face. His bright pink eyes stared up at her, not exactly sad, but certainly hurt. He swallowed hard, the action made painful by his sore jaw.

"Th-then why don't you train me? You _clearly_ know what you're doing, and no-one at the arena is going to teach me anything..."

–

She scowled at his request, looking away from him with discontent.

"You don't deserve it." She hissed, turning away from him and walking in the other direction, toward the stairs leading to the warp pad.

"You can make your own way back..." She left him there, alone and cold on the floor of the arena, without a second thought. Now, to make matters worse, the clouds above began rumbling, flickers of distant lightning illuminating the dark.

–

As she walked off, Hematite dropped his head again, shaking it slowly. When she was out of earshot, he muttered something under his breath.

"That's what I thought you'd say."

He looked up again as she left, and he didn't move until he heard the sound of the distant warp pad activating. Sitting up, he winced and held his arm, looking at his cut clothing. Slowly, he stood up and walked over to his visor, which laid on the ground. It was cracked all the way up the side, and was useless now. Looking up at the clouds, Hematite shuddered at the sight of the distant lightning.

The only good that came out of this was that he'd learned he was near invulnerable to Yellow Diamond's lightning. That was _something_ , right?

Hematite's visor poofed away in a small cloud of sparks, and the service gem sighed heavily before swiping his hand over his eyes, conjuring up a new one. He looked toward the warp pad, his chest heavy, and frankly, still throbbing in pain.

 _Well. He got_ _ **one**_ _hit in._


	5. Rivals

_Summary: One of Hematite's matches is interrupted by an uninvited guest._

* * *

"C'mon, Blue! That's the fifth mace you've gone through!" Hematite crowed from where he perched on Blue's freshly tossed weapon, which had taken a sizeable chunk out of the dirt floor. His opponent was a good twenty feet away, and her attack had badly missed. The small gem atop the weapon grinned cheekily, his hands beginning to glow.

"How about some hand-to-hand?~" Leaping down from the mace, he charged at Blue, sparks flying from his hands as his knuckledusters appeared. He'd kept his cool through this fight, even if Blue was definitely keeping him on his toes. There was no way he was letting what happened during their first spar happen again, if he could help it.

–

Blue was covered in scuffs and scratches, but still kept an overzealous attitude.

"HAhahahaha! Alright Rookie! This is gettin' fun!" She said, slamming her fist into the opposite palm. She made a run for him, cackling rather ridiculously, going in for a side swipe. The crowd erupted in a cheer with almost every move they made. They adored watching Blue fight in general, but the new guy had created quite a reputation for himself. They were a dynamic duo that kept the crowd on the edges of their seats.

–

Hematite did get a few licks in, but he wasn't nearly as powerful when he was keeping himself under control. The crowd kept his energy up, and he grinned at Blue as he landed a solid punch to her abdomen, skirting back after he did so.

"C'mon Blue, try and keep up!" he chuckled, his fists up, small sparks flying from his weapons.

 _There was a distant thud outside the arena, almost unnoticeable._

–

Blue cackled even as she was hit, skidding against the dirt. She bared her teeth, giving off a crude smile. Jutting forward, she swooped under and tackled his legs directly. A dirty trick, but effective nonetheless! The crowd howled, throwing drinks in excitement through the stands. Even the guards at the doors were taking occasional peeks at the fighting gems. After all, it was a Diamond fighting a service gem. You didn't see that every day.

–

 _Thud_

The smaller gem was completely knocked off his feet, and ended up flat on his front in the dirt. He sat up slowly, groaning and spitting out rubble.

"Alright, so you-"

 **Thud**

Hematite stopped, looking around.

 _ **What was that.**_

–

The crowd's cheering died down, resounding in a soft murmur. The guards looked around, but saw nothing. Blue stood and brushed herself off, scanning the perimeter.

"Woah... Ok, so that wasn't just me that heard that then?" she said, the smile draining from her face. _That wasn't natural..._

–

Hematite shook his head and kept looking around, suddenly on-edge. What the hell was that noise? Was someone training outside the arena?

But then the sound rapidly got faster.

 **They were footsteps.**

Standing with his back to Blue, the small gem gritted his teeth and looked around, his arms out to try and protect his leader. The steps were getting closer.

A shadow fell over the two gems in the arena, something huge sailing overhead. No, not something. **Someone.**

The ebony haired Hematite from the kindergarten, Mago, had leapt straight over the walls of the arena, landing slightly off-center in the Coliseum, putting two shallow divets into the dirt as she skidded to a halt. Her face, as usual, was partially obscured by her long, messy bangs. Through the dark locks, one could just barely make out a confident sneer of a smile. The giant gem's eyes were partially hidden behind her bright, reflective visor.

What the hell? What was this service gem doing here? She wasn't invited! Had she gone rogue, what was she going to do? The warrior gems at the door began to advance, but stopped when the massive intruder stood proudly and turned to her left, pointing directly at the two small gems on the field.

"Hematite! I challenge you to a one-on-one brawl!"

–

The crowd gasped, but soon went dead silent. The guards looked at each other, then back at the huge gem that entered the ring. They eased up and backed away to their original posts. Blue looked up in awe at the massive Hematite, and blinked curiously. With a blank face, Blue placed a palm on the smaller Hematite's shoulder and gave it a hardy pat.

"Well, have fun with that buddy! I'll be rootin' for ya!"

Without another word, she quickly bolted away, running for the side of the arena and climbing up into the stands. The gems in the crowd stood up and chanted, their excitement returned once they found out that they weren't in danger, but in fact, things just got even more interesting for them!

–

"Wait what."

The small gem was already dumbfounded enough that his 'rival' so to speak had shown up out of the blue, after not seeing her for months, but then Blue just left him on the battlefield! He stammered, flustered, and looked up at Mago as she slowly approached, her right fist in her left hand. She cracked her knuckles, her hands beginning to glow with plasmic energy.

"Let's make this quick, pipsqueak. Let's see how you do in a fair fight," she crooned while approaching the currently **very tiny** and **very defenseless** gem on the field.

"N-now hold on a sec, at least let me make us even!" His shouting fell on deaf ears, and his backwards steps quickly turned into a jog as he tried to distance himself. But for every ten steps he made, she took _one,_ and was closing the distance fast. The tiny gem tried to shift up, to match Mago's size, but he suddenly found himself unable to use his shifting ability with his focus so derailed by the other gem's sudden appearance. Cackling, the giant gem picked up the pace, holding her clawed hands out to her sides.

"C'moooon pipsqueaaak~ You can't tell me you're afraid to fight me, huh?~"

–

The guards tensed up, the giant gem heading straight toward them after Hematite. If she wanted, she could have easily taken down one of the thinner walls. They were ready if anything went wrong...at least, they thought they were. Blue on the other hand propped herself up on one of the ledges and chanted with the crowd that was eagerly gathered around her.

"Come on Rookie! Show em what ya got!"

–

Hematite was still close enough to hear Blue's words of encouragement, but looked back at her, motioning to the still quickly approaching gem.

"ARE YOU CRACKED, I CAN'T FIGHT HER LIKE THIS!" He turned around as he finished shouting up at her, and let out a startled yelp, dodging to the side as Mago's hands slammed down mere inches away from him.

"Yeaaah, c'mon ' _rookie_ '! I'm not gonna go easy on ya like all your other opponents!"

 _ **Too close for comfort.**_

Within another moment, Hematite was _gone_ , bolting the other direction to try and distance himself from Mago.

 _Okay, okay, if she's gonna play dirty, then I'll have to too. Stars, why can't I shift?!_ The tiny gem's weapons vanished, leaving a few sparks, and he tried desperately to mentally reach the place he'd been in when Blue fought him the first time. This was NOT the time for his powers to go on the fritz!

If he could just dig deep enough... Maybe he could spark it to activate on its own?

–

Blue chuckled a little to herself. She believed in him, he could do it. Somehow, but he could. About this time, a massive spear-like weapon flung in and landed in the seat right next to blue. Blue looked over slowly, but didn't so much as flinch. As quickly as it arrived, another figure hopped onto the end of it skillfully, seemingly appearing from nowhere. Stood upon the end of the pole was a crouched, tall, monochromatic figure.

"Oh, whats up, White? Glad to see you could make it!"

Blue smiled as a the other gem grabbed the pole and slid down it, the weapon disappearing as she made contact with the stands.

"I thought you were going to fight Hematite today. What on Homeworld is this all about?"

"Well, ahah, funny story about that... you see this other Hematite showed up aaaaand it looks like she's got some kinda personal issues with him!" Blue said with a nervous chuckle. White shrugged and sighed, sitting down next to the other Diamond.

"He isn't dead is he?"

"Nah, still alive... fooooor now."

"Well, that's a plus I guess..."

"You want me to call off the mat-"

"No, I want to see where this goes."

White's arms crossed, and she narrowed her eyes, intently watching the show.

–

Unaware that his superior had just arrived at the stadium, Hematite continued to run as fast as his legs would carry him, though with Mago hot in pursuit, that was just barely keeping him ahead of her. At first it seemed like he was going to make a run for the exit, making the guards tense up as Mago quickly approached them as well, but within a few hundred feet, Hematite suddenly turned back, bolting right under the larger Hematite's feet. Her momentum worked against her, and she barely caught herself as she stumbled in the direction she'd been running. Thankfully she hadn't been going any faster, or those guards would have had something to worry about.

Clenching her teeth, Mago recovered her footing and chased after the smaller gem, though now he had a bit of a lead.

"PiiiIIPSQUEAAAK, this chase is getting OLD really FAST." Her tone was sharper this time. Her hands glowed brighter before she snapped her wrists in a rhythmic fashion, sending plasmic bolts of electricity at the retreating gem. Hematite shouted in surprise at the sudden barrage. The blasts left large scorch marks on the arena floor, but thankfully he found himself able to dodge the wild attack.

–

White raised a brow, placing a finger to her chin.

"Plasma, huh? I didn't know that one possessed that sort of power. Interesting..." She reached for her gem and, with a soft glow, she brought out a metallic Diamond pad. Placing a finger on it briefly, it blipped on.

"Oh come on, White, you're really gonna take notes right now?" Blue scoffed, leaning up against the taller gem suddenly.

"Yes, why not?" the other retorted, looking casually back at her screen. "I'm learning a lot about these Hematites every day. This is a great opportunity to learn a lot _more_..."

–

"Get back here, you crystal shrimp! " Mago shouted at him, chasing him back towards where Blue and White were, though they were still halfway across the arena. Glancing up at the stands, the larger Hematite's eyes narrowed slightly, and a devious grin crossed her face. She looked back down at her retreating opponent, now locking her gaze onto him. Her eyes didn't leave him as she crowed out, "Maybe _you_ can run, pipsqueak, but the crowd sure can't!"

To anyone watching, it was a bluff. It was an _obvious_ bluff.

 _But it still worked._

Whirling back on his heel, his eyes wide, Hematite glared at the giant gem quickly closing in on him.

"You wouldn't dare-!"

 _ **ZAP**_

The moment he'd turned around and stopped in place, Mago shot another plasma blast at the tiny gem, and it hit.

 **Hard.**

Hematite let out a cry of agony, the force of the blast sending him a good fifty feet. He landed heavily, staying on the ground, his body coursing with electricity and sparks. The faintest trail of smoke rose from his small form.

Mago stood up straight, her hands returning to normal.

"You're so predictable."

Slowly, she walked toward the downed gem, a wide, cocky smile on her face.

–

Blue flinched with an "Ooohhhh-", biting at her nails as the massive bolt of plasma hit the smaller gem. White winced a little, biting her lip, and wrote something down.

"Well, that looked like it hurt... but he's still standing, relatively speaking." She muttered under her breath...but her eyes still narrowed, looking back at the sparring gems.

–

Mago looked around at the crowd, and grinned at them in a sleazy manner, earning some jeers and boos. How dare this gem come in and take down their favorite fighter?! And to play a trick like that, it wasn't uncommon, but it wasn't fair for someone so big to do!

Regardless, there were some in the crowd who were genuinely amused and excited by this turn of events. The underdog Hematite finally brought down by a newcomer! And so easily...

"Yeees, yes I know. You love a good show. So sorry that my _friend_ here couldn't please you! But don't worry!~ I'll make sure he learns his lesson." Mago slowly sauntered toward her opponent.

Hematite was just starting to move, his body twitching involuntarily. He panted in pain, a weak cough escaping him.

Mago's shadow fell over him. She knelt down, her hair falling over her shoulder.

"Looks like you're finally where you belong, runt. Small, in the dirt, defeated. I don't see how you've won so many fights."

Slowly, she reached a clawed hand down, pinching the back of his shirt and lifting him off the ground.

–

The crowd hissed and cheered in a big mashup of different emotions. Blue leaned on the wall and raised a fist up in the air.

"COME ON, ROOKIE! You can still beat her!" She called out in an odd, encouraging frustration.

White placed a palm on Blue's arm to reassure her, probably more or less trying to calm her down.

However, both of the gem's interests were piqued as soon as the larger gem had picked up the smaller Hematite. What was she doing?...

–

Looking over at White and Blue in the stands, Mago put her free hand on her hip, cocking her pose to the side. She was loosely holding Hematite up, his form dangling limply from her hand.

"With all due respect, White Diamond. I never understood what you saw in him.~" The giant gem turned her hand, facing Hematite toward her.

"Wakey-wakey pipsqueak, it's time for our grand finale."

Hematite's gem began to glow.

Mago lifted him over her face, licking her impressively sharp teeth.

"I've always wondered what another Hematite would taste like," she crooned, too quiet for anyone but Hematite to hear.

–

The crowd waited with bated breath, quieting down with Mago's new demeanor. White's eyes widened a little at Mago's statement, her lips parting as if she were genuinely concerned... but she made no attempt to reply or speak up just yet. Blue got ominously quiet, admittedly sweating a little, a confused frown on her face. It seemed she didn't quite understand what the giant gem was up to. White, however, knew exactly where this was headed. Was he going to be alright? _Surely she wasn't serious._

–

Looking up at the crowd where White and Blue were, Hematite clenched his fists. His expression was intensely focused, and he slowly looked at Mago as she lowered him closer to her now open mouth.

The tiny gem's left fist began to glow brightly, sparks flying.

"Your fancy little rings won't do you any good now, shrimp."

 **CRACK**

Not two seconds after Mago was finished taunting her would-be snack, Hematite delivered a sharp punch to her face with a fist that was now ten times its normal size. Electricity coursed up his arms, and his arm quickly returned to normal as he landed back on the arena floor. Mago was reeling, holding her cheek.

"Ffffha! You little brat! What the hell was that?!" She turned on him sharply, fury burning in her eyes. How dare he make a fool of her! She didn't ditch her job today to be humiliated by this little _runt_!

Hematite looked in surprise at his hand, and slowly turned his attention up to Mago. His face hardened, and he adjusted himself into a fighting stance.

–

Blue let out a howl of approval, throwing her arms violently in the air, so much so that even White flinched to the side a little from her sudden outburst.

"WOOOOOOOOOO! SHOW EM WHO'S THE GEEEEEM!" She laughed, her hype escalating. What a twist! She loved it! The sudden change of events eased White's tension, and she smirked ever so slightly, jotting down something else on the pad.

–

Hematite caught Blue's cheers from the crowd and smirked to himself, not taking his eyes off of Mago. The giant gem had let go of her face and lunged at him with her fists alight with electricity, ready to go in for a direct hit.

The tiny gem's entire body glowed, and a moment before Mago's hit made contact, Hematite had shifted his arm again, grabbing her wrist. She shouted in surprise as the still tiny gem chucked her over his shoulder, his arm shrinking back down as soon as he let go.

Mago tumbled away, but quickly recovered and let out a furious battle cry. Her stance became more beast-like, and she lunged for him once more, managing to shoot off some plasmic bolts at him. But her attacks were too wild, and they missed badly, hitting the ground around him.

Hematite stood his ground, his body glowing once more. He was ready for her.

Mago was quickly upon him, lifting up a clenched fist to crush him.

 **THUD**

The giant gem went flying, Hematite having landed a huge, heavy blow to her midsection. As she slammed into the wall, the 'smaller' gem was revealed to have shifted size right under her nose in an instant, now about a third of her size. The arm he'd hit her with was even bigger. The glow died down, and he made a run for her while she was winded, his eyes practically glowing with the exhilaration of battle. Mago let out another frustrated shout and quickly recovered, launching at her opponent.

Soon, the two were locked in a pattern of Mago getting a few hits in, but constantly being out-maneuvered by Hematite's rapid changes. He was in full control, and was adjusting size on a dime. It was a spectacular sight. Sparks flew, the battlefield was constantly alight with Hematite's advanced shifting ability, and as time went on, his attacks grew more precise, more rhythmic.

 _He was winning._

–

The audience cheered violently, the guards even giving a few claps of their own. This was a show for everyone. White began to write faster, almost unable to keep up with the quick changing of events. _Almost_. Blue continued to cheer, her excitement raising quickly with the crowd behind her. White, however, remained calm and professional as ever.

"Rapid size shifting under stress...now that's something..." Her smile faded with a curious concern, looking back up at the brawlers. "Now, if he can keep that up without wearing himself out..."

–

"Alright you little punk, let's see how you like this!" Mago had been tossed across the arena, Hematite currently standing at half her height, panting heavily. The bigger gem flicked her hand across her face, her visor glazing over. Her teeth gritted, and a white target blipped onto the screen. She darted toward him, letting out a long, angry battle cry.

Though he was slightly shaken by no longer being able to see her eyes, Hematite only took a couple steps back, preparing himself for another attack. As she neared, he went to dodge to the side to deliver a blow to her shoulder or face, but Mago laughed and grabbed his leg, violently slamming him back to the ground.

"Nice try, but you're not getting away now! " Hematite rolled over to hop back up on his feet, but Mago was on him again in an instant, knocking him straight to the ground, her massive hand holding him down by his chest.

"Give up! You don't have what it takes to be a true Harvester!" Her face was mere inches from him, hunting visor glowing brightly.

"You don't have the _instincts_!" She laughed in his face as he struggled, watching as he shrunk down just slightly. He was worn out from the fight.

"That's right, go back to being a pipsqueak! Then we can finish this!"

He was still shrinking. Slowly, but it was happening. He was only a third of her size now, and it was getting harder to move.

–

Blue clenched her fists and punched down on the stone walls, leaving small cracks where her hands made contact.

"RRRAAAAAAGHHH COME ON, KID! DON'T GIVE UP NOW!" Blue shouted with a fire in her eyes.

White's attention was now solely focused on writing down notes and watching the fight.

Take notes, look up. Take notes again, look back up. Rinse and repeat... but the longer the match went on, she felt a very, very faint concern start to rise back up within her. _Was this going to get out of hand soon? ..._

–

Smaller and smaller. He'd gone too far... he'd just discovered this ability, and now he was going to lose because he didn't pace himself. Hematite's growls of frustration grew louder as Mago's hand bore down on him, until he was only about fifteen feet tall, firmly planted under the giant gem's clawed hand. But he stopped. His body was still glowing, but he stopped shrinking. Mago's grin vanished, a look of confusion crossing her face.

"What the..."

 **CRACK**

In a flash, quite literally, Mago was sent flying backwards, her body riddled with lightning, Hematite's glowing, now giant form, crouched where he laid not a moment ago. But the glow didn't die down this time. He ran forward, letting out a rather feral battle cry, quickly closing in on the larger Hematite that lay winded on the ground. Within seconds, he had her held up by her shirt, his form still alight. Electricity coursed up his arm before meeting Mago rather painfully, and she struggled to get loose, crying out in pain. Her feet lifted off the ground, her form glowing with the same light that Hematite's was.

Was she getting... Smaller?

In a shocking turn of events, Hematite was suddenly upon Mago, her body pinned under his massive hand. The previously larger Hematite was only a fraction of her usual size, and Hema was at his full Harvester height, which he had yet to reach the entire fight thus far.

Mago was still coursing with electricity, and she stared up at Hematite, her visor laying in the dust beside her. She was dumbfounded.

 **How in the hell...**

Breathing heavily, Hematite slowly raised his head to look up at where White and Blue were seated, his hair messily blocking part of his face. Clearly, he was shocked too.

–

The crowd exploded, more drinks flying through the air. Their champion was back! Blue jumped up and down in place, excitedly laughing and cheering with the rest of them. White looked rather intrigued, jotting more notes down. She looked up after a moment, realizing that Hematite had now looked directly at them.

She smirked, nodding in impressed approval. Now that was quite the turnaround.

–

At White Diamond's nod of approval, Hematite's eyes lit up, and he couldn't help but beam at his superior with unmasked pride in his own victory. Glancing down, Hematite picked Mago up off the ground and stood straight, earning another swell of applause from the crowd.

"My rival here thought she could bust in here and challenge me! Well now I guess she'll see what happens when you cross _'''The Harvester!'''_ What do you say?~" The crowd was all for it, though a few looked nervous all of a sudden. Wait, they'd seen this not too long ago, but now... Well, the roles were reversed.

Putting on a rather smug smile, Hematite lifted Mago closer to his face, looking her over as she kicked and swung at him, her anger not yet spent.

Imitating the pose she had taken when he was in her position, the giant gem chuckled and shook his head.

"What was that about not having the instincts?" He murmured quietly, his smile widening ominously. Mago felt a shiver go up her spine, and for once, her face betrayed her apprehension. Brows furrowing, she quickly returned to being angry, trying fruitlessly to land a hit to Hematite's smug face.

–

Blue, oblivious to the situation, still had a hyped up spark in her eyes. The crowd's cheering drowned out the murmurs of concern that came from a few...However, it didn't take long for White to join them. Her eyes narrowed, her smile fading. _Wait... Was he?..._ She didn't want to take the chance. She placed the diamond pad quickly down, and sat up straight. She looked as though she were about to say something, but...

–

"Change me back and let's finish this, pipsqueak!"

"You want us to finish? Hm." He chuckled again. "Alright."

Slowly, he lifted her over his face.

Hematite opened his mouth underneath Mago's feet, a smile tugging the corner of his lips.

White gave Hematite a cold stare, unbeknownst to him. Her face was unnervingly blank. Perhaps this was serious... she wasn't going to let this get out of hand. Blue continued to cheer with the rest, a slight twinge of curiosity in her eyes as Hematite held the other gem above his face. She wasn't entirely sure what he was going to do, and she didn't seem to figure it out, even as he lifted her over his mouth. Regardless, it was still fun to watch!

After a rise of both jeering and cheering, he looked coyly toward the crowd and closed his mouth again, chuckling. He waved a finger at them in a ' _Haha, got ya, didn't I?_ ' sort of gesture and dropped Mago back to his side, holding her in his fist.

"Not this time~!" he crowed theatrically, giving an exaggerated sort of bow to his audience. "Otherwise, how would I fight her again?~" Giving a good-natured, but still overly confident laugh, Hematite walked toward the back of the arena. He shrank down to his large, but not huge form and left the arena the way he usually did after a fight. The guards moved back in place once he had gone through the gates, and Hematite walked to the side of the arena, out of sight.

–

White stood abruptly, watching carefully as Hematite left the arena, the crowd cheering endlessly behind them.

"Aw, leaving so soon?!" Blue said to White, watching her get up.

"Report back to your tower, Blue. I'm going to go find Hematite." She said suddenly, her back facing the other gem. Before Blue could respond, she was off, running towards the two Hematites that left the Arena.

–

Unknown to everyone inside the arena, Hematite had quickly dropped Mago and stumbled a few steps forward, his hand firmly placed on the huge arena wall. He was holding his forehead, breath coming in short gasps.

Mago, though admittedly still a bit shaken, sat up and noticed he seemed off.

"Pipsqueak?"

Hematite's shoulders shook, and he looked back at her, his eyes dull. He'd broken into a sudden sweat.

"Don't..." Swallowing heavily, he growled and turned toward Mago, still leaning against the wall. When he spoke again, his words were almost slurred.

"Don't get any funny ideas. I still beat y-"

A flash of light later, and Hematite was stumbling where he stood, now only a few inches tall. He held his head, attempting to finish his sentence. But before he could, he passed out, collapsing on the ground.

–

White stood upon the top of the wall, looking down upon the two Hematites. Before she could take any action, however, her eyes widened. She sighed, crouching down, watching them unknowingly from above.

"Oh Hematite, why would you do this to yourself?..." She whispered quietly under her breath.

–

Mago shifted where she was sitting on the ground and peered at the now unconscious gem. A long moment of silence stretched on. Slowly, she stood up and dusted herself off, an odd look on her face. It was unclear what was going through her head. The ebony haired Hematite took a few steps forward to where her rival laid in the dirt, and stared down at him. A mild breeze blew her hair away from her face.

Pushing her bangs away from her eyes, she knelt down and reached for the tiny gem, carefully picking him up. She cupped him in her palm and looked him over before giving a snort of contempt, her brows furrowed.

But her hard expression softened into something harder to read, and she dusted off the tiny figure in her hand.

"Good fight, shrimp."

Mago looked around to make sure no-one had seen her. She pursed her lips, wondering what to do with Hematite. She figured she should return him to White Diamond instead of leaving him out here, but she couldn't go back into the arena with him like this.

–

The tension left White, realizing that Mago wasn't going to hurt Hematite. Still, she had to make sure Hematite got back to her safely...so why not take matters into her own hands.

SHINK.

Another massive polearm thrust itself in the ground from above, only a foot behind Mago...unsettlingly close to her. Jumping down from the top of the wall, landing perfectly on her feet behind the gem, she grasped her weapon and pulled it from the ground, holding it next to her. She towered over the other gem, looking down upon her with a stern, calm look.

–

Normally, Mago would barely flinch at such an action. But to be honest she was a bit... frazzled at the moment from her fight. The gem squeaked and jumped forward a foot or so before turning to meet White Diamond's calm gaze.

 _Was she in trouble._

Saluting enthusiastically with her free hand, the ebony-haired Hematite stood at attention and glanced nervously to the side.

"Did you want him back?" she asked with a hint of sarcasm.

–

"At ease, Mago." White said, spinning her polearm, fizzling it out in a sparkling light. She held out her palm, with her other arm calmly behind her back. "Yes, I'll take him back to my towers."

–

The shorter gem relaxed visibly at White's command and carefully handed Hematite back to her, immediately resuming the cocky, aloof air she usually wore.

"Yeah well, you can have him. Make sure he doesn't get stepped on or whatever. You'll need that one for a fight if it ever comes up in a mission." She opened one eye to look up at her leader.

"No hard feelings about the start of that fight, right?"

–

White took the small gem, gently cupping her hands protectively around him. White looked to the other with a raised brow, and the faintest of smiles. Even though Hematite had worn himself out, he fought bravely. He faced her head on and won, albeit at the expense of his energy. There was a faint hint of pride there. Not only did she learn a lot more about the Hematites in general, but now she got to see what he was really like in the ring. She had been impressed...that was all that mattered.

"Don't worry about it... " She said with a chuckle soon following.

–

The ebony haired Hematite looked at the gem in White's hand a moment longer before meeting her leader's eyes again. A smug smile crossed her face, though behind it was a wave of relief.

–

White started to walk off...but she stopped, looking back.

"OH, and one more thing... Mago, just so you know... I don't believe 'crashing a fight at the arena' was part of your assigned work today."

She turned, heading out in the direction of the White district.

–

She watched her leader walk off, but then blinked when she turned to look at her.

At White's words, Mago felt the slightest shiver go up her spine.

"Right, I'll get back on that."

As White left, the defeated gem let out a deep sigh and relaxed, pursing her lips.

"I gotta learn that trick."


	6. Defective

_Summary [in parts] : Blue and Hematite have a talk over drinks ||| Hematite goes on a harvesting mission with Blue. ||| Hematite learns something new about himself._

* * *

 ** _-And so, years passed.-_**

* * *

Things went on as usual. Hematite was sent on missions for weeks or months at a time, returned to the towers, took a few days off, sparred in the coliseum, had a _'spar'_ with Yellow Diamond, returned to missions... the pattern never changed. The service gem performed well on most of his jobs. In fact, the most trouble he ever had was trying to please Yellow. She didn't seem the least bit interested in treating him any better than she had since day one of his job as White Diamond's Hematite. The 'spars' continued; as did the belittling, the threats, the constant scornful looks. There was just no pleasing her. Over time... Hematite tried less and less to make her happy, and focused more on not letting her get to him.

Because as the years went by... he felt it starting to sink in. All her words, all his failed spars, all the hateful or suspicious looks. And he never did ANYTHING to earn them, at least from his point of view. Perhaps he should stop trying to share stories of his missions with her, or he should stop asking if she'd like to watch one of his fights. Every time he tried talking with Yellow Diamond about _anything_ but his immediate business with her, she'd give him annoyed or angry looks.

 _You're small._

 _You're weak._

 _You're nothing._

He was just trying to be friendly...

But, fine. If she wasn't going to budge, then he wasn't going to keep trying so hard.

Still... he wished things were different.

Morganite had just finished fixing up another batch of drinks, sliding one skillfully across the slick surface of the counter to the tall, blue gem that sat at the end. The gem grabbed the glass without so much as looking and took a sip.

"Right on cue, as per usual!" She chuckled. Morganite spun around and wiped off the counter with a grin.

"Of course, only the best for you, Blue Diamond!" He said charmingly, giving a flick of his wrist with a bow. There was a casual quiet that followed, the pink flamboyant gem picking up stray glasses and wiping them down with the cloth he kept around his belt sometimes. "So, what brings ya here tonight, Blue? Usual hangouts?" He asked, sparking up a simple conversation.

Blue gave him a warm smile, looking down at her glass and swirling its contents.

"Ah, nothing so simple today, I'm afraid... I'm actually here to meet with someone. A friend. They wanted to talk." She responded a little quietly.

Morganite's brow raised a tad, but he smiled.

"Ah, I see! Anyone I know?"

"Well, you remember the Hematite?"

"Ah, the shy little fellow who doesn't care for drinks! Haha, yes, I remember them! I'll fetch them some water." Morganite responded promptly, quickly scampering off to the back.

Blue propped her elbow up on the table and took a swig of her drink, stifling a small laugh. She wondered when he'd show up, but didn't dwell on it for too long.

The more important question, what could he possibly want to talk about?

–

It'd been one hell of a recon and harvesting mission, one of the longest he'd ever had in his _many_ years working for White Diamond. Months had gone by since Hematite last saw Homeworld at all, and he'd only been back a few weeks. He'd gone back to his usual business after a small break from White Diamond, who was proud of his performance. He'd seen Yellow Diamond, well, a few times since returning. But he hadn't seen Blue at _all_ , except once from a passing distance.

As Hematite made his way toward Morganite's bar, he admired how nice it felt to be back in the Blue district. He really did feel the most at peace here, out of all the districts, and it was pleasant to be back.

Stopping at the familiar building, the small gem took a deep breath and opened the door, walking inside.

 _He was certainly_ _ **different**_ _looking._

Since leaving for his mission a few months back, he'd gone through some pretty significant changes. During his rather lengthy recon job, he'd gotten into some trouble, long after the main part of his mission had been finished. A gem monster had ambushed him and gotten a hold of his long hair during a fight, and used it to toss him into the air, its jaws waiting below him.

The rest was history.

He was just lucky it'd missed his gem, and he was able to reform quickly so he could continue his mission. If he hadn't been so rattled by previous events during said job... maybe the monster wouldn't have gotten the best of him. Oh well. It was in the past. _All_ of that mission was in the past, thankfully. And now Hematite had a new form to get used to.

He now stood a few inches taller, and his outfit was a little different. The White Diamond insignia on his suit was more off-center than it was before, and his chest was a little less pronounced. His hair was now considerably short, and stood in a fluffed tuft on the top of his head, swept bangs covering his forehead. His visor was different as well. It only covered one eye instead of being a full visor, and his eyes underneath were a dark maroon color instead of light pink. All in all, he was happy with his new form. But he _did_ wonder how Blue would react.

Yellow Diamond sure seemed to dislike it.

–

By the time Hematite had arrived, there was already a cold glass of water sitting next to the seat that Blue was sitting in. The diamond turned around upon hearing the door open, and beamed curiously. Was that who she thought it was?

"Hematite? Is that you? ... Well, is that like, **the** Hematite?" It was certainly _**a**_ Hematite, but she was unfamiliar with the looks of this one. She spotted the gem on his neck, and smiled. It certainly _looked_ like the Hematite she knew so well. The Morganite spun around and gave him a wink, but without a word turned to attend to another gem sitting at the other end of the table.

–

Hematite was happy to see that Blue was waiting for him already, and he made his way over. He blushed slightly at her confusion and rubbed the back of his head, which was his replacement for fiddling with his hair nowadays.

"Yeah, it's me. Good old 'rookie'." He chuckled, smiling warmly and hopping up into his seat, now just able to reach it with his added height. "I know I look a lot... different. My last mission was one heck of a doozy. I went through uh... a bit of a change." Offering her a small smile, he grabbed his glass of water.

–

Blue's grin grew wider, as she turned a bit in her seat and looked over him now that he was closer.

"Heheh, well, 'Rookie'! I think 'Hema' would just suit ya better, whatcha think?" She said cheerfully, grabbing her own glass as well. "You aren't really a rookie anymore, really... It's been wild to watch you learn and grow so much! Well...figuratively and literally! Heheh!" The diamond turned back and sipped her drink once more. She placed it carefully down on the bar stand, twisting it slowly in place. The droplets of condensation from the glass careened down the sides and left a small puddle where the cup sat.

–

Hematite blinked in surprise at Blue's proposal, and even though he was sure saying something about it wouldn't change her mind, he still managed to stammer out,

"Well, I mean. If you wanna call me that, then by all means!" A slightly 'off' sounding laugh escaped him, and as Blue turned away to sip her drink, he turned to his own glass, his finger tracing along the cold droplets on the outside.

–

Her smile had softened, and, while seemingly dazzled by the ice cubes in her drink... she bore a more concerned look than moments ago.

"So, what brings ya here, Hema?"

–

Blue's change in demeanor caught him off-guard, and his smile faded.

"Oh you know, I've been gone a while. Thought we could catch up. See how stuff's been going on in the arena. See if you missed tossing me and your mace around."

–

She let out a hearty chuckle, picking the glass up and twirling it in her hand once more.

"HAaaa, yeeeeahhh... Man, the Arena fights are much less eventful and... less of a challenge when you aren't around," she said, a little mellow. Her smile completely faded, suddenly. She sat the glass down, turning her head away. Sighing heavily, she closed her eyes. Hema had never just called her up to 'talk', in his years of working for White. And to see him show up with a new form, in the mood he was in? She could tell something was up.

"There's somethin' more, isn't there?..."

–

A long silence stretched between the two. Hema sipped his water and placed it back on the counter with a soft 'clink'. He traced the rim of the glass with the tip of his finger, his eyes staring at nothing in particular.

A minute or so of heavy silence later, Hematite sat up straight and called to Morganite.

"Excuse me, Morganite? Do you have anything... well. Not as strong as Blue's usual?"

–

Blue and Morganite both bore a genuine look of surprise now, staring at Hematite in bafflement for a few moments.

"W-well certainly! One moment, please." The pink-haired gem turned quickly to grab something off of the shelf. Blue's surprise shifted into something of worry, now.

"Hah... Ah, so this is gonna be one of _those_ talks, I see?" She rotated again back in her seat, propping her back up on the bar and crossing one leg over the other. "I've had my fair share of those before. Take your time, kiddo."

–

"Thank you." He nodded politely to Morganite and looked at Blue momentarily before turning to his glass again. "Yeah. Okay."

While Morgan was fetching the drink, Hematite looked at Blue Diamond and forced a smile, trying to lighten the mood again.

"So, what do you think of the new look?"

–

She couldn't help but grin. He was trying to be optimistic... she admired that.

"I like it, Hema. Seems more... I dunno, can't find the word for it. Seems more probable. Efficient? Yeah, efficient, practical!" She chuckled. "It seems more 'you'! Ya know?"

Morganite, about this time, casually walked up to the bar and slid Hematite his drink, a lot more carefully than he would Blue.

"Enjoy!"

–

Blue's praise earned a bright, genuine smile from him, even if it was tinged with sadness.

"Thanks, Blue. I'm glad you like it."

 _Even_ _ **that**_ _differs from_ _ **her**_ _._

His smile faded to the more tired look he had before, and he looked at Morganite, offering him a polite nod.

"Thank you."

He took the drink in his hand and sniffed at it, scrunching his nose up. Well, it certainly was better smelling than Blue's had been. Taking a sip, he cringed slightly, but the taste of this one was far more palatable.

 _I_ _ **still**_ _hate alcohol._

About fifteen minutes later, Hematite had finished his first drink, and was looking no worse for wear.

"..."

–

Morganite quickly slid over another drink, which Blue caught this time and slowly slid over to Hematite. There was a long pause. She was patient. She had all night... and she didn't mind waiting for him to talk.

"So, hah... how'd priss and sparky like the new look? Have they seen it yet, even?" She murmured, looking up at the lights on the ceiling as she took another sip of her own drink.

–

Hematite took another sip of his fresh drink and placed it down a little bit heavier than he had up till now. He had a far-off look in his eyes for a moment, but then turned to Blue and offered a weak smile.

"White is White, so she just asked how practical the new visor was, and why I made the change," he said casually, shrugging his shoulders. "I told her it was just as efficient as the old one, but allowed me to go around in public without people who know what I am freaking out, thinking I'm on the job." His finger found its way to the edge of the glass again, and he stared at the contents of his drink.

"Yellow Diamond hasn't seen it yet."

 _ **The first of many lies.**_

–

"I see..." She couldn't think of much else to say at the time, which was strange for her. She normally had something to say about everything, but for the first time in a very long while, she was taken aback, unable to think of anything else.

The bar started to get more quiet as the night went on. Gems were up and leaving, later hours settling in even though time inside the bar seemed to stop. Strange, since normally the bar was much more lively at night. Maybe it was a good thing that business was slow this evening. Blue smirked and gave him a reassuring nod.

She tried a new approach. It was direct, but it was _something_.

"You came here to talk to me about something, and it wasn't about your hair... So..."

–

As time stretched on, Hematite slowly felt the effects of his drink. His head felt like it was swimming, but it didn't feel entirely unpleasant. There was a weight to his limbs that seemed to lift as time ticked away and the bar got more and more quiet. He was glad for the calm.

 _It was needed right now._

Hematite tapped a clawed finger on his glass, staring at the wall and shelves in front of him. When he finally felt his drink had done its job, he sighed deeply, exhaling through his nose for a good ten seconds solid. Then he was silent. When he finally spoke, his voice was even, but held a weight to it that he'd never had around Blue before, or anyone else for that matter.

"Blue, let's say someone has an opinion of you... that you don't exactly agree with."

He looked at the swirling contents of his glass, which laid half empty at the moment. Little flecks of blue and gold color dazzled the drink within, giving Hematite something to focus on.

"Like, they say really terrible stuff about you. And you know they're wrong, but..."

–

Blue grit her teeth and looked away.

"Hah...Kid, I get that all the time. I mean, being a diamond has its perks, but I definitely have some people that hate me too... I definitely know how ya feel." She looked at him with a half hearted smile. "If you're asking how ya handle em... heheh, I'd just say beat em up. Buuuut that's just me," she continued, only half joking. _Okay, a little less than half._

"I'm sorry, continue?"

–

Hematite wasn't as surprised by Blue's tone as he should have been, but he listened to her words regardless and slowly nodded at her advice.

"Hmm." Looking at his drink again, the emotion slowly drained from his face. Once more, he tapped a clawed finger onto his glass, much more firmly than before.

His eyes staring at the drink, a vacant look to him, Hematite took a long, shallow breath before letting it out through his nose.

He was unnaturally still. When he finally spoke, his voice was flat, nearly void of emotion.

"What do you do... when someone says you're _**nothing**_."

–

Blue's eyes widened as she looked up at the wall with a frown, her heart sinking... Like something struck a chord. She slowly looked over at Hematite, gripping her glass tighter.

"Who... who said that to you...?" she asked, her voice quiet, unsteady. Her eyes became fierce, brows furrowed.

–

His expression didn't change. Hematite slowly looked up from his glass to the wall, his voice the same cold tone as before. He repeated his question.

"What do you do."

–

Blue's lips parted, her teeth still bared down. Her grip gradually increased, her fingers slipping a little from the glass, but still holding on.

"I..." She stopped, grunting.

There was a bitter silence... and she let go of the glass. If she kept it there any longer, it would have shattered in her palm.

A hand suddenly placed itself firmly on Hematite's shoulder.

"Hema... look. I don't know who's saying these things to you but... You gotta believe me. You aren't **nothing**. Please, listen to me... I'm a Diamond, and I say you're... well, a whole lot of **something**. You should be proud of who you are. Don't let **anyone** tell you that you're nothing, they don't know you... They don't get to say who you are!"

–

The small gem's face finally cracked a _real_ expression when Blue put her hand on his shoulder. He looked into her face quietly, eyes wide and searching, as if seeking a solid answer to his unspoken problem.

But there was nothing he could say. Nor was there anything _she_ could say to fix what was breaking.

All she could do was try to undo the damage that was already done to him, and would continue to be done.

 _And she didn't even know it was her own comrade who was delivering the blows._

Hematite swallowed and let out a long sigh, nodding.

"You're right, but. I dunno."

He sipped his drink.

"Sometimes if it's said enough you start to _believe_ it."

–

She looked down with a disheartened frown, but it quickly changed into a fiercer look. An anger... a determination... It was something akin to an angry mother who just witnessed someone hurt her child.

"You sure ya don't want me to take care of it, kid?" she asked, giving him a bit of a dark grin. Morganite slipped in at this moment, sliding them both another drink, despite the fact that Blue hadn't even touched her previous one at this point. He said nothing, but his normal charm had all but disappeared, a much more sympathetic look on his face. But he turned quickly, not wanting to intervene.

–

Hematite gave the gem behind the counter a small, thankful glance. He put his current drink down and shook his head. Another deep breath, and Hematite was able to lift his head with some of his old spirit, a forced smile on his face. When he spoke, his voice was still sad, but there was a crack of his optimistic tone there.

"No, I can handle it. But, yeah. It's uh... It's still nice to know that _someone_ is on my side." His voice cracked with emotion toward the end of his sentence, and Hema had to disguise the sound as a cough.

"Sorry, the drink's getting to me." He looked at her fondly, clearly grateful for her words of encouragement. Silence followed, and Hematite's eyes dropped once more.

A moment later, the shorter gem was out of his seat, standing next to Blue, his arms wrapped tightly around her midsection.

"Thanks, Blue."

–

Morganite's eyes widened a little, but he quickly looked away. _He didn't see anything._ Blue had a similar expression... surprise. And yet, it quickly faded into one of empathy. Nobody ever dared to up and do something like that... Gems weren't supposed to make physical contact with a Diamond unless it was an emergency... but she understood. She placed a hand comfortingly on his back, bearing a warm smile.

"Anytime, kiddo..."

–

At Blue's hand on his back, Hematite trembled slightly, worried suddenly that he'd overstepped the line. He opened his eyes and looked up at her, sniffling. A warm smile crossed his face, and he quickly let go, hopping back up on his chair with a quiet 'sorry'. Returning to his drink, he finished off his current one. Might as well.

–

She gave him a short wave as if to dismiss it completely. A silent 'don't sweat it'.

–

About half an hour of quiet chatting passed, as Hematite went on about his mission he'd just returned from. As the night went on, the service gem started to feel the effects of his drinks.

"Hey, Blue. How long does this stuff last?" He turned to her, a tipsy, slightly awkward smile on his face. "I kinda have a mission I need to go to tomorrow."

–

"It doesn't last too long, buuuut I think you should stop after this one." She said with another smile. She looked over to the Morganite and gave him a nod. He nodded back and stepped away.

"Whats the mission, if I may ask?..."

–

 _Stop after that one, got it._ He sat up, silently confirming with a nod that he wouldn't take his last drink. He looked at Blue with a shrug, noisily sighing through his nose.

"Gotta hunt some rebels down. Perform some recon. Do some harvesting." His voice lowered subtly at the last word, but he shook it off. It was just another job. _Nothing special._

–

Blue smirked and downed the rest of her drink, sliding the glass back to Morganite.

"Mind if I tag along?" she asked, looking a bit wistful. If she wanted to, really, Hematite couldn't _stop_ her from joining... but given his current mindset, she didn't want to interfere if he really didn't want her to.

–

Hematite's head raised in surprise, and he looked at Blue fully. Seemed that question snapped him out of his drunken stupor for a moment.

"O-oh, you want to..." He glanced to the side. Well, there was no harm in it right? "Sure, I wouldn't mind some company. Just... forgive me if I don't seem..." He laughed nervously. "Myself."

–

Blue's cheeky grin returned and she stood up from her seat.

"Awesome! I'd be happy to join ya, then," she said reassuringly. "Would you like me to take ya back to the white district? ... Yaaaaa look a little tipsy there, bud..." She said with an awkward chuckle, offering her hand to the Hematite.

–

Looking at the Diamond's hand, he nodded and unsteadily got down from his seat, gratefully taking the much-needed balance her hand provided.

"Thanks, aha. This stuff really dooooes mess with you, huh?" He was a bit wobbly on his feet, but managed to leave the bar with Blue. Before the two of them left entirely, Hematite blinked and turned toward the bar, raising up his free arm.

"Byyyeee Morganite!" He waved back, a drunken smile on his face. "Your hair is niiiice!" And with that, they were out the door.

* * *

At first, White was a little confused as to why Blue wanted to tag along with Hematite, but she didn't pry at it. Blue's permission was granted, and the two had made their way to the Pink district. It was particularly dark there today, a thick overcast of clouds spread above them. As they walked, Blue gave the occasional glance over to the service gem. After last night's spiel, she wanted to make sure that he was alright. Besides, she didn't really have anything better to do today anyway. Might as well come with!

–

Thunder rolled across the Pink District, shaking the ground ever so slightly. A brisk wind was blowing, though most of it was disturbed by the tall buildings that surrounded the two gems. Occasionally a breeze would break through and blow dust across the beaten and broken path.

As the two of them walked, sounds of scurrying gem monsters could be heard now and again, though they seemed skittish and unwilling to confront the travelers. They were unstable creatures, but they weren't stupid. They knew better than to tussle with a Diamond. A small, bug-like creature watched Hematite and Blue diamond hop over a small, broken partition. As they neared, it scurried away, hiding under a large pile of rubble. Luckily for it, today was not a day for hunting gem monsters.

Steps echoing through the empty city, the two made their way toward the mission objective. Other than a little small talk when he and Blue first arrived in the pink district, Hematite hadn't said a word. Within a few minutes of getting onto his assigned path, his eyepiece had chirped to life, and he'd gone quiet, the features of his HUD guiding him to his mission objective. He was still at his normal size of 5 or so feet, a small figure against the backdrop of huge city buildings. They'd been walking for hours, and the objective was close by.

For now, the only sounds he and Blue could hear were the distant thunder, their own footsteps, and the quiet, mechanical whirring and beeping of Hematite's eyepiece.

–

Blue glanced around, spotting a few of the gem monsters here and there, but thinking nothing of it. Last night's words echoed through her mind, almost haunting her. She had to stay optimistic for both of their sakes. If anything went wrong, she'd be right there with him. This would be a breeze. However, she wasn't gonna do his job for him. White would be very unhappy about that, and both of them would get in trouble. She'd stay low for now and let him do his work, but something seemed off. She decided to break the silence, with a quiet whisper.

"Are ya always this stoic when you work?" She asked with an awkward smile, giving him a nudge with her elbow.

–

Admittedly, Hematite was slightly startled by the break in the silence and the nudge, and his eyepiece chirped in response to his broken concentration. He recovered his composure and continued walking, his pace once again steady and measured. He gave her a glance out of the corner of his eye.

"Yes." His answer was blunt, monotone, and his attention turned back to the path ahead of him. It wasn't that Blue was distracting him, per say, but there was something in the pit of Hematite's stomach that told him this mission wasn't going to go as smoothly as he wanted. He didn't know why or how or when, but _something_ was going to go wrong. Perhaps it was nerves from having a companion for the first time, or maybe the drinks from the previous night were still messing with him... but Hematite felt that there was something foul in the air.

He just hoped he could protect Blue from whatever it was.

–

Blue winced a little at the response, but quickly shook it off. Ah, that must have been a perk for White's gems. Serious on the job, determined to get them done. _Yeah, surely that was it_. She eased up a little, crossing her arms and walking a little slower so that Hema could go on ahead. She stayed close behind, never falling too far back.

 _Chink._

A small noise clicked somewhere nearby. What was that? It was just loud enough that even Blue could hear it, but she could not pinpoint the location of where it was. The air was thick and sound carried pretty well here. But it was at the expense of it sounding like it could come from anywhere. She clenched her fists and stopped walking. That wasn't any noise a gem monster would make. Where did that come from?...

–

 _He'd definitely heard that._

In a mere instant, Hematite was behind Blue, his arms out in a protective stance. His body language exactly mirrored what he had done in the Arena when Mago showed up out of no-where, but this time he was dead silent. He looked around slowly, his eyepiece suddenly going quiet.

Perhaps his mission objective had come to _him_.

"Blue, if things get dicey, stay low, stay safe. This is my job to do and I don't want you getting caught in the crossfire if something goes wrong," he said under his breath, so that only she could hear him.

He'd never done a mission with a companion before. Suddenly, Blue coming along seemed like an unwise choice. Before, all he had to worry about was himself...

–

It was her turn to be stoic.

"Right."

She huffed suddenly, nodding in understanding. There was an eerie silence that followed. The gem monsters had all but disappeared, seemingly leaving just the two of them standing alone in the rubble-scattered clearing. Blue narrowed her eyes, scanning the horizon. She wasn't equipped with any gem tech that could help her pick up anything, but she figured she would look out anyway.

Someone was there... but where were they?...

–

Glad that Blue was on the same page as him, Hematite slowly made his way behind her, watching her back. His visor's clicking suddenly picked up as he scanned the area around them before it gave a sharp beep.

He'd seen something.

A flicker of movement was all it took.

–

Blue watched intently at the rubble to see if she herself could spot anything, but to no avail. Her every instinct told her to draw her weapon, but she decided against it. Everything she stood for told her to stand ready to fight... but she didn't. She trusted Hematite.

Hematite's gem began to glow, his body quickly following suit. Slowly, his form doubled in size, then tripled, until he was half his full height. He was crouching near Blue, and suddenly moved to hover over her in a protective stance, his arms down at either side of her. His body language had taken on a rather... animalistic air, much like it did the first time he fought Blue in the arena. Thankfully, he was far more 'relaxed' this time. He wasn't quite in fight or flight mode... _yet._

The giant gem didn't move, but his eyes flickered across the horizon, among the rubble and ruined buildings. He took a deep breath, his voice ringing out clear and firm.

"Reveal yourselves! Whoever you are, if you come peacefully, I will not have to resort to force."

–

She took a deep breath, suddenly looking up at the looming figure that had grew behind her. She had seen him like this before under a few circumstances, though it was rare she was this close.

 _But she_ _ **trusted**_ _Hematite_.

She lost her casual smile, but the look was replaced with one of sheer fierceness. Clenching her fists, she took a defensive stance, backing up slightly under Hema's shadow, staring intently at nothing in front of her. She'd love to see anyone try anything funny _now_.

–

Idly, Hematite noted that Blue didn't seem off-put by him, and was glad for it. That made his job a lot easier. He lifted his head slightly, calling out again.

"You have one final chance. Come out where I can see you! You're outnumbered! This doesn't have to result in violence!"

 _They had about_ _ **ten**_ _seconds to reveal themselves._

–

Nothing.

There was more silence.

Blue didn't move a single inch, but kept looking around the area, her smirk fading into a frown. Now she just looked angry, even though she wasn't.

What were they waiting for?

Wouldn't things just be simpler for them if they turned themselves in?

Or perhaps someone really wasn't there...

–

Hematite, after a few seconds, took a deep, measured breath.

"5."

He shifted in place, crouching a little closer to Blue, his eyes still on a particular chunk of wall that was sitting about 200 feet away, on the outskirt of the clearing.

"4."

His eyepiece's whirring picked up. He slowly lifted his left hand toward his face.

 **"3."** Hematite's voice lowered, and it slowly took on a dark edge.

 **"2."** The giant gem swiped his fingers over his eyes, his hunting visor sparking into existence. The previously gentle whirring turned into a combination of eerie clicks and electrical whining sounds.

There was a long pause.

 _ **"1."**_

Nothing.

The clicking stopped.

With a honing chirp, a bright white insignia and target blipped onto the screen of Hematite's visor.

 **"Gem found: Axinite. Status: No gem faults detected. Mission Objective: Collect and Harvest."**

Hematite's voice was low, emotionless, mechanical. He recited the words as if saying them on a silent command. After another pause, he dropped his head slightly and chuckled.

"This could have been _easy_."

–

Blue admittedly felt a little bit unsettled as the larger gem counted down, placing the new visor back over his eyes. Hadn't seen _that_ in a little while. Slowly looking back down at the place where he was looking, something caught her eye finally.

Hematite's count-down ended, and he recited the words from his visor. There was a moment of silence.

A small device flung from behind the wall, blinking for a few seconds and then - PAFF! A cloud of smoke burst from the machine, and a small figure bolted from the location behind the wall, in the opposite direction. **They were having none of this.**

–

Hematite glanced at the small device, but didn't flinch when the smoke exploded from it, his eyes now locked on the wall.

 _There you are._

Without warning, Hematite shot off, leaving Blue in the dust, quite literally, chasing after the retreating gem. They admittedly had gotten a bit of a head start, but that wouldn't matter.

 _He'd seen him._

–

Blue flinched, coughing as the dirt was kicked up. She quickly recovered, amazed to see that he could move as fast as he did. She had seen him fight, she had seen him casually here and there, but even the first day she saw him, she could have sworn he was much slower than that. She immediately started to run after them, not wanting to get too far away.

Crashing through some of the ruins, the giant gem darted around a large, decrepit sky-tower. He was hot on Axinite's trail. The fleeing gem darted between closed spaces and alleyways, but Hematite was able to make his way around each of them, until they reached a very condensed block of city buildings.

 _Looks like they were going to make this fun for him._

Silently, the giant gem crouched low to the ground as he stared down the city street. A roll of thunder made the ground tremble under his hands. Slowly, Hematite stood straight and began walking down the crowded cluster of buildings.

 **Axinite** was in here somewhere.

–

Meanwhile. the Axinite ducked in and out of a few broken buildings. Surely he'd lose him that way! He was too big, he couldn't fit in these smaller areas, right? He cackled to himself, pleased that he had given him the slip...or at least, so he thought. They waded through fallen rubble and snuck over a rather large chunk of a pillar. Now they just needed to get back to their hideout. Was it this way? No, maybe it was the other way. They started to get increasingly nervous, realizing that in their desperation to slip away, they had lost their sense of direction.

 _Big mistake._

–

Unaware that Blue had followed him, Hematite kept all his senses alert to the sound or sight of his target. The block around him was deathly quiet between the rolls of thunder, and all he could hear was the sound of his own feet crunching rubble and plant life as he walked.

More clouds rolled in.

As Hematite made his way down the next stretch of city, the sky began to darken, and soon, his glowing hunting visor stood out against a dark gray sky as he slowly scanned the buildings around him.

He was still only half his potential height, and the ancient city around him still made him seem tiny in comparison.

In his hunt for Axinite, Hema had failed to notice that another gem was watching him. Huge, broad shouldered, intimidating.

It was a Jasper.

They wore a completely black-red suit, their hair tied back into a ponytail. They held an impressive ax in their hands that they silently turned over as they watched the huge hunter walk down the street.

 _So this is what she'd heard about from the other faction._

A giant hunter gem. A 'Harvester', as they called it. Ruthless, intelligent, **huge**. Jasper had expected something big, but not _that_ big. She couldn't help but wonder if this was some new form of fusion.

Judging by the target on the gem's strange visor, they hadn't found what they were looking for just yet.

 _Good._

 _That gave her more time to get closer._

Keeping to the shadows, her brick-red eyes never leaving Hematite as he walked further into the city, Jasper crept ever closer. She only moved when the thunder rumbled overhead, masking her every sound. Seemed this hunter's gem was located on their neck. That was an unfortunate placement, it'd be hard to get to, and even then, she was certain that such a huge gem wouldn't be put-off by a close strike to their gemstone. She knew she couldn't bring herself to shatter them, despite them being such a danger. But she wasn't going to let that stop her from trying to destabilize them. Closer. Higher. Climb the buildings. Get a vantage point. Then _**strike**_.

Hematite was closing in. He'd heard footsteps from between two buildings, and a flare of Axinite's gem signature put him back on Hematite's map.

 _Not too long now._

As he neared, the giant gem crouched low to the ground, going into a full stalking stance. He looked over his shoulder at the street he'd just entered, and picked up a large piece of wall, completely blocking off the way back. Axinite wouldn't be escaping that way.

However, placing the large slab of rock had made some noise.

Noise that the fleeing gem would most certainly hear.

–

Blue kept up as much as she could. She grunted and climbed up and down fallen rubble and broken down buildings. How hard was it to lose an 80 foot tall gem? Apparently for her, _not very_. She muttered something crossly to herself in the silence of the air. Suddenly she heard something, a distant thud. The diamond grinned and made her way towards it.

On a bit of a closer route, the Axinite shuddered upon hearing the very same noise, but a lot closer. He was getting too close. He didn't like that... Frantically, the small gem placed their palms on the walls, too dark to really see much. They found an opening...but it was small. They started to sweat more, nervously looking back. They could tell they were being followed, and the hunter was hot on their trail. They had to take a chance.

 **crack.**

The Axinite had kicked in the crack, making a hole just big enough for them to crawl through...but at what cost? They bolted, wavering through the streets and not daring to look behind them. Their eyes darted upwards, looking at the direction in which the clouds moved. Okay, so now they had a bit of a better assumption. It was northeast. They turned swiftly, moving towards the direction they assumed the hideout was in. Better to take a chance than risk standing around and being found...

The muffled sound of the cracking wall alerted Hematite to the fleeing gem's presence, and he crouched further down, slinking down the road. There was another street on the opposite side of the row of buildings to his right, and from the rapid footsteps he heard, Axinite was heading down it. Another roll of thunder shook the city. Hematite took the opportunity and advanced down the road he was on more swiftly, quickly approaching an intersection. There was his chance.

The thunder died down, and Hema's pace slowed as the area went silent again. He heard feet meeting pavement.

Just a little closer. The footsteps stopped for a moment, and the giant gem hesitated as he came to the corner of the intersection.

A long pause later, a flash of lightning lit up the sky, illuminating Hematite's form against the dark buildings. There was a shuddering crash of thunder, then silence again.

 _C'mon. Make your move._

The way the giant gem moved was eerily quiet, and Jasper found herself thanking her lucky stars that it wasn't HER that he was hunting. She stopped at the top of one of the smaller buildings that was in good shape and watched Hematite carefully, still in the shadows. What was he doing? Had he found what he was looking for? Jasper stared at the hunter visor, grimacing as the little target on the screen darted around. There was nothing natural about this gem. Why on Homeworld had the Diamonds designed such a... _**monster**_.

He seemed like he was going to stop for now, and Jasper took the chance to look around for her next vantage point. Just a little higher, and she could get a good hit in... She hopped down to the side of the next, taller building, starting to climb up.

Hematite waited a good minute before he perked up at the sound of the light footsteps.

 _There we go._

His mouth turned up in a small smirk, and Hematite crouched low, whipping around the corner to the next street, directly in the fleeing gem's path. He couldn't have been more than twenty feet away, his head low, visor glowing brightly as the target locked onto its mark.

"Gotcha."

–

Finally, Blue caught a glimpse of the ivory haired gem in the distance. Despite being huge, he had made a significant amount of distance between the two. Landing on the ground with a soft thump, she stayed back, a couple of hundred feet away behind him. He looked like he was ready to pounce...literally. She was definitely not getting in the middle of that. Seeing as the chase was probably over, Blue relaxed and placed a palm on the bit of rubble in the street, leaning back on it. She watched intently. What was his next move?...

The Axinite shook in place, staring up in dread at the massive monstrosity that crouched before him. He wasn't right over him, but he could close the gap between them fast if he moved. Axinite's stance was stiff, as if they wanted to move...but couldn't. Suddenly, with a sharp yelp, they turned frantically and ran...ran as fast as they could.

Don't stop, don't look back, don't trip...

They panted heavily, jumping over and swerving through everything they could to try and get as much distance as possible.

–

Hematite didn't waste any time chasing after his target. He wanted to get this over with, and fast. He still had to track down the other leader and whoever was left in their base. Thankfully, only the _leaders_ had to be brought back unpoofed, if there were any other gems in their faction.

The giant gem launched after Axinite, and even though he stumbled over some of the ruined buildings and rubble that blocked the road, the short distance between the two of them had given him all the advantage he needed.

He pounced.

Landing semi-painfully in the remains of a half crushed building, Hematite sat up and looked in front of him. Axinite was trapped under his hand, writhing with all he could to get free. The giant gem wrapped his fingers around the rebel, lifting him up. Hematite sat up, bits of rubble and debris falling off of him.

–

The Diamond continued to watch from far behind, making sure to keep her distance. She could still see clear as day everything that was going on, but she wasn't close enough to get caught in any of the crossfire or falling rubble. She smirked and nodded quietly to herself, looking on in approval. _Nice catch, bud._

The Axinite screamed in both horror and frustration, furiously trying to get themselves out of Hematite's grasp. As their weight suddenly shifted, he found himself very far off the ground. The Axinite punched at Hema's hand, but it was a fruitless effort. Their eyes widened, beads of sweat dripping from their brow.

"W-WAIT! WAIT! I... I KNOW WHERE THE BASE IS! I can tell you everything, please! Just let me go!" He yelled, a nervous grin plastered on his mug. Surely he could weasel his way out of this! After all, he had the most silvery tongue of all the gems in his gang.

–

Standing up straight, Hematite held the gem relatively close to his face. The target on his hunting visor twisted around the diamond insignia and lit up, parting away from the center. With an unsettling whirring sound, the insignia morphed into a symbol shaped exactly like Axinite's gem. The target around the now gem-shaped insignia closed back up, and the rest of the visor was suddenly alive with gem-text and different HUDs.

 **"Gem Captured: Axinite. Status: Undamaged. Mission Objective: Harvest."**

Hematite had very clearly heard the tiny gem's pleas, and his rather underhanded offer, but made no show of it.

 **If he was willing to talk when captured, maybe he'd** _ **really**_ **get chatty when Hematite silently refused his deal.**

Instead of acknowledging the captured gem's words, Hema began reciting Axinite the same spiel he did with all gems he captured.

"Axinite, you have been found guilty of fraternizing with criminals against the will of the Diamond Authority, and you will be detained and brought to justice. Your gem will be undamaged, should you cooperate." His voice was monotone, drone-like, and cold.

This was just another job to him.

–

The Axinite gasped, squirming more violently now.

"LISTEN, LISTEN! I can tell you where the other rebels are! I'll cooperate!" His eyes widened upon the sight of the disturbingly familiar gem in the lens of the visor. He gulped nervously, his smile faded completely. "S-surely there's s-s-something we can agree on?!" Their pleas become more and more desperate, their voice cracking under the stress. It was clear that this gem was very familiar with Harvesters and their jobs. "P-please, I'm just the scout!"

–

"I think we can both agree that you're _stalling for time_ ," Hematite said coolly, arching a brow underneath his visor. "Where are the others? If you tell the truth, I'll make sure your detainment is as quick as possible." It wasn't entirely a lie, but he also wasn't about to tell this gem the whole truth.

Damn it, he'd already caught her scout, this was bad. He'd be coming for her next, if she didn't do something, and do something _quick_. Finishing her climb, Jasper clutched her ax tightly in both hands, staring down at Hematite from above. He was distracted. _This was her chance_. Her weapon glinted from atop the building as she took a few steps forward, preparing to land a painful blow to the giant gem's back.

–

The Axinite stopped shivering for a moment, eyes slowly drifting just past the huge gem's face...then back to him. It was just subtle enough that it didn't draw too much attention.

"Heh... heheh... They're closer than ya think they are..." He said, a sly, sharp toothed grin growing on his face ominously.

Blue couldn't hear the Axinite's words, so the conversation to her was very one sided. Looks like they got themselves in a bit of trouble, ey? Well, more so than what they were. She cocked a brow, keeping an eye on things as they started to heat up...but then something caught her eye. The smallest glint flickered on the building behind Hematite. Blue's eyes widened, and she quickly took a step forward.

 **"HEY KID, LOOK OUT!"**

–

Jasper cursed under her breath as she leapt down, hearing Blue's warning. She held her ax high, ready to bring it down on Hematite's head. There was no way this gem-hunting creep was getting anywhere near the base! Not on her watch! Just as she was about to land her hit, Jasper let out a fierce battle cry, but was abruptly cut off as she was stopped mid-air, rather painfully.

Hematite had turned sharply, his free hand up, clutching Jasper tightly. Panting, Jasper looked up and grimaced at the giant gem. She tried to say something, but the wind had been completely knocked out of her from the sudden stop.

"Y-you.. Can't-" she wheezed, dropping her head slightly. Hematite arched a brow again, a small frown on his face.

 **"Gem Captured: Jasper. Status: Undamaged. Mission Objective: Collect and Harvest."** He spoke as coolly as he had with Axinite, despite being shaken by her nearly landing what could have been a nasty blow.

–

"Oh NICE **GOING** Puff!" The Axinite snarled, flailing around feebly. "NOW WE'RE **BOTH** DEAD."

From below, Blue had gotten slightly closer, but realizing that Hematite had taken control of the situation, she breathed a sigh of relief. She thought for a moment that she'd have to spring into action. She crossed her arms and looked up at Hematite, wondering what he'd do next.

–

Puff wasn't responding to Axi's angry comments, but instead seemed focused on catching her breath. Her arms tensed, and her grip around the handle of her ax seemed to tighten.

"You..." she growled, her teeth clenched. Hematite brought her closer to his face, scanning her much the same way he had Axi, and began reciting the same lines.

"Jasper, you have been found guilty of criminal activity against the will of the Diamond Authority, you will be detained and brought-"

Jasper let out an angry cry of frustration before chucking her ax straight at Hematite's face, landing a direct hit to his visor with a loud CRACK. He let out a sharp yelp of surprise, ducking his head quickly as the weapon fell to the ground below, vanishing into sparkles as it hit the floor.

The gem in his hand looked at Axinite aggressively, fury burning in her eyes. She was struggling with all her might to get out of Hematite's hand.

"YOU CAN'T JUST TELL THIS CREEP WHERE OUR BASE IS, YOU RAT! DO YOU WANT EVERYONE THERE TO BE CAPTURED?!" Letting out another roar of frustration, she beat on the giant gem's hand, her teeth clenched in a vicious snarl. "WHEN I GET MY HANDS ON YOU I'M GONNA WRING THAT SKINNY LITTLE NECK OF YOURS! YOU'RE LUCKY THIS GUY CAUGHT YOU FIRST OR I'D-" Puff stopped short as Hematite slowly raised his head back up. He stared coldly at the two gems in his fists. His visor was cracked down the middle, his eyes now faintly visible behind the surface. There was a barely restrained anger in his eyes, though he kept his composure.

"You will do **nothing** of the sort. You are both to be detained, and you will be brought back to the capital along with the rest of your faction."

Jasper's breathing was heavy from her ranting, and her fear. She swallowed and stared up at Hematite with wide, determined eyes, her brows furrowed.

"What will you do to the rest of them. What's your mission concerning the others?"

"The same as it is with you. Collect and Harvest."

Jasper gave Axi a look, silently asking if he knew more than her about this 'Harvesting' business. She knew giant gems caught other rebels, but that was the extent of her knowledge. Taking a deep breath, she looked up at Hematite again.

" _Please_ don't hurt them. They were following orders by my command."

"I will not be forced to harm them if they do not make my job difficult. Which you happen to be doing right now. Now if you don't mind." The target on his screen lit back up, and Hematite's hunting visor glowed back to life, despite the crack.

"I have a job to do."

–

Axinite bit their lip and winced nervously at Puff's aggressive shouting, but they said not a word. Their nonexistent heart sank, noticing the Hematite's eyes now. Oh, they actually have eyes...Kinda thought they were just screens. They mused, trying not to think of the inevitable. They shot the Jasper another glance, frowning nervously. He couldn't say anything. At this point, he had just completely stopped struggling, but the fear had taken over him completely.

–

Jasper stared at Hematite in confusion before looking to Axinite again.

"Job? You've already done your job, we're detained, what are you talking about?" she asked, apprehension and genuine confusion lacing her tone. Hematite ignored her and turned his attention to Axinite, finally standing up straight as he did so. He'd been crouched over from Jasper's near attack, but now stood back at his impressive 8 stories tall.

Lowering Jasper away from his face, Hematite began lifting Axi closer, his gem starting to glow.

"It's a shame you didn't accept my offer," he said simply, starting to unclench his fist from around Axinite's form. He held him over his mouth, much like he had with Mago back in the ring, but this time he didn't smirk playfully or make a show. Instead, he parted his lips, his maw opening up underneath the rebel's feet. He began lowering him in, the tiny gem's feet soon meeting his tongue.

–

Axinite's eyes widened further, their small frame trembling. They shot Puff a quick, horrified glance as he was lifted away, making an audible whimper. Shit, SHIT... NO. They panicked, digging their fingers into Hema's hand, desperately pushing away. He already knew exactly what was happening, and he wanted **no** part of it.

"GYAH! STOP! PUFF, DO SOMETHING YOU IDIOT!" He yelled abruptly, his voice wavering in desperation towards the end. A pitiful gasp escaped them as soon as their feet made contact with the surface of the gem's tongue, cowering at the death trap before him.

But he wasn't the only one with a show.

Blue stood below, squinting to see what was going on from so far above. Admittedly, she hadn't really been phased by his height when he stood up, even if it was impressive nonetheless. Her arms remained crossed, her body leaned back once more on another piece of building. _Wait, what was he doing?..._

–

They always had to resort to the yelling, didn't they? Though Hematite couldn't blame them when they did. He'd been in this position before. It wasn't fun. At least _he_ had the decency to store gems somewhere other than his stomach.

Carefully pinching the back of Axinite's shirt, Hematite fully lowered the tiny gem into his mouth, closing his lips as soon as they were fully behind his teeth. Despite it being more effective to close his teeth, he kept them parted. He didn't want to risk biting the rebel.

Jasper stared in horror, her face pale.

 _Oh my stars, what the hell is he doing?!_ After a long moment of terrified staring, she began struggling anew, determined to get free. She let out increasingly frustrated grunts, doing anything she could to loosen the giant's grip.

–

The tiny gem's feeble cries rang out from behind the Hematite's jaws.

"HELP ME!" They swung their fists aimlessly, trying their best to get free. _This is it, I'm getting shattered, I'm dead!_ He shook violently, staring up in dismay at the massive chompers surrounding him. "NO no no no nonono-" They kept repeating, violently thrashing about.

Meanwhile, safe on the ground, Blue shifted and stopped squinting. It finally dawned on her what was going on. Her jaw parted a little, but no words came out. She looked...curious. Not terrified, not disgusted, not angry...curious. Not only that, it became one of awe, and...what seemed like... Somewhere in her head, she was putting pieces together.

"Oh... Ooohhhhh... OooOOOOHHHhh! Well that's smart, White..." She said quietly to herself, giving a small shrug. "Thaaaaat explains a **lot**..." She found herself staring, unable to look away from the events unfolding far above her.

–

Ignoring the Axinite's yelling and thrashing, Hematite tilted his head back, closing his eyes as the tiny gem in his mouth started to slide back. His gem glowed a tad brighter.

Jasper was in a full panic now, beating on Hematite's hand and attempting to get loose enough to access her gem and make another ax.

"Stars, spit him OUT!" she cried out, shaking her head. She was furious. This gem just said they wouldn't be harmed and now- now this!

Putting a single clawed finger to his gem, Hematite tried to disregard Puff's angry shouting. He sighed before swallowing, his gem giving a brilliant flash. One down, one to go.

Lifting Jasper up to his face, Hematite's visor target reduced to one gem, Axinite's insignia blipping out as soon as the shine from Hematite's gem faded.

"It's not as bad as you think, you'll be fine," he said simply. Puff stared angrily at him, appalled, and continued to struggle.

"No, you're **cracked**! Let me go this instant!" A short snort of exasperation escaped Hematite, and he swallowed again to clear Axinite's taste from his mouth, lifting Puff closer to his face. He began to do the same with her as he had with the previous rebel, but she was still putting up one hell of a fight. He tried to maneuver his fingers around her in a way that'd be easier to get her into his mouth, but she was swinging wildly, making it impossible to be careful about it without losing a tooth.

"You are making this very difficult." There was the slightest edge to his voice, but he was still keeping his cool relatively well. Puff looked at him with fierce fire in her eyes and spat in his face, still swinging at him.

"Get **shattered** , you creep!"

Hematite's cold demeanor broke for a moment to something more frustrated, and he snorted, quickly shoving Jasper into his mouth. She was quite bigger than Axinite, but thankfully wasn't a full sized quartz soldier. Her feet violently kicked around outside his mouth, and she gave her best effort to force her way back out. However, Hematite quickly remedied the situation and pushed her further into his jaws, barely able to close his mouth behind her. Her yelling was muffled , though she kept fighting as well as she could in the confined space.

The giant gem grimaced slightly and tilted his head back again, swallowing with some effort. He repeated the same motion as he had previously, putting a finger to his gem as it glowed brightly. Another heavy swallow later, and his gem gave a bright flash before going back to normal. Hematite leveled his head, panting shallowly for a moment. Stars, that one didn't want to go down easily. Still, this had gone smoother than many of his other jobs.

A roll of thunder shook the ground as lightning flashed in the distance, and Hematite looked down at Blue finally, swiping his hunting visor away after a long pause.

"Sorry you had to see that."

–

Blue stood there for a long while, awkwardly looking off to the side for a moment, then back up at Hematite. She was...grinning, however.

"They didn't look very tasty..." She said, stifling a chuckle at the end of the sentence. She quickly burst out into a sudden laughter. She immediately composed herself however, a mixed look of the same curiosity and wonder she had before.

–

Needless to say, Hematite was shocked by Blue's reaction, and his mouth fell open in surprise.

"They uh.. they weren't," he stammered awkwardly. They tasted like dirt and rubble, quite honestly. not the most pleasant thing. The cost of being a rogue.

–

"... That was actually kinda cool. I didn't really know _why_ Hematites were so big, and I never knew just how they did their jobs, I guess I just never bothered to ask... A little uncanny, some would even say gruesome..." Her eyes lit up in a fierceness suddenly, the gem was smiling ear to ear. "But effective. I like it! Hehehehe!" She cackled, rubbing her palms together. "White, you devious genius, you!" She paced to the side, walking around Hematite's foot.

Hematite watched as Blue lit up, and he blinked in confusion.

 _Did White never tell her?_ He watched her pace around his foot curiously, still honestly baffled how she was so unbothered by his size.

Looking over him, she gave a point to his midsection and smirked, this time a little more nervously. "So uh...are they uh...?..."

–

The giant gem's brows raised as Blue stopped and pointed at his abdomen, and he felt his cheeks darken slightly as he turned away.

"No no, they're fine. Honestly the whole... _eeeh..._ 'thing' with the... you know." He pointed quickly to his mouth. "It's just a safer way of storing them in my gem's pocket dimension. I can just bubble them and hold them up to it, but that's gotten me in trouble a few times with unpoofed targets. I had a gem once stick their weapon straight through their bubble before I could transfer them. Nearly nicked my gemstone." He gave Blue an awkward, lopsided smile. "They're perfectly fine, they'll be given time to cool off before I bring them back to White. There's a sort of tower where I keep all the gems I have to detain in here," he explained, tapping a clawed finger to his gem to emphasize his point.

"And it's... kind of a scare tactic, in a way. But yeah, haha. I guess it is 'effective' for the most part."

–

Blue waved her hand and shrugged.

"That's neat! I never thought about a gem's pocket dimension being used for that..." She placed her finger on her lip, looking away, deep in thought. She swiftly looked back up to him and realized something important.

"OH! But, how are you gonna find the base now?" She asked, placing a palm on his shoe. "...And pick me up this time! It's hard to keep up with ya when you're this big, ya know!"

–

At the Diamond's question, Hematite smirked slightly and chuckled to himself.

"Well, considering that Axinite was headed that direction," he nodded his head down the road the rebel had been rushing down, "I'd wager it's that way. And since there are others, according to the Jasper, I'll be able to focus purely on their gem signatures. I know one of their group is a Ruby, so I can search specifically for that."

Hematite crouched down, opening his palm up for Blue to climb up.

"Sorry about that, haha. Had to go after that guy quickly."

–

Blue perked up, he was actually gonna let her ride again? _Rad_. She grabbed onto his finger and hopped up in his hand, carefully adjusting her balance so she wouldn't fall.

"Well then, ya better get moving, Hema!" She looked down the streets, the thunder still rolling above them. The air was much denser up here, it was wild to feel so different the higher up she was. She loved this.

–

Carefully standing back up, Hematite cupped his fingers in front of Blue to keep her from falling. Looking out toward the horizon, he nodded curtly and began walking off in the direction Axinite was headed. He just hoped that gem wasn't smart enough to lead him in the wrong direction, even when he was running from him. Doubtful, but still. Hema hoped he was going the right way, he didn't want this mission to drag on.

Keeping Blue at about chest level in his hand, Hematite went quiet again as his eyepiece came back online. He began scanning for a Ruby signature.

–

Blue scanned the horizon, peeking between Hematite's fingers. The ground rushed past them from below, it was incredibly how much distance he could get. She turned her head and looked up to his visor. It was strange to watch that thing in progress. She wondered if she could bother White into making her a visor like that. Probably not, but it was worth a shot!

–

Soon enough, Hematite's eyepiece picked something up. It was faint, but it was certainly there.

"I think I've found it."

Looking up at the huge building in front of him, he frowned. How had these guys stayed hidden in a place like this? From what he could tell from the outside, this place used to be some sort of greenhouse, or plant nursery. From the outside, the huge glass part of the building was cracked and overgrown with wild flora. It looked like a solid block of shrubbery from the outside. Hematite frowned and crouched, placing Blue on the ground.

"We're going to have to flush them out. I can't fit in there like this."

"No worries, Kiddo! I got this one..." Blue grinned, cracking her knuckles with a sly grin, looking slowly over at the building. She stepped forward, looking around curiously. She spotted something.

A pool of stagnant water sat nearby, likely from a dried up river that ran through years ago. This was one thing Blue always liked about the pink district... _there was a lot of water._

Blue bent her knees and crouched low, taking a deep breath. Raising her hands slowly, the diamond clutched her fingers as if she was gripping something unseen. She closed her eyes calmly, and there was a low rumble.

Without warning, the water from the pool began to rise slowly, writhing and warping around until it morphed into a stable, almost humanoid shape. It lurched forward slowly, towering around 20 feet. The watery form walked forward, over and past Blue diamond and raised its arm-like appendage as it stopped alongside the building. With a mighty swing, it blasted its arm into a hole in the wall, the water exploding and losing all of its form upon impact with the inside of the base. The water found its way in every single nook and cranny, every window and every door that it could. The liquid seeped through the walls, flooding the interior of the building suddenly and draining back out. Walls cracked, windows shattered, and the greenhouse part of the building even seemed to flood slightly.

Hematite watched in awe as Blue conjured the humanoid creature, and despite it only being a quarter of his size, it still made him step back. He didn't want to be in that thing's way.

As it struck the building and filled it with water, Hematite watched bits of the wall and glass crack under the pressure until they shattered completely.

"Ah, right, that works!" He balled his fists up in front of him in excitement, practically beaming down at his superior.

"I didn't even know you could do that!" His eyes were sparkling with awe.

–

After a few short moments, faint yelling could be heard from within the facility.

"Stand back, kid! They're coming!"

–

He quickly heard the faint yelling as well, and the signal on his eyepiece flickered slightly. Something _else_ was there.

"Blue... Blue! Back up!" Without waiting for a response, Hematite panicked and picked her up off the ground as quickly as he could, taking a few paces back as a large portion of the wall that had Blue was standing in front of busted open, a huge gray figure spilling out onto the pavement with the water. A small red gem tumbled out with it, coughing up liquid as she sat up.

–

Blue smiled with a cocky grin, looking back up to her friend. She was glad she came along, maybe this really was cheering him up! Her excitement was quickly quelled however, upon the sudden outburst of panic. Before she knew it, she was in Hematite's grasp, unsure of what just happened. There was flying dust and water everywhere, and to make matters worse, now there seemed to be ... something else. Something she didn't recognize. Peering over Hematite's hand, her eyes widened in surprise upon spotting something...unsettling. The dust cleared, and Blue gasped abruptly.

"PUT ME DOWN, HEMATITE!"

–

Hematite had barely gotten a glance at the lump of wet ... fur, before Blue's command made him flinch and look down at her, confusion and anxiety clear as day on his face.

"I-I'm sorry, okay!" _Oh no, he'd done it this time._ He'd crossed the line, and he was going to pay for it later. Quickly, he put her back on the ground, backing up another step. Wait, was that the Ruby?

The huge heap of gray on the ground stirred, an unnatural, warped snarl rumbling from its chest.

The Ruby on the ground looked up as the creature stirred, and she scrambled to her feet, making it a few steps away. But before she made it ten steps, the mass of fur whirled around, suddenly on its feet. It lunged for her, its face a terrifying combination of eyes and teeth. It had a large, white, diamond-shaped marking on its forehead, between its various sets of eyes. The fur along the creature's body was spiked up and ragged, hanging it wet clumps. Its body was long, lithe, and _huge_. Hissing, it shot out a prehensile tongue at the tiny gem, quickly grabbing her. She shouted in panicked terror, crying out for help, but it was cut short as the creature pulled her into its mouth and snapped its teeth shut behind her.

Blue's back was turned to Hema now, and she faced with the gray beast before her. Although the service gem couldn't see it from his perspective, the diamond spotted a rounded, shining gem on the bottom of the creature's underbelly. Her eyes widened in horror as she realized what it was.

"No... No it can't be." She said quietly, the emotion completely drained from not only her tone, but her face. Her smile vanished, her eyes widened, transfixed on the monster nearby. "I... But the batch... it isn't fixed?..."

Before she could say or do anything else, the monstrosity lurched to the side, its unnerving face now pointed directly at the two gems. Letting out a blood curdling snarl, saliva dripped from its toothy maw, it hunkered low to the ground. Blue sprang into action.

Her emotionless expression twisted into a far more dark, determined, and beastly look. Her teeth were bared, eyes dilated, and she, too, let out a blood curdling snarl. Swiftly bringing her hand to her gem, she pulled out a mace, the weapon thudding into her palm.

"HEMATITE, GET AWAY FROM THIS THING. NOW!" She shouted, her voice even seeming to change, almost. Her peppy demeanor had vanished, and it was time to do her _own_ job.

–

Thankfully, the giant gem couldn't make out what Blue had said under her breath, He flinched heavily at her warning shout, but he found himself unable to move from his spot. His visor was whirring loudly, the screen unable to process what was going on.

"I-I, Blue, what is that thing?!" Her change in demeanor was unsettling, to say the least, and he still couldn't believe what he was seeing.

The creature's eyes locked onto Hematite, and its lithe body twitched in response to spotting his gem. It gave a vicious, guttural screeching sound, vaguely akin to the noise Hematite's hunting visor made. It launched over Blue, tackling Hema to the ground, snapping and clawing at his gem as he suddenly found himself having to fight it off.

–

With a mighty battle cry, Blue's mace swung directly into the monster's side, sending them flying with a sharp screech. It stumbled over itself and twisted its body until it could regather its footing. The blue gem stood mere feet from Hematite, breathing loudly...huffing heavily. Her eyes pierced daggers into the monster, face to face with death. She was fearless.  
"PISS OFF, YOU OVERGROWN VERMINE!" She bellowed, quickly running towards the beast with her mace drawn back. With another violent swing she brought the massive weapon down where the monster was, but it had swiftly managed to dart out of the way milliseconds before she would have made contact. It hissed in primal frustration, skidding back and crouching low. Its back arched, its razor sharp body jutting forward straight towards her. At least now itss focus had shifted to her.

 **CLANG!**

The monster maliciously chomped down on the bar of Blue's mace, mere inches from her face. She met its predatory gaze with a fiery glare, her own lips curled into a twisted, smiling snarl. She moved sharply back, yanking her mace vigorously to the side. With a sharp yelp of pain, Blue had successfully yanked her mace out of its mouth and even took a few fangs with it. It writhed and screeched, pawing at its face with its claws.

"TRY THAT AGAIN, YOU FILTHY BEAST!"

–

Somehow, Hematite had avoided getting his gem damaged by the creature's relentless attacks long enough for Blue to knock it off of him. He sat up and scrambled backwards, his hand over his gemstone. Chest rising and falling in heavy pants, he stared at the creature, unable to look away.

This thing seemed familiar.

What was so special about...

Then, as it flipped over to avoid Blue's attack, its gem glinted in the low light, catching his eye, and the 'eye' of his visor. The screen made a horrible, static-y hissing sound before a gray gem appeared on it. In bright red gem-speak, four large words blinked on the surface of the visor.

 **G E M: E.**

 **S: D.**

Hema's body went cold, and he stared in horror at the creature Blue continued to fight.

This was one of his own. He _knew_ this gem. He'd _trained_ with this gem. And now they were a snarling nightmare of fur and teeth.

 **What the hell had happened to it.**

–

Blue's patience was wearing thin. It was time to end this. She panted, gripping the hilt of her mace tighter before it started to glow. Her eyes never left the monster's, matching its bloodthirsty gaze. The weapon started to grow, until the entire thing was twice its original size. The pressure in the air started to shift...it soon became unbearable. The monster shrieked out in a primal rage, making its way towards Blue rapidly again. Its claws extended outwards, lunging into the air and coming down right over the top of the blue gem.

She was ready for that.

She didn't have to move from her spot, placing the mace upside down and slamming the hilt into the ground. The monster yelped again sharply, landing right on top of the spiked sphere at the end. It fell heavily to the ground, scrambling to gain it's footing... but it didn't get very far, as Blue picked up her weapon and brought it down right over its neck.

The killing blow. The monster screamed in agony, eyes fading to white, and then...

 **POOF**! The monster exploded into a cloud of gray smoke, its gem falling lifelessly to the floor, along with... the ruby?

As quick as the monster was defeated, Blue scrambled to pick its gemstone up, looking down at it with a cold, merciless gaze.

 **Crack.**

She unfurled her fingers, revealing the shattered remains of the monster's gem. With a blip, she cast a bubble over its pieces and touched it lightly, sending it away. Her weapon sparkled, and it too, disappeared. She stood there, back still turned to the others for many unsettling moments...until she turned her head sharply, looking Hematite dead in the eyes. As soon as she saw his expression, she knew that he _knew_.

"I'm sorry, kid..."

–

The words were still blinking on his screen as he sat, staring, horrified, at the scene that had just unfolded in front of him. He was silent, his eyes wide as saucers. His hand slowly made its way to his gem again as he stared down at her, though the rest of him didn't move an inch.

"B-...blue?"

The sound of the gem shattering in the diamond's grasp echoed in Hematite's head, nearly drowning out her apology.

But he didn't respond. His knees drew closer to his chest. It was subtle, but he'd scooted just a little further from her.

"C-couldn't you have just... bubbled..."

–

Blue looked away, closing her eyes tightly. With a heavy sigh, she grabbed her left arm with the opposite hand.

"Kid... You don't understand..." She opened her eyes, turning back to him with a look of sympathy. "It's my job, Hematite. It was far too dangerous to just simply bubble. If it ever got out..." She stopped suddenly, baring her teeth slightly... nervously.

"There's...more to these things than you think. And, as a Diamond, I have to protect everyone... at any costs." She said simply, sternly. She took a step towards Hematite, raising her hand up slowly.

"Look, let's just go back to White, okay? I'll explain everything to her, she won't be upset that you didn't finish your job, I'll make sure of it..."

–

He understood, he really did. As a Harvester, he'd had his share of painful missions, perhaps not to the extent that Blue had, but he did know her plight to a point.

But that didn't stop the sinking feeling in his chest. And as Blue approached him, her hand raised, he felt himself getting smaller. Perhaps not physically, but he suddenly couldn't help but picture himself in the hands of one of the Diamonds, helpless, vulnerable.

 **You're so used to being big, you forget ho you really are.**

That gem was his _kin_. He'd talked to them not months ago. They seemed fine.

Could that happen to _anyone_?

Looking down at Blue, Hematite trembled involuntarily. He looked away, quickly fiddling with his eyepiece, trying to turn it off. A soft sort of whimper escaped him as he looked at the flashing red words again, but to his relief, he was able to reset the gemtech, and the beeping stopped.

–

Blue's heart sank, and her hand retracted. She looked away, but noticed the Ruby suddenly.

"Hey, you. Get up." She said, a disheartened but stern tone in her voice. She walked over to the small red gem, looming over them. "At the very least, you're not going anywhere..." She said. She wanted to be angry. This was the rebel's fault...if they hadn't have had to come here, she... _Hematite_... she staved off the thoughts. She couldn't point fingers, not now. The corrupted monster would have been a problem regardless. Better that she took care of it now than risk it destroying innocent gems before they noticed it.

–

After he finished turning his visor off, Hematite looked over at Blue and Ruby, sighing heavily with a shudder. Right. He still had a job to do. He flicked his hand over his eyes, the hunting visor returning. Leaning over, he picked up the tiny gem and moved her close to his face without so much as looking at Blue. Hematite cleared his throat, his voice slowly shifting to the cold tone it had when he captured Axinite and Jasper.

 **"Gem Captured: Ruby. Status: Undamaged. Mission Objective: Harvest."**

The Ruby slowly looked up at Hematite with a tired, completely unphased expression. She didn't seem to care she was dangling about thirty feet off the ground by her shirt. Her long, dark hair was dripping with water, though some of the water was steaming off of her body as it made contact. Slowly, she crossed her half-gloved arms.

"Look, tough guy. It's been a **really** weird day. I just almost got munched by that combo deal of teeth and screams, so whatever you've got to do, get it over with. I'm not gonna put up a fight."

 _I'll just escape later._ She thought to herself.

Hematite nodded silently at the small red gem. He admired her composure, though it may have been coming from her lack of energy. Tilting his head back, he carefully placed the Ruby into his mouth and swallowed, tapping his gem as it glowed. It returned to normal, and Hematite looked back down toward Blue.

If someone looked closely enough, they would have seen a single, freshly wet streak down the side of his cheek that had escaped the bottom of his hunting visor.

But only if they looked closely.

The giant gem swiped his hand over his eyes to poof away his hunting visor, simultaneously wiping away the wetness on his cheek in one deft movement.

"Right. We should return to White diamond."

–

Blue nodded in silence, but knew she probably wasn't gonna simply get a ride back to White's now. She could tell she struck a nerve. She wouldn't blame him if that whole ordeal destroyed what relationship they did have. Still, she couldn't have done **nothing**.

"Take it easy, kid... I'll meet you there... I need to um... talk to White, before you arrive. I'll do my best to explain everything." she muttered solemnly. Before he had a chance to respond, Blue ran as fast as she could away in the direction of the White district.

This wasn't gonna be fun trying to explain to White...

* * *

Several hours later, Hematite finally arrived back at the Diamond towers. He was feeling far better than when Blue had left, and he was ready to give his report, and the captured rebels, to White Diamond. That is, if she wanted them right now. She'd often had Hematite hold onto them until she had proper situations set up for either crooks or gems that needed to be relocated.

Walking down the bridge, Hematite took a deep breath and let it out through his nose. Just a report, nothing more. He'd be fine. Sure it was a rather... well, unsettling mission, but he'd done his job. Mostly.

 _That's all that mattered._

Knocking on White's office door, Hematite stood at attention, holding his head high. The doors hissed open, and he stepped inside.

–

The sight wasn't pretty...in fact, both the gems in the office went ominously quiet as soon as Hematite walked in. Blue stood promptly in front of White's desk, holding her hands behind her back. She looked back at Hema, her eyes widened, the faintest trace of tears at the corners. She looked swiftly back at White. The taller gem, on the other hand, was hunched over the desk, fingers gripping at its surface. She had a an unsettling, furious look in her eyes... but she took a deep breath, the sharpest of the anger leaving her gaze.

"Hematite. Good to see you back..." She huffed quietly, slowly looking back at Blue.

"You're dismissed. Hematite and I need to talk."

Blue nodded silently and turned, walking right past Hema. She didn't so much as look at him.

–

Needless to say, Hematite felt a shiver go up his spine at the sight of White so... perturbed. He'd never seen her look that angry. The shorter gem watched Blue as she hurried out. Opening his mouth, he wanted to say something, but he quickly closed it again.

Turning back to White Diamond, he nervously made his way over and saluted her respectfully.

"The mission was a success, the rebels were detained, unharmed."

–

"I'm gonna cut right to the chase, Hematite. I don't care about the mission right now. You can report that to me tomorrow when my mind is cleared." She said, serious, with a hint of stale anger. She was apparently calming down from what seemed to be an outburst, which Hematite had fortunately missed entirely. She lifted herself finally from the desk, placing her hand to her face with a heavy sigh. The Diamond turned to her window, a long silence following.

"There's something that we need to talk about, something that just took far more priority than a group of rowdy rebels." She looked down, removing her palm finally from her face. "Have a seat."

–

There it was again. Something was slowly grasping Hematite's chest, making it harder to breathe. What was going on. White never looked like this. White _didn't_ look like this. _It simply didn't happen._ The small gem suddenly felt something akin to huge clawed hands closing in on either side of him, hovering, waiting for something to happen.

Slowly, he moved to sit down. He didn't take his eyes off of White Diamond, his look one of barely restrained dread. Neatly folding his hands in his lap, he waited. His gaze never left her.

A fancy pearl had walked in about this time carrying a tray. On it, there was a teapot with two small cups, branded with a diamond insignia. White took the tray and sent the Pearl away. She poured the smaller gem a glass, handing it to them. She took her own, holding it up to her face. Still hot...just how she liked it. The anger had all but faded, leaving a new look of pain in its wake. That wasn't much better... She averted her gaze from the gem sitting patiently nearby.

"Have you ever wondered, Hematite, why there are so few of your kind around...?" She spoke quietly, still staring into the contents of her glass.

–

Hematite had nodded politely to the Pearl as she left, but he didn't move to drink his tea. The cup found itself placed in his lap, and he continued to stare hard at White Diamond.

The hands began to close in.

"I-I _had_ wondered." He replied quietly. To his knowledge, there were less than twenty or so Hematites in _existence_. There were the fourteen-... well. Thirteen in his group, and then records of a few, much older Hematites. There was no information on them personally, however. The records only stated that other Hematites had been incubated. He often wondered where those gems were now.

–

"I created the Hematites to be... well... a _super gem_. An incredibly versatile, unique class. They are powerful. Huge. Excellent hunters." A faint smile found its way to her. "They are wonderful..."

She stopped, the smile fading, and she looked up.

"But there was a price for all that... A price we never expected to pay."

–

He listened to her praise of his kind, a small smile gracing his face. But that smile quickly vanished.

"... What sort of price."

–

There was a pause. She stared coldly into her glass, moving carefully to set the small cup on the table. The diamond never lifted her head to look at him.

"It... was a fatal oversight, a flaw in their gem's design," she said quietly, her eyes turning fierce. "At the expense of the usage of their energy... of how they were made; how flexible, specific, and powerful these gems are... They are highly susceptible to corruption," she said darkly, placing her palms together calmly.

"And... by highly susceptible... I mean there is a 100% corruption rate. Eventually, all Hematites will become corrupted... I... The first batch I ever made, they all became monsters so fast. They were quickly taken care of. The second batch was... better. We changed some things around, but it didn't help. They, too, became corrupted after a while... even if they lasted longer than the first batch."

Her gaze finally drifted towards hematite, a mournful dread creeping over her expression.

"And then there was the third batch... your batch. I... thought we had fixed things. We had access to better technology, far more knowledge... We knew, or at least we thought we knew, what to avoid... I thought I had finally found the right combination, to fix everything, to ensure no more corruptions would happen... but... I..." She stopped, unable to say the last word. The Diamond shifted her weight and moved from where she stood, now pacing back to the window.

"I've failed."

–

 **100% Corruption Rate.**

 **1 0 0 % e**

Hematite had stopped breathing entirely, his grip on the teacup loosening. He listened to her words numbly. He wanted to say something, to ask why she would take a risk at the expense of his kind, of him, but nothing was coming out.

He was frozen in place.

 _So that's it._

Gems... Gems were practically immortal, should their gemstones never be damaged. Corruption only happened when a gemstone stayed badly cracked for too long, or a gem was poofed over and over, and kept reforming too quickly. They lived long, long lives, if they kept their cores undamaged. The Diamonds didn't have to worry about a thing in all honesty, with how stable and powerful their gems were. It'd take a _lot_ to do them any real harm.

If you were careful, you were fine.

You could live on.

But no. _He_ couldn't.

"I-isn't there a chance _that_ Hem-" he suddenly ran out of breath, unable to say the word. "Th-that gem was just a fluke? The rest of us could be fine!"

–

"No."

She said simply, harshly, coldly... but not in any intended way to hurt him. That is, it's not like she could any _further_. Her fingers entwined with themselves, tapping her index fingers against one another idly. "I'm sorry, Hematite. We thought the same of the other two batches. By our-... My data, if this batch was fixed, if the flaw had been found and eradicated, that gem shouldn't have corrupted. They'd only reformed once. If... if what is happening, is truly happening... there's no fixing this. This is... just another doomed group." She looked to the floor with a thousand mile stare, eyes wide. "...Eventually, you, too, will become corrupted. There's no telling when... How long it will be. But it is inevitable."

–

 **No.**

 **Just another doomed group. Inevitable.**

 _ **Corrupted. Inevitable. No. 100%.**_

 _ **You, too, will become corrupted.**_

 **CRASH**

The broken remains of Hematite's teacup laid on the floor, tea spilling out in a puddle beneath his chair.

"... So that's it then."

He stared blankly ahead. There was an uncomfortably long pause.

"...What does. That mean. For me." He slowly looked at White, his face heavy with desperation. "What do I do?"

–

White turned to face him, eyeing the broken cup on the floor. Her gaze soon drifted back up to him, her eyes meeting his with regret. She wanted to say something to comfort him... she wanted to tell him things would be alright. But, it was a lie... And nothing she could say right now could change anything. He _had_ to know. She knew that he had to know... Even if it changed everything about him. It was unavoidable.

"... Cherish the time that you have today."

–

Hematite's face didn't change. No. He kept staring at her with silently pleading eyes.

 _That's not enough._

 _Give me advice._

 _Tell me it won't happen._

 _White, please. Tell me I'm not just another test._

 _I have worth, I'm not replaceable._

 _ **Why didn't you tell me this sooner.**_

The faintest trace of betrayal crept up in the back of Hematite's mind.

 _Yellow Diamond knew, didn't she?_

 _Yellow Diamond was right._

 _Yellow Diamond._

 _White_

 _Blue_

 _You all_ _ **knew this could happen.**_

 _You don't care._

 _I'm just a service gem._

 _A broken service gem. I'm purposeless._

 _I'm just waiting to be_ _ **thrown away**_ _with the others._

The emotion slowly drained from his face. He wanted to yell. Scream. Cry. He wanted to lash out. Beg.

 _Please, fix me._

 _There has to be a way._

 _Nothing's unfix-able._

 _White, please don't give up on me._

–

She placed a hand on his shoulder, and gave him a smile... a fake smile, but a smile.

"Promise me something, Hematite. I want you to promise me."

A pause.

"No matter what happens. You are still you. You are still Hematite. You are still _my_ Hematite. Nothing will change that. You must focus on now, not later... You still have time. Even if it is limited, you still _have time._.. I'm... very sorry. We didn't know this would happen, we hoped that we had fixed everything... I-..." She shut her eyes suddenly, and shook her head. She turned away. _Was she...?_

There was a heavy, shaking sigh that followed her silence.

"You may rest for the night, Hematite. You look like you need it..."

–

Hematite looked at the hand on his shoulder before slowly looking up at his leader. There was the _smallest_ spark of his usual self there.

"Right. I have time." Hematite's eyes lowered again, and he stared at nothing in particular. Slowly, he put his hand over hers, gently rubbing his thumb over his shoulder.

"It's not your fault." His voice grew quieter. "You couldn't have known."

Without looking up, Hematite dropped his hand.

"When would you like me to report tomorrow."

–

Her hand retracted slowly, placing itself in her other palm.

"You may report to me whenever you see fit. Things must continue, life must go on... There is still much to be done. I hope you understand." She said, trying to be comforting. She didn't know what else to say... there wasn't much that _could_ be said.

"Do your best. Alright?"

–

"I will."

Hematite stood and saluted White before heading out the door. He stopped and listened to it hiss shut behind him.

It was a brisk walk to the tower warp pad. Stepping onto the shining blue surface, Hematite quickly warped away, instantly arriving in the Pink District.

Night had fallen. The stars above were almost all blocked out by the rolling clouds that lingered in the area. Though the thunder had long since moved on, as Hematite walked down the path, he felt the ground underneath his feet tremble. Every step felt like he weighed 100 times heavier. Soon, he stopped in front of a tall, overgrown tower with a large diamond insignia recently painted onto it. It was marked for destruction.

Looking at his hands, Hematite stood for a long time in the silence.

 _Whatever White saw in you, I certainly don't see it._

The gem clenched his fists as they began to glow.

 _You're small._

The ground trembled as Hematite began to grow bigger and bigger, slowly approaching half of his potential height. He passed it. Soon, he stood next to the tower at his full height, though he was still dwarfed by the huge building.

 _You're weak._

Hematite's knuckledusters appeared in a brilliant flash of sparks. His face finally cracked into an expression of pure fury, and he reeled back, delivering a hard blow to the side of the building, ripping through it like it was nothing. The giant gem stopped, his arm half-way into the wall, his fist covered in debris. Withdrawing his hand, he stared at the hole in the wall.

 _Small. Weak._

A fierce roar erupted from Hematite's chest and echoed into the cold night air. He suddenly unleashed a flurry of punches to the side of the tower, Yellow Diamond's words raced through his head, mixing with White's attempted words of encouragement. As the giant gem struck the building again and again, his shouts and grunts became less enraged, and more desperate. Tears began to stream down his face.

"You're wrong!"

The building creaked.

 _I'm going to be okay!_

Another punch to the wall.

 _You're nothing._

Hematite's fist weakly collided with the stone, harmlessly glancing off the surface. His head was hung, his shoulders shaking. Tears fell to the floor, soaking into the caked dirt. The gem slowly slumped against the remains of the tower, his hands gripping at the corners. A choked sob escaped him.

 _Nothing._

Gripping the sides of the building, Hematite slowly fell to his knees, his forehead pressed against the cold stone wall. Another sob. His entire body trembled uncontrollably, and his breathing became uneven.

"Sh-she's wrong." His shoulders shook. The walls where Hematite was hanging on cracked in his grasp.

"I'm worse than nothing." Dropping his face further to the ground, his hands fell away from the building and gripped at his head, fingers digging into his hair.

"I'm a **mistake**."


	7. The Rebels

_Summary: White metes out punishment to some rebellious gems._

* * *

 **It had been a very long night.**

After failing to tear down the building he'd attacked in anguish, Hematite retired to Morgan's bar and made unrelated small-talk with the pink-haired gem over some drinks. He'd gotten drunk.

 _Very drunk._

Needless to say, he hadn't been all that surprised when he woke up hanging halfway off a low balcony of the lounge, with one of his boots laying nearby. The hangover was pretty bad the next morning, and he decided it would be best to take his time reporting to White. He spent his time wandering outside the main Homeworld city, more or less in the general area of the Hematite Kindergarten. He didn't venture inside, though. Dealing with the other of his kin was the last thing he wanted right now. His day was filled with quiet thinking, staring at the sky, idly tracking gem creatures, kicking a rock once in a while. Nothing much ever came out of his mouth, not that there was anyone around to listen in the first place. For the time being... he just wanted to be alone. Hematite wanted time to process what he'd been told, time to come to terms with it. But, as the hours passed by... he didn't feel any better. The numbness was still there. As were the questions, the anguish, the anxiety, the fear of the future. Nothing he did that afternoon made him feel any better. In all honesty... he was almost tempted not to return to the capital for a few days. He didn't want to face White yet...

However, the day passed all too quickly, and sunset was approaching. Hematite made his normal call to White Diamond that he made when he was ready to present prisoners to her, and he walked toward their usual rooftop. It was the same one White had presented him to Yellow and Blue on, years ago. Their meeting place was a large, stocky spire towards the center of the facility that laid between all four of the diamond towers. It was often used for meetings, rendezvous, and since Hematite came along, processing and meting out punishment to harvested rebels.

The tower came into sight after a slow stroll, and the giant gem adjusted his eyepiece, squinting at the rooftop. Yup, White was there already. He wasn't sure if anyone else was, though. Usually just he and White being there was enough to detain prisoners, should they start to get rowdy.

To this day, Hematite _still_ had a gem inside his pocket dimension prison that had tried to pull a fast one while White was reciting their punishment. They were sentenced to bubble imprisonment.

Approaching the tower, the giant gem was mentally 'checking' all the cells in the extra-dimensional prison to be sure the rebels were still where he left them. Yup, all three were accounted for. Good.

–

White tapped her fingers along the carbonite rail of the building. She was looking out to the rest of the city, still rattled by last night's bad news. She wanted to fix everything, but no matter what she thought of, she couldn't find a single solution. There was no telling how long this batch of Hematites would last. If one of the more recent ones had already corrupted, well, it made her nervous...to say the least. She turned her head slightly upon hearing the approaching gem's footsteps. A little late today, but she couldn't really blame him.

She turned, pacing back towards the nearest corner where Hematite approached. Giving a heavy sigh, she looked up towards him and nodded.

"Do you have them?" She asked loudly.

–

"Yes, White Diamond. Apologies for being late."

As he approached, Hematite took a deep breath and slowed his pace. Alright, just like every other time.

He stopped entirely in front of his leader, his eyes closed as he concentrated. Lifting a hand, he tapped one clawed finger on his gemstone, the surface glowing brightly. After a long, tense pause, he slowly drew his hand away, pulling out three silvery-white bubbles. They began small, but as soon as they stopped glowing, they'd expanded to three different sizes, each containing one of the rebels. Needless to say, they were very disoriented. And, by the looks of it, the Jasper was wearing a more standard suit instead of the dark full body one she'd been wearing when Hematite caught her.

Lowering his hand to the roof, Hematite deposited the three floating bubbles onto the surface before popping each one in turn with his finger. Puff landed on her back, the Ruby landed on her feet, and Axinite landed straight on his face. Hematite had to refrain from chuckling.

–

Axinite grumbled and shot the Hematite a glare. Well, at least he was out of there. He winced suddenly, turning back around and noticing that White stood before him, her hands placed neatly behind her back. She seemed mildly perturbed more than anything, rather than her normal stern demeanor. She just wanted to get this over with.

"Ruby, Jasper, and Axinite. Given that you are all just petty roughhousers, I'm going to go easy on you this time. You will perform 30 rotations of community service within your assigned Districts as punishment for your actions. You will be assigned managers that will handle your respective punishments, and you will do as they say. Your jobs will include cleaning up messes around the districts, helping with construction projects or maintenance, and taking lower-ranking jobs for the month. You should be glad Yellow Diamond hasn't gotten a hold of you all..." She rolled her eyes. "I trust that you all will behave from here on out... lest I do let her take matters into her own hands. Do I make myself clear?" She said, the strict tone returning to her voice.

Axinite, for one, nodded in nervous agreement.

–

Puff sat up and got to her feet, her gaze almost immediately finding Ruby. However, she forced herself to look away and gave White Diamond her attention as she spoke. As she finished her final sentence, she nodded and saluted her.

"Yes ma'am, White Diamond." She kept glancing at the red gem standing nearby.

Said gem was stretching as she listened to White talk, but she now stood at attention, her expression neutral and unreadable. She nodded as White finished.

"Yes, White Diamond. A just punishment. It won't happen again."

 _Probably._

Hematite watched the three gems and breathed a subtle sigh of relief, his shoulders slouching slightly. _Thank the stars this went smoothly._

–

"Right then... Off with you, to your factions. Go." She spoke, motioning her hand in a waving gesture. She didn't really want to deal with them at all, but at least it was over. The Axinite nervously sighed, the anxiety completely leaving. He then glanced over slowly to the Jasper, and the anxiety returned. He turned quickly and left as fast as his tiny legs would take him. No way he was sticking around here for long.

–

The giant gem watched Axinite run off, and he couldn't help but roll his eyes a little. _There they went._ Looking down at Jasper and Ruby, Hematite cleared his throat.

Glancing back with a sharp glare, Puff bared her teeth and walked off with Ruby, the two of them matching step-for-step. They made their way down the stairs, and were soon out of sight. Hematite looked at White Diamond and gave her a small nod.

"That went well."

–

White gave a shrug, and watched the ruby and jasper walk away. With any luck, their little _persuasive lesson_ stuck with them. Good, that meant she wouldn't have to deal with them anymore. She had a whole plethora of new problems to worry about now that she learned about the Hematite's corruption last night. Wait, that's right! Hematite!

"Oh, by the way!" White turned again suddenly, quickly walking back towards the giant service gem. "Stars, I almost forgot. You are going to be going on a very important mission in a few rotations and you're going to need to prepare. You'll be going off-planet, to a place that used to be one of my colonies. There are a couple groups of conspirators there, and I need you to harvest them for me. The planet is known for being extremely hostile and advanced, so keep your wits about you. You'll be taking a small vessel to the planet, as there is no galaxy warp there. I'll fill you in on the specifics the day before your departure. However, there is a rather large set of diamond pads waiting for you at the archives that I need you to read in your own time before you go. That will be all!" She directed professionally.

The sooner Hematite got to his job, the sooner she could figure out how to break the bad news to all the other Hematites... She'd have to gather them up in the kindergarten soon and tell them, including the ones that were stationed off-planet.

 _ **And she wasn't looking forward to it.**_

–

The giant gem blinked and nodded in understanding as White explained his next mission.

"I'll do my best."

Turning, he walked away toward the central warp that laid between all the towers, a little distance from the tower he'd met White at. It was a good twenty minute walk away, even at his huge size. Hematite made his careful way through the different facilities, casually glancing at any service gems he happened to pass by. However, not five minutes away from the building he'd just left, Hema spotted a familiar pair of gems standing near a tall building, half hidden in the shadows. The giant gem stopped in his tracks and hid behind a tower that stood twice his size. Had he seen that right, or was he imagining things?

Carefully peering around the side of the building, Hematite watched the two gems curiously. It was the Jasper and Ruby. And what were they... doing? The Jasper seemed to be holding up the smaller red gem in her arms... were they fighting? Was he already going to have to break up these two, not five minutes after their sentence?

But the longer Hematite watched, the more he realized that they weren't struggling or yelling.

It looked as if they were... embracing.

"Oh stars, Rubes. I was so scared. I didn't expect that thing to be so huge, I thought we were more prepared, I'm so sorry." Puff was holding the Ruby tightly in her arms, one of her comparatively large hands stroking the smaller gem's hair. "I won't leave you behind like that again, I promise."

"It's okay, Puff. I'm okay," her voice was low and steady. Her tone didn't seem much different than when she'd spoken to Hematite directly. The Ruby looked up at the larger gem and gave her a warm, tearful smile. "I thought you were gone, when that gem showed up at the base... I thought for sure.." Her gaze dropped, and she gently ran her thumb across Jasper's gem, which laid on the lower side of her collarbone. "I didn't know what to do. I could only hope that you were okay..."

"I'm just glad you didn't put up a fight. It threatened to hurt you if you didn't go peacefully." Blinking, Puff looked away awkwardly. Well, that was putting it rather bluntly, wasn't it? "I-I mean.."

"I know what you meant. It's okay Puff." The smaller gem cupped Jasper's cheek in her hand, and she wiped away her welling tears with her thumbs. "I'm right here, and we don't have to run anymore. White was merciful. We just can't let that sort of _accident_ happen again. Yellow won't be as kind if she gets to handle our punishment the next time."

"Right..." She sighed deeply. "Right."

Ruby leaned up and pressed a gentle kiss to the larger gem's cheek before settling comfortably back in her arms. Puff smiled and wrapped her arms tighter around the small red gem. Rubes leaned her head on Jasper's shoulder, wrapping her arms around her neck.

"C'mon, we should get going. We can head to the Blue district first. We both need a night to ourselves before we get started with our punishment," Rubes mumbled quietly, closing her eyes. Puff nodded and walked off toward the central warp at a rather slow, leisurely pace.

He'd _never_ seen that before. In his years of existence, Hematite had _never_ seen two gems being so... **close** , much less holding each other like that. He was able to catch most of what they said, and wondered idly if he should be snooping. How was he supposed to help it if he had good hearing?

But seeing those two made something ache within Hematite. Something he hadn't noticed before. Why didn't anyone around _him_ act like that? Was there something wrong with those gems? Yes, surely... They were just defective.

 _Or had he simply never_ _ **noticed**_ _that sort of thing before...?_

Left to his thoughts, Hematite frowned and shifted down a tad before he started toward the central warp pad again. The other two gems were moving at a rather slow pace, making it easy for Hema to make it to the center of the facility first, even after taking a rather round-about way to avoid the two ex-rebels. He'd beaten Puff and Rubes there by a few minutes, and didn't hesitate to shift down to his civilian size and warp to the White District.

Putting the image of the two gems aside mentally, Hematite frowned and shook his head, slowly making his way toward the grand Archives.

"Right. Mission. I only have a few days." He looked up at the darkening sky and sighed. "I do need a rest, though..."

In all honesty, Hema wanted nothing more than to curl up in his room and sleep until his mission briefing. He didn't want to go to the archives and read for hours. When White Diamond of all people said he had a 'lot' of reading to do, it was usually a multiple-day endeavor. How much information did he need for this mission? Why would she give him such an important task after finding out what he had? He was in no condition to be sent on such a huge job...

 _Life goes on._

Watching the stars glimmer into view, Hematite stopped in his tracks and let out a long sigh, dropping his shoulders. No, he wasn't ready to go to the archives. He'd read later. Whatever was in those diamond pads, he could cram it in in a day or two, but not now. Right now, he needed the comfort of sleep. He needed some time to himself. His mission could be worried about later, when he was more level-headed and had recovered from the shock... and the still slightly lingering effects of his drinks from the past night.

The service gem stared up at the stars, an odd lump rising in his throat. He just wanted to sleep. Sleep and forget. Slowly, the ivory-haired gem looked back, toward the White Tower not too far off. Frowning, he turned around entirely, heading back where he'd come from.

"I'll rest first. I have time."


	8. Hello?

_Summary: Hematite sends messages to the Diamonds._

* * *

The following is a _**small**_ selection of lost reports from Hematite spanning over ten Homeworld years. Not shared here are various adventures, copious amounts of harvesting missions, and close calls. These files have been lost to the void of gem data, never to be recovered.

* * *

"Log date, 475, this is Hematite! My vess-"

The recording stops abruptly.

–

Silence. Long, agonizing silence.

 **Click**

 **Whirrrr**

…

…

… **Beep!**

A familiar voice began to speak.

"Log date, 501. This is Hematite. Recapping mission status and background, for the purposes of later archives, should this be found." The words were recited in a rather robotic manner. When the voice started again, it was more expressive, if just slightly. "I am displeased to report that my mission has gone awry. I was to report to sector seven, crystal colony two. There were conspirators there that we received an anonymous tip on. I was sent there by White Diamond to Harvest the given targets."

A pause.  
"I'm afraid I have to report that my ship was attacked. I took a smaller transport ship to the target planet, but did not reach it. I was set off course by a rebel fleet, and my power cells were damaged. I have crash landed on a dormant gem colony planet. My ship is in shambles, and I'm not sure what survived. I didn't bring much with me, aside from some plug robonoids for small repairs. My records state this place is called 'Earth'."

Hematite sighed irritably.  
"I have a myriad of logged harvesting missions that need to be carried out on Earth, but were not to be done for several years. I will be performing them now, while I am here. I do wish I had more files on this place, as I hadn't planned on visiting here for a long while, but I will make due with what I have. I'm not sure if I could have found many in the first place, as any archives on his planet were in the highly restricted section for some unknown reason. White Diamond will send an escort to come retrieve me soon enough, should she be able to track where I am. I will continue sending reports every few rotations."  
Hematite stopped abruptly, as something seemed to grab his attention.  
"Log date, 501, Hematite signing out."

…. Beep!

–

"Log date, 509, this is Hematite. Recapping mission status for the purposes of later archives, should this be found." A pause. "This planet is completely overgrown. It's both fascinating and unnerving. I have taken logs of many of this world's flora. Hopefully they can be of some use when I return. No sign of gemkind so far. I am going to return to my flora logs. Log date, 509, Hematite signing out."

–

A voice speaks up on the recording. It sounds a tad irritated.  
"Log date, 570, this is Hematite. Still no sign of a rescue. I have taken to exploring this world. I have come across strange, gem-like creatures with no gemstones. I am unsure what they are. I checked my archives, and the closest match I could find was one obscure reference to 'humans'. I am unsure if this is the case. My archives show far different records of these creatures than their current state. I will study them further to expand my archival database. For now, I will keep out of their sights, and keep my guard up. White Diamond, if you can hear this, I repeat, my mission has been compromised, and I am stranded. Please send a recovery team. Log date, 570, Hematite signing out."

–

"Log date, 686, this is Hematite. There's white stuff all over the ground, it's cold to the touch. I believe it's called 'snow'? I'm unsure. I remember reading some records on alien weather and precipitation. I am unsure if this is dangerous. Probably not, but I'm not about to experiment with it. It seems to turn into another form of water when touched. So it's a form of ice? Still, why is it falling from the sky? I will need to conduct more research. Log date, 686, Hematite signing out."

–

"Log date, 700. This is Hematite. Today is the last day of Homeworld's celestial rotation. Still no sign of rescue. No contact with Homeworld. I will continue making logs until White sends someone after me. Will try sending some sort of beacon to Homeworld. I'm unsure they even know where I landed... or. That I'm _gone_." There was a long pause. "... Log date, 700, Hematite signing out."

–

"Log date, 034, this is Hematite. I have located and performed my first harvesting mission. Finally made contact and have confirmed the presence of gems, though they were monsters. Unable to confirm the presence of non-corrupted gems other than myself." There was an awkward pause. Hematite cleared his throat. "W-will continue to look for what remains of gem colony. Perhaps one of them will know how I can return to Homeworld. There has to be a galaxy warp somewhere on this planet. I simply need to locate it. Log date, 034, Hematite signing out."

–

"Log date, 134, this is Hematite. I accidentally made my first direct contact with a human. They make me highly uncomfortable. They look like some sort of gem by they have no visible gemstones. Perhaps they all cover them up? Or are they a non-gem race? White, if you can hear this, some archives on this planet would be much appreciated. Log date, 134, Hematite signing out."

–

…

–

The voice on the recording sounded heavy, almost sad.

"Log date, 487, this is Hematite. Still no sign of rescue. I have changed my form to blend in better with the humans and avoid causing trouble. I've had to cover up my gem. And on top of that, even though I am against it... I've returned to having long hair. It fits better. I'm unsure how long I'll have to keep this up. For the time being, I will try and keep to my civilian size to keep from stirring up a commotion. My primary goals remain as such: Harvest what targets and monsters I can, locate the galaxy warp, and try to stay intact. White, please send help... Log date, 487, Hematite signing out."  
–

"Log date, 590, this is Hematite. I've finally made contact with another gem! A Smoky Quartz. She lives among the humans in a city, and seems very knowledgeable about them. She blends in rather well, and doesn't seem to attract too much trouble. She's also informed me that humans are indeed a non-gem race and they need to be treated with care. For the time being, I will be staying with this Quartz. I revealed to her that I am a Homeworld gem, but after a brief discussion of my mission objectives, she didn't seem to mind. I am curious why she seemed nervous at first. I believe there's something about her that she's hiding, but at this point I am not going to pry. I have an ally, I don't want to mess that up." A pause. "I will continue waiting for an escort. I hope they'll come soon, the power supply on my archives won't last more than a few... years... Log date, 590, Hematite signing out."  
–

"Log date, 607, this is Hematite. Smoky has been showing me how to dance. An odd, fruitless venture, I'm afraid. I can't get the hang of it. It's far too erratic and displeasing to the eye. Nothing else to report. Log date, 607, Hematite signing out."

–

"Log date, 620, this is Hematite. Smoky has introduced me to an Earth animal called a 'cat'. I am intimidated by this creature. I'm positive it wants to eat my boots, as it kept attacking them while I was walking around. Will study up on this creature's odd behavior. Log date, 620, Hematite signing out."  
–

"Log date, 625, this is Hematite. I have been informed that cats always land on their feet. What sort of creature is this that it has such an odd ability? This needs further research... Log date, 625, Hematite signing out."

–

"Log date, 645, this is Hematite. I have bested the feline creature. Smoky gave me something called 'catnip', and it rendered the animal practically useless. This herb smells rather nice, I can't say I blame it. Despite this, this creature still intimidates me. I will study this animal further in the days to come. Log date, 645, Hematite signing out."

–

"Do not try to touch a feline's underbelly. No matter how inviting it may seem, don't do it. They lie. They look cute and innocent until you reach for them, and then before you know it you've got torn appearance modifiers. Cats are terrifying beasts."

–

"Log date, 664, this is Hematite. Oddly enough, after observing a cat for a long period of time, I've come to the conclusion that they would make efficient Harvesters. Their stalking and hunting methods are very similar to that of some of the Hematites, and they are very effective at catching creatures I wouldn't think they could. Birds, for example. They use a very interesting tactic for catching this avian creature. I wish to study it, should it ever come in handy. Log date, 664, Hematite signing out."

–

"Log date, 670, this is Hematite. Performed a harvesting mission while I was out on my own today. Thank the stars my pocket dimension's bubble prison is extensive... Nothing else to report. Log date, 670, Hematite signing out."

–  
"Log date, 678, this is Hematite. Smoky says I've been getting a lot better at dancing." A pause. "I don't see how this is a useful skill. In other news, some humans questioned my white hair today. You'd think they'd never seen that color before, the looks they were giving me. They said I looked like I'd be fun to draw? I'm unsure how to take this... Regardless, I'm going to try and avoid these humans in the future." Another pause, and a sigh. "This planet is miserable. I feel like I can't talk to anyone, human traditions and habits confuse me, and to top it off, I've been getting antsy. I miss Homeworld. Please, White... if you can hear this, again. I'm on Earth. Please send a rescue team. I will continue sending out a distress signal... even if it may-... drain my archival power. Log date, 678, Hematite signing out."

–

"Log date, 700, this is Hematite. This is my second celestial rotation on this planet. … White, have you found my signal yet? Are you there? Does... Is this even reaching you?" Hematite's voice suddenly had an edge to it. "I have to go deal with something, never mind. Hematite signing out."

–

"Log date, 025, this is Hematite. I may hate Homeworld alcohol, but I _despise_ Earth's equivalent. It seems to have the same effect on humans as it does gems, but it's organic instead of being made of mineral-based liquids and supplements. It smells bad, it tastes bad... The only positive is that their sweet drinks are far more potent than ones back on Homeworld. Still, the taste is far too odd for my liking. I've tried giving it a chance, but I can't see much of the appeal. And then I don't dare touch human food. I digress, you don't want to hear about this stuff. Log date, 025, Hematite signing out."

–

"Log date, 070, this is Hematite. What kind of sick creatures are these humans?! I have just been informed of the concept of a 'doll'. They are small, inanimate imitations of humans, or human-like beings that are used purely as toys or collector's items. What kind of joke is this?! Tiny things like that are not playthings, much less should they be portrayed as such, even in effigy! I'm highly considering doing something about this. Will report back soon. Log date, 070, Hematite signing out."

–  
"Log date, 071, this is Hematite. Smoky Quartz has informed me that I cannot outlaw dolls. Nor can I steal them all from the 'shopping centers'. I disagree with her but I also do not want to cause trouble. Fine, I'll leave these barbaric customs to the humans. But stars help me if any of them get ahold of me after I shrink down. I will bite their fingers. … Ahem. Log date, 071, Hematite signing out."

–

"Log date, 130, this is Hematite. A corrupted gem monster attacked a small town. Smoky and I were able to stop it, and she discovered my size shifting ability. She seems rather wary of it, but also intrigued. I've assured her that I won't use it around her unless necessary. The corrupted monster was a rather large Onyx. I didn't harvest it this time, despite wanting to. I'd rather keep that part of my job secret if I can. Will continue to stay out of trouble if I can. Log date, 130. Hematite signing out."

–

"Log date, 156, this is Hematite. Smoky and I have parted ways. We had a disagreement after she found out about harvesting, and she now wants nothing to do with me. That's fine, I wasn't getting anywhere staying with her. She didn't know where this planet's galaxy warp was located. And if she did know, she refused to tell me. Fine, I can find it without her. I have to start moving again. White, please respond. Log date, 156. Signing out."

–

"Log date, 340, this is Hematite. … This planet is terrible. I've.. never felt so out of place. There's no-one like me, there's so much open space, and there don't seem to be ANY other non-corrupted gems to be found. Is there anyone here that knows where the Galaxy warp is? White Diamond, please respond. Log date, 340, Hematite signing out."

–

"Log date, 345. White, are you there? Are these messages reaching you? Will continue to send signals to Home world. Log date, 345, Hematite signing out."

–

"Log date, 361, Hematite speaking. Blue? White? … Yellow? Are any of the Diamond Authority receiving my messages? Is anyone out there hearing this? This is Hematite, stranded on abandoned crystal colony, Earth. Please send help. Hematite signing out."

–

"Log date, 402, Hematite speaking. I discovered that a rather dainty white flower I found here is called a 'daisy'. I'm rather fond of it. … I'm unsure why, but this plant reminds me of your Pearl, White." A soft chuckle. "... Anyways. That's all I really had to report. Apologies if I'm wasting your time. Log date, 402, Hematite signing out."

–

"Log date, 452, Hematite speaking. There's just. Nothing but monsters. I thought perhaps I had found a gem on an island of some sort off a coast, but they fled after shooting me in the shoulder with an arrow, and I wasn't able to stay long. I was chased off by a rather tricky, seemingly invisible gem monster. If I'd had more energy I would have taken it on. Because of it, I only got a quick glimpse of the gem. I'm unsure if it's a monster or not, all I saw was a blueish green color. I'm not returning to that island to find out who it was. No sign of a warp pad. Log date, 452, Hematite signing out."

–

"Log date, 540, this is Hematite. Calling all Homeworld gems on the planet Earth. If anyone is out there, please respond. White, if you're receiving this, please send help."  
–

"Log date, 629, Hematite speaking. Sending a distress signal from Earth. Please respond. Hematite signing out."

–

"Log, 694. Hello...? White Diamond?" There's silence on the recording for about a minute. "..." A soft sigh. "Hematite signing out."

–

"Is anyone there? ….. Anyone?"

–

"Log date, 002. The stars were beautiful tonight. They've got nothing on the Blue district's. But they're something. I tried to find Homeworld out in the cosmos tonight. No such luck. … Hematite signing out, I suppose. … I hope you're doing well, Blue."

–

"Log date, 039... I think. I'm not sure. Hematite speaking, regardless. I got bitten by a gem monster today. At least I think it was a gem monster. Whatever it was, it had sharp teeth. Just... thought you'd like to know that. I guess." A long stretch of silence. "Maybe not. Log date, 039, Hematite signing out."

–

"Log date, 143. White? Are you getting any of these? … A-are you... ignoring them?" A stretch of silence. "N-no, surely they're not getting to you. Sorry, I apologize. It's been a long week. I'm sorry."

–

"Log 234. Did I do something wrong?"

–

"White? Is... is it because I'm going to corrupt? Is it because I'm dangerous? Is that it? Was this just your way of getting rid of me?"

–

"Log date, 389. This is Hematite. Hello? …..." The recording stops abruptly.

–

"I know you can hear me. You have to. I can't be stuck here forever! Please!" Hematite's voice cracked with desperation. "White, please I can't be stuck here! Answer me! It's so quiet... There's no-one to talk to. There's nothing to do. I ran out of assigned to do a long time ago. Now I'm just cleaning up whatever corrupted gems I come across." The gem on the recording trailed off, and the muffled sound of repressed, labored breathing could be heard. It sounded as if the gem was trying not to sob. A long pause. "...Fine, just. Nevermind. I apologize for being unprofessional. Hematite signing out."

–

"Log date, 432. Y-yellow Diamond? Can _you_ hear me? You have the most advanced gem technology of the diamonds, surely _you_ must be getting my messages! Please, please tell White where I am! Tell Blue, tell someone! I need to get back to where I... belong..." The gem on the recording goes quiet. "... You would tell them if you heard these... right?" A long pause. "... Please. Log date, 432, Hematite signing out."

–

There are loud sounds of shuffling, as if the gem on the other end of the recording were struggling with their device.

"I know you can hear me out there! Stop ignoring my distress signals! I'm sorry if I did something wrong, please! I'm sorry! Why did you send me to that planet?!" The recording ends abruptly.

Another recording is logged a few hours later.  
"Did I do something wrong? Is... is this what you all wanted? W-was this the plan all along? To strand me out here... You wanted me gone." There's an agonizingly long pause, followed by faint, uneven breaths. "B-blue? _You too?"_

–

"Help me. Get me off of this planet. I'm so alone. I-I'd take sparring with Yellow _every day_ for the rest of my short life over being stuck here another month. Please. White, Yellow, Blue. If you're hearing this, at least... let me know. I need to hear somebody's voice. _Anybody's_."

–

"Log date, 511. You know honestly I thought I'd never utter these words but hey you probably can't hear these recordings anyways. It is official that Yellow Diamond's stomach is not the worst place I've ever been. No, that honor now belongs to a corrupted Spinel I got eaten by today. My hair is still stuck to my face with who knows what. I hate Spinels. I hate stomachs. I hate everything right now, oh my stars. I don't even remember what the log date is, dammit. Hematite signing out.- Ugh _stars_ it's on my eyepiece too?!" The recording cuts off abruptly.

–

As soon as the recording starts, all that can be heard is distant, loud, monstrous screeching and heavy panting, as if Hematite were running.

"Log date 512. This is Hematite. THE SPINEL HAD FRIENDS." A screech sounds on the other end, and the recording cuts off.

–

"Log date, 515, this is Hematite. How many Spinels can fit in one cave?" Hematite smacks his lips. "Apparently at least 49. I have averted a crisis. Log date, 515, Hematite signing out."

–

"Log date, 550. I've decided to explore a rather mountainous area I've stumbled across. Hopefully there aren't anymore infestations around here. I'm not sure how many more Spinels I can fit in my pocket dimension. I don't want to find out. Log date, 550, Hematite signing out."

"Log date, 567, this is Hematite. … I met another gem today. She's..."

–

–

"Hey... HEY!"  
Hematite groaned, grimacing in pain. Someone was talking far too loud for his liking, and it made his head pound. Well, more than it already was. The service gem inhaled sharply through his teeth as he fully came-to and tried to sit up from where he lay face-first on the ground. His whole body was aching.  
"EY, I didn't say you could move, buster!"  
Hematite flinched, his body tensing at the aggressive tone of the nearby stranger. He slowly turned his head, the rest of him unmoving. There, stood with a sword-like weapon pointed directly at his face, was a lithe, long-haired gem. She wore human-looking clothes and large, round glasses. Her hair was neatly braided behind her, white-golden locks tapering into small tufts at the sides of her face.

The service gem wouldn't say it out loud, but she was rather aesthetically pleasing.

The gem's brows were furrowed, and she stared at Hematite with a fierce, yet slightly afraid, gaze. She motioned the rapier in her hand closer to Hema's face.  
"Alright, what's your name, why are you here, and why are your clothes so... weird." She sneered at him, giving him a suspicious glare. Hematite blinked slowly and glanced to the side, still not moving. He finally got a good look at the area around him. He'd journeyed to a land of high mountains and cliff sides in search of Earth's galaxy warp, but in his hurry to find any clue of escaping this planet, he'd traveled while at his full height for far too long. Eventually, his energy had been completely depleted, and he ran into a rather vicious, bird-like gem monster, to make things worse. In the end, he'd passed out. He laid face-first on a smooth marble surface, which lead up to a large temple on a floating island. Unfortunately, he hadn't made it up a single step.  
Before, he'd been too exhausted to take a good look around him, but now that he was awake and aware, he silently cursed himself for letting himself get to this point. If he'd just paced his efforts he could have made it to the temple! But now he was faced with this angry gem...  
Now that he was looking at her against the huge features around the two of them, Hematite suddenly realized something. This gem was tiny. Not just by regular standards, either. No, she couldn't have been more than a few inches tall, much like he was at the moment. Swallowing quietly, the ivory-haired gem opened his mouth, as if about to speak.

"EY. And don't lie to me either, I'll be able to tell." The light-haired gem narrowed her eyes down at Hematite. The downed service gem quirked a brow. _How would she be able to tell...?_

" _..._ My name is Hematite. I'm here because I... Needed to find something." The service gem narrowed his eyes back. "And my clothes aren't weird, they're just fine."  
The tiny gem exhaled quickly through her nose. Alright, so he wasn't lying yet. A Hematite, huh? She'd never heard of such a gem. She took a step back, but kept her weapon pointed at him. It glinted in the sunlight.

"Okay, _Hematite_. What are you looking for here? There's nothing but my temple. And I certainly hope you aren't here for _that_." She bared her teeth at him. "I'll have you know that the last time some gems came snooping around here, I had to _take care of_ them. And you wouldn't want that."

Though Hema could sense some hesitation in the light-haired gem's words, he could tell she was serious. Slowly, he sat up, dusting himself off as he sat on bent knee. The tiny gem before him took another half step back, raising her weapon to point at his gemstone nervously. Hema lifted his gaze to the small gem.

"I'm looking for this planet's galaxy warp. You wouldn't happen to know where it is, would you?"

"... Why do you need the galaxy warp? Where do you need to go?"  
Hematite frowned and started to stand up, earning a noise of surprise from the light-haired gem. When he straightened up, he stood about a head taller than the rapier-wielding gem. He looked at her with a cold, serious stare.  
"I need to get home."

The glasses-wearing gem's eyes widened, and her breath caught in her throat.

"What do you mean, home. Aren't you from around here?" She looked up and down his form. "Where are you from?"

The ivory-haired gem arched a brow.

"... I'm from Homeworld."

Eyes widening, the rapier-wielding gem took a deep, steadying breath. Hematite frowned and turned around, looking at the area around him.

"I got stranded here. I've been looking for this planet's galaxy warp for over three celestial rotations now... about five, I suppose, in your time. I've honestly lost count in my days looking for the warp, so I'm unsure if those numbers are accurate." He tapped his chin. "I thought perhaps I could find signs of it around here, but no such luck."

The light-haired gem took a step forward, Hema's back still to her.

"So, I'd appreciate it if you could help-"

White.

His vision went white.

–

–

"... She's very dangerous. Using some method of destabilization, I can only assume, she rendered me unconscious. I've woken up in what I can only assume is her home. The décor is very similar to a human home, and from what I can see outside the windows, I appear to be in relatively the same area as when I woke up before. However, wherever I am, I seem to be surrounded by water." There was a faint 'tap tap' sound. "... She also may be watching me right now. She has her weapon drawn, so I don't dare try and escape. White Diamond, if you're hearing this, please send an escort quickly."  
"Excuse me, _WHITE DIAMOND?_ I thought you said this was a _JOURNAL_ recording!"

"Log date, 567, Hematite signing out."

–

"Log date, 569, this is Hematite. Her name is Celestite. She also refers to herself as the Geode Beetle of Heaven. I'm unsure why she calls herself that, she looks nothing like an Earth insect. After some convincing, she's allowed me out of my binds, and we've started to try and converse civilly. At this point, I could shift up and leave, but there's something about this gem that intrigues me. She knows about Homeworld to an extent, but says she's never heard of Hematites or Harvesters. She also says that while she knows _what_ the galaxy warp is, she has no clues as to its location. A pity." There was a pause. "She says I can't leave. 'Homeworld gems can't know about me', was her reason. I tried to tell her I wouldn't report her to anyone, but. She saw through that lie. It's my job to report gems like her. I can't help it. But, because of this, she isn't letting me out of her sights. She keeps interrogating me about Hematites and their jobs, but I've narrowly avoided most of her questions. Currently, she's outside, doing some sort of spar with herself. She reminds me of when Yellow Diamond warms up before a spar." Hematite's voice faltered for a moment, but he quickly recovered. "I think she's coming back, I will report when I have the chance. Log date, 569, Hematite signing out."

–

"Log date, 680, this is Hematite. I finally have a chance to report. Celestite hasn't let me out of her sights for a while now, but she's currently playing some 'videogame' upstairs. She has a clear line of sight all around the temple, so I don't dare try to run." Suddenly, there was a long pause, as if Hematite was thinking deeply. "... Though, honestly. I'm not sure I _would_ , given the chance. It's not so bad here. Celestite and I have actually started getting along, in a way. She's been teaching me a lot about Earth, showing me around the temple's immediate area, and she even showed me this plant called 'jademint'. It tastes wonderfully close to the peppermint back on Homeworld." There was an unmistakable wistful tone in the service gem's voice. He paused for a moment before continuing his report. "I... still have yet to shift up around her. I don't want to risk scaring her off, or worse, getting knocked out by her again. Honestly, I'm almost certain she could take me on if I were to shift to my normal size. We've had a few run-ins with some small corrupted monsters, and I've seen her in battle. It's incredible how such a small gem can be so powerful and skilled in a fight. I asked her if perhaps we could spar sometime. She didn't seem too pleased with that idea, but she declined it as politely as she could. Oh well. It may be for the best." A pause. "Still no signs of a rescue. It's nearing the end of my third celestial rotation on this planet. I'm starting to wonder if anyone is going to come back for me. I suppose I can stay here with Celestite for a while... Do some research when I can, to locate the galaxy warp. I will report when I can. Log date, 680, Hematite signing out."  
–

 _There is a stretch of reports similar to 680, extending over four celestial rotations. Here are some excerpts._

–

"Celestite has been kind enough to give me somewhere to rest! She has a couch on the lower floor of her temple that I can sleep on. It's not as comfortable as mine back home, but it will do. It's better than the floor."

"Celestite plays a rather odd instrument called the 'bongos'. I don't see the appeal. But she seems to enjoy them!"

"I mentioned how I used to spar with Blue, and Celestite challenged me to a match today. It went okay, but she said I could definitely use some work on my elemental abilities. She says she can teach me some new ways to use my electricity, but it didn't go so well. However, I think I might understand what she's trying to do? I'm going to keep working on it."

"So that bird came back today. Celestite says it tries to snatch her up every once in a while, but she's narrowly avoided it quite a few times. I would try to get a scan on it, but it's never still long enough for me to get a read on. She says that it seems to have some obsession with her, as it attacks her every time it spots her wandering around. In fact, it's apparently attacked her house a few times. I don't know how she's still around, honestly."

"I accidentally shifted in front of Celestite. She was very off-put at first, but eventually I convinced her to come out of the temple, and that I wasn't going to hurt her. I let her know it was just part of my powers, and she seemed rather intrigued after the initial shock wore off. She kept asking me questions about how it worked and how big or small my form could get. I spared her the details and just told her 'pretty big'. I don't want to completely scare her off. She says that as long as I don't try any funny business, I can use that form whenever I want. Though, honestly... I've been just fine hanging out at my tiny form."

"Celest and I sparred again today. She's a wind elemental! She has this rapier as her weapon, sure, but she also has a regular handle that she can create an air-blade with. It's quite impressive. And actually, she showed me today that if I'm nervous about having longer hair, I should put it in a braid. I've actually... taken her advice. It's still long, but she says I pull it off nicely. Did I mention that she has this sort of... 'phrase' that she says all the time. 'Start small, and build up from there.' She says it's gotten her through a lot of tough times and training... It's her life motto, in a way. She says any progress is big, no matter how 'small' it may seem." Hematite's voice was warm, and there was a short pause.

–

–

Out in front of the Heaven Beetle temple, two tiny gems were locked in a high-paced spar, dodging, attacking, and calling out tips and tricks here and then. It was a pleasantly warm spring day, with a brisk breeze blowing through the mountains. The sky was a a lovely pale blue color; and big, thick clouds rolled lazily on the horizon. Celestite was in her alternate outfit, not currently wearing her usual green sweater that she kept over her normal clothes. Her hair was also a bit different, slicked back into a tighter braid for combat. Hematite was also wearing his hair in a braid, though he hadn't changed his outfit.

"Hematite, remember! Your element is an extension of yourself! You have to be in tune with it and listen to it, or it'll overpower you until it gets its way! Now try it again, I know you can get it this time! Focus your energy, extend it past yourself, reign it in, and USE it!" the small yellow gem commanded, her voice sharp and clear. Hematite looked down at his knuckledusters as he stepped back quickly from the approaching light-haired gem. _Stars, he just couldn't get this move right!_ Glaring up at his opponent with fierce determination, the service gem crouched down low, skirting to the side as she went in for a precise, but slow jab. She eyed him, quickly and gracefully moving to jab at him again. Hematite's hands began to glow with bright pink electricity, and he snapped his wrists out to his sides. The hair on the back of his neck suddenly bristled as two wildly thrashing and crackling whips of electricity extended from his knuckledusters. Celest gasped in surprise, her expression brightening.

"Yes, yes that's it! Now reign them in! Get a feel for them!"

Hematite still couldn't believe what he was looking at, but nodded and skirted further to his side as Celestite jabbed at him again. The whips extending from his hands continued to dance about wildly, completely out of control. Sweat began to form on the ivory-haired gem's forehead. He could feel the energy resonating from his hands, up into his arms, and it was getting out of control quickly. Without warning, the whips jerked around and cracked violently, suddenly splitting apart and dissipating. Hematite cursed under his breath and glared at his hands, but quickly brought his attention back up to his opponent. She looked a tad disappointed for a moment, but then suddenly grinned, seeing an opportunity to strike.

"Well, it's progress! It's small, but it's there!" Rushing toward the service gem, she raised up her weapon, letting out a fierce battle cry as she leapt up into the air. "HYYAAAH!"

Dodging to the side, Hematite rolled away from the small yellow gem, his eyes locked on her form as she slammed her wind-blade into the ground where he'd been not two seconds ago. Celest grinned and snapped her attention back to the service gem, standing up and clenching her fist at her side.

"Yes, fantastic! You're finally getting the hang of that dodge, Hema!" Swinging her blade around idly, the light-haired gem bit her lip, an energized glint in her eyes. When she spoke again, she sounded almost breathless. "Stars, this brings me back to when Obsidian and I would train together! Haaah, those were the good old days." The golden gem closed her eyes contentedly, continuing to swing and stab at the air around her, almost in a sort of... dance with herself. She moved as if listening to some silent song... And slowly, the gemstone on her back began to glow.

Hematite watched in curious awe, a subtle shiver running up his spine. He tilted his head, gazing at Celestite as she slowly waltzed backwards, fencing with an unseen opponent. A breeze blew her hair aside, the sun casting a golden shimmer on her braid. The service gem felt something flutter in his chest, a wash of color spreading across his cheeks. For a long moment, the ivory-haired gem stayed crouched on the ground, his eyes locked on Celest as she hummed softly to herself, effortlessly running through some sword techniques.

 _She really was something..._

At first, Hematite didn't even react to Celest's statement, lost in the moment. However, as she slowed her movements, the light-haired gem opened her eyes, a distant, content look in them. As she blinked, her expression shifted to one of surprise, and she stood straight, disengaging her wind blade. The gem on her back dimmed again, returning to normal.

"Wow, sorry about that. I uh... lost myself for a sec' there. Where were we!" she said rather abruptly, turning to Hema and clapping her hands together, hilt of her sword still in her palm. Hematite pursed his lips, the color fading from his cheeks as he stood straight.

"Who's this 'Obsidian'? Are they a friend of yours?" he asked curiously, walking over to the slightly smaller gem. Celestite looked up at the Hematite, brushing her hair aside from her ear.

"Well, she's not actually an obsidian gem, she's a unique one like me." Smiling, the light-haired gem looked to the side. "She's the Geode Beetle of Earth. We just call her Obsidian because she lives in lava, and she has properties pretty close to an obsidian. Hah..." The faintest trace of an orange blush darkened her cheeks, and a breeze blew her braid to the side. "And... Hm." A coy smile crossed her face. "She's not exactly a 'friend', no. It's something... a bit more complex than that," she said warmly, a content shine in her eyes. Hematite blinked in surprise, the hair on the back of his neck standing on end.

"You mean like..." Looking to his left and right, as if trying to recall something, Hematite hummed out a curious note. After a moment, he perked up, a bright smile suddenly on his lips. "Are you two, you know, together? That's what humans call it, right?" The light-haired gem looked at Hema sharply, brows raising as her cheeks darkened further. After a moment, she chuckled shyly and put a palm to her cheek, looking away once more.

"Yes, we are. We used to hang out all the time, but our duties as the Heaven and Earth beetles come first. We still visit once in a while, and we're just as close as ever."

Hematite felt another shiver go up his back, and his smile widened as he clenched his fists in front of his chest excitedly.

"That's so great! Have you two had a lot of adventures, have you fused? What is she like? You gotta tell me everything!" he chimed out, practically bouncing in place. Celestite glanced at the taller gem and snickered before full-out laughing, walking to Hema's side.

"Look at you, getting all excited like a ruby in a firestorm. In due time, Hema, I'll tell you all about her. Heck, maybe you and her could meet one day!" Smiling, she circled around the service gem entirely, standing in front of him once more. "I think you two could be good friends, hah. Maybe even as good as you and me!" She winked at him and put her hands on her hips, looking off into the distance for a moment. Hematite chuckled and nodded, furrowing his brows.

"I'd like that. If she's half as much fun to be around as you, I'm sure we'll get along just fine," he teased. Celest scoffed with a smile and looked at the service gem with narrowed eyes.

"Flattery won't get you out of training, you dolt. She's _gonna_ spar with ya if you ever do get to meet her, so you better practice harder!" With that, she backed up, once again engaging her wind-blade. "Now come on, buddy, let's see if you can put all those methods to the test at _once."_

Blinking, the service gem smirked and hunkered down, adjusting into his usual fighting stance.

"Bring it on."

–

–

"I'm learning more about her each day. Her favorite snacks are these little fruit-pastry things. She makes them fresh with stuff around the temple." A pause. "Did I mention she wears glasses? She doesn't REALLY need them but she says she likes how they look. I agree with her."

"Celestite showed me her favorite stargazing spot. It was cloudy, so we couldn't see much, but she said she'd take me again some time. It seems like a rather nice spot..."

"To my surprise, I hadn't noticed that Celest almost exclusively calls me 'Hema' nowadays. It's kind of nice. Hah... I told her how you gave me that nickname, Blue. I think you'd really like Celestite. I wish you could meet her some day."

"Sorry it's been... what, a celestial rotation since I last reported? Time got away from me, I suppose... How are things on Homeworld? Are you all doing well? How's progress in the district, Yellow? … Hey, Blue. Does the Coliseum crowd miss me? Hah. Maybe Mago can take my place. … White, if I don't come back, feel free to... you know. Fill my job position. If you want, that is. I won't... mind." A long pause. "Celestite is taking me out to collect jademint today. We're going to have some tea out on the temple bridge. It's a nice day for it. I hope you're all having a good day. This is Hematite, signing out."

"... Celest got poofed today. I'm watching over her gemstone. She got too overzealous in a fight, and she nearly got killed for it. I've been waiting... for over two weeks now. What if she never comes back? Can that happen? White, do you know anything about this sort of thing? Are there any records? Please... if by some small chance you're getting these messages, please at least tell me that... Y. You don't even have to send a rescue team, just please get me some data on this if you can. I'm going to keep watching her gem... This is Hematite, signing out."

"She still hasn't come back. No word from Homeworld. … Do you just not care? Did you... _ever_ care?"

"I forgot to report that Celestite returned, didn't I? It's been a few months, apologies. She reformed a few days after my last message. … I-I'm. Sorry for being disrespectful. I was upset, I didn't mean it." A long pause. "White... The power supply on my archives is starting to fade. I. Don't think I have much time left on it. I'm sorry. If you... ever get these. I'll be at 25.432 north, 204.2. Or, thereabouts. I should end this recording."

"Log date, 005, this is Hematite. My power supply on my visors is failing. I only have a few months left. I'll... lose all the data I've collected here. Every message. Every chance I had at communication. … White, if I never see you again. Thank you for being an incredible leader, while I had the chance to know you. Blue... thank you for being there for me, and for... being _you_. It got me through some really tough times. And, Yellow. Take care. This is.. .. Hematite. Signing out."

–

 _A recording weakly starts, the audio distant and faded. "T.h..i.s.. I.s. Hem.a.. .My. t.i.m.e is.. ...u.p... This... .w.i.l...l b.e. ….m..y... .l...a..s.t.. mess...a.g..e. A.l.l .of yo...u. .t...a.k...e ca..r..e.. It. ...w.a...s a pl...e.a...sure ser...v.i.n..g. ..y...ou.. ..Go.o.d...b.y...e..."_

 **Click.**

"... Hema?"

Wiping his face, Hematite removed his visor and stared at it, his eyes distant and hollow. The light slowly faded from the clear gem tech piece, and it gave a weak, distorted chirp as the connection to the outer world powered down... for good. Now, all he could use it for was checking old data that he'd brought with him. All of his new data, all of his records, all of his recordings. They were gone. All he had left was what was programmed into the eyepiece itself. Maps, all the information he'd taken with him for his original mission, some very _basic_ information on Earth, not much else other than that.

"... So that's it." The service gem looked up and closed his eyes, his lips drawn tight. "Sorry, Celest. I... I needed to make that call. What were you saying?" He turned to the white-golden haired gem sitting by his side, grief written all over his face. The slightly smaller gem fidgeted with her braid which laid over her shoulder, and she finally met his eyes, taking a moment to push up her glasses.

"It's fine, I can continue later. Are you... gonna be okay?" She bit her lip, brows furrowing in concern. Hematite felt a lump catch in his throat, but he looked out in front of him again and nodded slowly.

"With time, I think so. It's... not like they were sending anyone for me anyways. I just thought, formalities and all that. If they were hearing me, it'd be... polite to say goodbye." The service gem stared up at the stars, silently looking to see if he could spot Homeworld from here. He could have sworn... that far, far in the deep blue sky, he could see it brightly twinkling. But, perhaps that was wishful thinking. Celestite followed his gaze for a moment. Slowly, she scooted closer to the ivory-haired gem. She looked over and raised a hand, placing it over his. Hematite blinked in surprise and looked at the gem beside him. Smiling sadly, she ran her thumb over his knuckles.

"I think they'd be proud of what you've done here. Of how much you've grown. Of all the stuff you've learned. I know I am. You're a great fighter, really good at tracking stuff down, you're not half bad at making tea. And you're a good friend." She glanced away for a moment, brushing her hair behind her ear. "And you know. The temple's always got room for two, if you're not up for traveling any time soon."

Hematite stared at her in surprise, but his expression soon softened. Glancing at Celest's hand, he placed his free palm over it, sighing.

"If Earth is my new home, then I wouldn't want to stay anywhere else. Besides, you make the best tea I've come across here on earth." He smiled and chuckled, wiping his cheek on his shoulder. Celest gave a soft, sympathetic laugh and reached forward, wiping Hema's eye with her thumb.

"So you're only staying for my tea, huh?"

"Well, that and your videogames."

"Hema!" Celest chuckled and gently nudged the service gem with her side, her glasses falling down her nose a bit. Hematite smiled warmly and sighed, looking up at the stars. Looking at the gem beside her, Celestite adjusted her glasses with her free hand before following his gaze. After a long moment, she slowly rested her head on his shoulder. "The stars are beautiful tonight," she said quietly.

Hematite glanced to his side without turning. After a long moment, he gently rested his head on hers.

"Yeah. They really are."

–

 _Life went on._

As Hematite grew used to living with Celestite, he found himself thinking less and less of Homeworld, and of the diamonds. He still missed Blue sorely here and then, despite how they'd 'left off' back on Homeworld, and he often missed White's presence. Now and then, he even missed his old work schedule, and his jobs.

A couple years passed. Without his reports to keep his hopes of a rescue up, the service gem put more time into living each day as it came. He laughed more, spoke more, and some of his old spirit soon returned to him. Eventually, his old life only came up in passing conversation. He became more invested in Celestite's life; in her adventures, her stories, despite still missing White and Blue.

–

Hematite and Celest were in the temple, having a spot of tea in the late evening. Celestite was busy recounting an adventure she'd had with her earthly counterpart, the Geode Beetle of Earth.

"Hah, really?!" Hema chuckled and shook his head, stirring his tea that laid on a small table.

"Yeah, so I'm at the bottom of the ocean, with Obsid in a bubble, yelling at me, and I'm not sure what the heck this monster wants with us. I've got the artifact in my hand, but I don't know where the heck the warp pad to get back is-"

"... Warp pad?" The service gem raised a brow, his smile fading. Celest blinked in confusion for a moment before her eyes widened. However, she smiled awkwardly and quickly brushed off Hematite's 'question'.

"S-so anyways, Obsid's like, 'Celest, make sure you don't drop-"

"No, what was that about a warp pad. Celest, do you know where one is? E-even if it's at the bottom of the ocean?" Hematite leaned forward, his brows furrowed. Something in his expression made the glasses-wearing gem a tad nervous. He looked suspicious.

"... I might, yeah." Celestite looked away, rubbing her arm. She was glancing around the room anxiously. "B-but anyways! So the monster's closing in-"

"Celestite! You knew where a warp pad was this _whole time_ and you never _told_ me?! Why?!"

"H-hema, calm down!" Celestite suddenly frowned at the gem across from her, puffing her cheeks out. She didn't like when he got like this! "It doesn't matter!"

"Doesn't matter?! Celest that warp pad could have lead me straight to the galaxy warp years ago!" Hematite stood up now, his hands planted firmly on the small tea table. Celestite's eyes widened in anger, and she stood up as well, meeting him face to face.

"The galaxy warp is busted up anyways, it wouldn't have mattered!"

Hema blinked in confusion before his eyes slowly widened. He took a step back from the smaller gem, brows furrowing.

"... You knew where it was. You told me you didn't! Celest, you lied to me?! I thought we were friends!"

The golden-haired gem's anger vanished in an instant as it fully hit her what she'd said. She stood straight and fidgeted nervously with her bangs, taking a step back. Her eyes couldn't meet Hematite's.

"I was just protecting myself back then! You were a Homeworld gem, I couldn't let-"

"THAT'S why you kept it from me?! _That's_ why you've never told me? Celestite, do you even understand how _badly_ I've missed Homeworld?!"

Celest winced and bit her lip, looking away.

"I thought you were happy here."

Hematite's brows furrowed in a look of pure betrayal and anger.

"Yeah well I wasn't back then! I can't believe you, Celestite! I wouldn't have reported you if you just told me where the warp was in the first place."

"Hema-"

"Where is it?! Give me coordinates, directions, something!"

Celestite's eyes widened, and she looked quickly at the furious gem standing near her. Her hands wrung together, and she was silent for a long moment. A breeze blew through the front door of the tiny temple. Slowly, small tears formed in the smaller gem's eyes. When she spoke, her voice was quiet, and laced with undisguised hurt.

"You wanna leave?"

"... Y-yes. Maybe." Hematite clenched his fists, drawing his attention to the teacup on the table. His teeth gritted together, an unreadable expression crossing his face. "No, but. Dammit, Celestite! Why would you do this to me?! I just wanted to go home! And you didn't tell me just because I MIGHT report you to Homeworld!?"

"N-no, that's not why-"

"Give me the coordinates, Celest! I need to at least see if-... If they've forgotten about me. I'll come back once I've seen them again..."

"Hema, it's broken! You can't use it!"

"Nothing is unfixable!"

"THIS is, Hematite!"

 **SLAM**

 **CRASH!**

"!"

Celestite took a step back, her eyes wide. Hematite stood with his fist on the small tea table, his cup now shattered on the floor. His breathing was heavy, but he stood and shook his head, evening it out. He covered his face with his palm, digging his fingers into his bangs.

"I have to let them know I'm okay. White needs to know. Blue needs to know... _Please_ , Celest. I miss them so much." He looked over at the anxious gem, eyes wide and brimming with tears. "If there's a chance I can see them again... see my home again. I have to take it."

Celest looked away. Slowly, she folded her arms, cupping her elbows in her palms. There was a long stretch of silence.

"... Go down the island bridge. Across the river, over the large wood bridge too. Near there... You'll find a warp pad."

"Y... You mean there was one THAT close by?!"

"... Yes."

Hematite scoffed and angrily mussed his hair, looking away from the smaller gem. After a tense pause, he dropped his hand, his expression unreadable. He started walking for the door.

"Sorry about the teacup."

Celest looked up at him as he left, her eyes wide. As soon as he was out of earshot, Hematite felt his expression fall, and he muttered crossly to himself. "I'll be back." He silently shifted up to his 'normal' height and walked into the large temple, heading down the hall that lead to the island bridge.

–

Stepping up a few stairs, Hematite stared in disbelief at the crystalline warp pad before him. It'd been here, all this time... All these years, and he'd never seen it. He thought back to all the adventures he and Celestite had, and how now that he thought back, he could recall multiple occasions when she'd purposely skirted this area.

Now he knew why.

Clenching his fists, the service gem stepped onto the large blue surface. However, he stopped cold when he heard a distant, familiar sound. It was the screech of a particular corrupted gem, a huge bird-like monster. The same one that'd made him pass out here in the first place. The service gem growled and looked back over his shoulder toward the sound. Seemed it was getting further away from him. Narrowing his eyes, Hematite shrugged and continued to the middle of the warp pad. He wasn't about to go looking for trouble.

Without a word, the warp pad activated, and Hematite was gone.

–

 _Gleam!_

Blinking, Hematite lifted his head and looked around at where he'd warped to. His brows shot up in surprise at the sight of a rather... human-like home. There was a 'kitchen' to the left, what seemed like a couch and bedroom to the right... but nobody was home. There was a window and a door at the opposite end of the room, along with a large, partially obscured painting of some sort. Hematite didn't pay it much mind, more distracted by whatever he could see out the window. From what he _could_ see, the outside world was nothing but a beach. And if he wasn't mistaken, he saw someone down on the coast, far away from the front entrance. It looked like a human was sitting in a rather tall 'chair' of some sort and was talking to two other humans, possibly? It was impossible to tell from so far away. They looked a tad odd. Hematite frowned and scratched his head, looking behind him. There was a large, strange-looking door with a star and five different colored circles on it. White, purple, blue, red, and pink. The service gem pursed his lips and frowned, looking back down at the warp pad. This didn't look like the right place, and with people outside of this building, he didn't want to stick around. He tapped his foot, activated the pad again, and was gone in a flash.

–

"Tsss. Stars, this is worse than I thought."

Rubbing his forehead, Hematite looked around and paced the edge of the badly cracked galaxy warp. His eye piece was useless at the moment for anything but accessing files, so he couldn't properly scan the damage. He had, however, already checked if the pad worked.

It didn't.

Angrily rubbing the back of his head, the service gem stomped his foot and looked around at all the other warp pads. Almost none of them worked. Hematite was wracking his brain for a possible solution, but his outburst with Celest and his frustration over the state of the galaxy warp were clouding his mind. That, and the lack of his visor or eyepiece wasn't helping matters.

"There has to be a way to fix this. Maybe..."

Hematite rubbed his chin quietly. He sat down, crossed his legs, and thought quietly.

Hours passed.

Suddenly, Hematite's face scrunched up in realization, and his eyes shot open. Leaping up, the service gem tossed his arms into the air and clenched his fists.

"My ship! There must be some flask robonoids left in there! Stars, I hope some of them are intact..." Hematite grinned widely, his balled up fists shaking excitedly in front of him. Yes! He still had a chance! Looking back at the warp pad he'd used to get here, Hema scurried over and hopped onto it.

He had to tell Celestite!

–

"... Celestite?"

Hematite frowned and peered around the living room of the small gem's temple. He still stood at his normal size, and was crouched down to look into the miniature building.

"Hey, Celest? I think I can fix the warp pad! I can go check on things on Homeworld and come back! I don't have to leave..." Furrowing his brows, the gem frowned and peered into the tiny bedroom. No sign of the light-haired gem. "... Celest?"

Sitting up, Hematite looked around, confused. Maybe she went out for a while? The service gem leaned down again and peered into the main room, where he'd been mere hours before. His eyes widened. The broken teacup was still on the ground, a small towel laying beside it, mid-swipe.

Celest... _never_ left messes like that. Sure, her room was cluttered, but she _never_ let spills and such stay.

Something was wrong.

Sitting up again, Hematite stood straight and looked around, cupping his hands to his mouth.

"Celeeeeeest! Celestiiiiiiiiite! Heeeeeeey!"

No answer.

The ivory haired gem made his way around the temple, checking for any sign of the tiny gem. He didn't find her... but he found something else. Dark gray feathers, and a huge hole in the ceiling of the main temple. It wasn't there before...

Biting his lip, the service gem thought back to the screech he'd heard before he left...

No...

No surely she was fine.

–

A month.

Hematite searched tirelessly throughout the miles and miles of land around the temple for Celestite. She was no-where to be found... and neither was the bird. Without his visor, Hematite was unable to track any gem signatures. He was stuck. Celestite was gone. And even if she wasn't _gone unwillingly_ , it was clear she didn't want to be _found_. The service gem eventually had to call it quits. Maybe some day he'd come back and look for her...

But for now. He had one chance to get home. One chance to redeem his near decade on earth.

He had to find his ship.

–

It only took the gem a few days to find a warp pad that appeared to be close to where he'd first landed on Earth. He didn't quite recognize the immediate area, but it seemed _similar_ to where he'd crashed. Tapping his visor, Hematite stood straight. The eyepiece sluggishly chirped and powered on, the screen dim. He pulled up a map of Earth, a tiny white symbol overlaying a location a few hundred miles away. There it was!

Please, please let something be intact.

–

Hematite grunted, moving a large piece scrap metal and tossing it to the side. His vessel was in the same state that he'd left it in, amazingly, though it was far worse than Hematite remembered. He was shocked he'd even survived the crash. Slowly, the service gem rummaged through a small, bent-up container, his fingers taking up almost the entire thing.

"Come on, come on. Don't tell me you all broke... or wandered off."

Nothing.

Cursing under his breath, the giant gem tossed the box aside and found a new one. Perhaps someone DID come here after him. About an hour or so later, Hematite froze, his fingers having brushed something with a soft 'clink'. Slowly, the giant gem drew out a few small, green spheres. They were here... they were intact.

And there were enough to fix the warp, he was sure of it.

Shaking slightly, Hematite grinned and bubbled away all the tiny, fluid-filled robots and put them away in his pocket dimension. He stood up and checked over the debris for anything else that may have been of use, but found nothing.

 _It was time._

–

The service gem raced back toward the warp pad he'd taken to get to his ship. Along the way, he'd surprisingly run into a rather reclusive and odd gem, a Tourmaline, if he wasn't mistaken. But he hadn't stayed long, nor did she seem to want him around in his rather **_perturbed_** state. He didn't mind all that much. He wasn't about to get attached to another gem when he could finally go home.

…

 _Home..._

–

Slowly, Hematite stepped back. The flask robonoids went to work on the galaxy warp, spitting pale green liquid onto the crystalline surfaces, sealing them back up in no time at all. Hema's hands shook, and he let out a shuddering exhale as the warp pad gleamed faintly, looking good as new. He... he did it.

…

So why did he feel a knot of anxiety in the pit of his stomach?

The service gem collected up the robonoids slowly, bubbling them and putting them back in his pocket dimension. As soon as he was done, he took a step back from the warp pad and stared at it, eyes wide. His hands slowly lifted, folding in front of him. He fidgeted quietly, biting his lip.

What if they didn't want him back?

What if he returned, and nobody had even noticed he was gone?

What if... they set him up?

This easily could have been a ploy to get rid of him.

Wh... what if.

What if they sent him back?

…

Well.

 _Only one way to find out..._


	9. The Return

_Summary: Hematite returns after his failed mission._

* * *

 _"Now, Hematite. This mission could take you significantly longer than your previous ones. The planet, need I remind you, is known for being hostile, and the conspirators are spread far and wide. You've been briefed and given their gem signatures, and I trust you will harvest them all in a prompt manner. Be careful out there, and do your best."_

"This is White Diamond. Please respond."

"This is White Diamond. Hematite, do you copy?"

"This is White Diamond. Hematite, you haven't reported as requested. Please respond when you can."

"White Diamond here, requesting feedback from all Crystal Colonies in Star Sector 7. Any and all White Diamond gems please respond."

"This is White Diamond. You are behind schedule, Hematite. Please respond when you can."

"This is White Diamond calling...Hematite, if you are receiving these, please respond."

"This is White Diamond. Do you copy?"

"Blue Diamond calling. Hey rookie, we haven't heard anything from you in a while. Get back to us when you can!"

"Blue Diamond here! Hey Hematite, White's starting to get a little worried. Please give us a call when you can!"

"This is Yellow Diamond. Please send a report of your current status as soon as possible."

"White Diamond calling. Hematite? Are you receiving any of these messages? Do not ignore our calls."

"Hey kid, it's Blue Diamond again. Hope you don't mind me sending you all these. I know it's not my business and all but... ah heck, it's been 3 years and we're starting to get concerned. If you can hear this, please call back!"

"White Diamond calling in. Hematite, please respond as soon as you can. This is your final warning."

 _ **2 years pass before any more logs are recorded.**_

"Hematite?... It's Blue. I miss you, rookie. Hope you're safe... wherever you are."

"It's Blue again. Hematite! Hey! I'm not sure if you're getting these or not. I hope you're alright."

"Blue Diamond speaking. I'm probably wasting my time sending these out, aren't I?... Sorry, please respond when you can...if you can."

"Blue Diamond. Are you there...?"

 _ **Another whole year passes.**_

"Hematite, this is White Diamond speaking. I'm not sure if you can hear these or not. If you can, I'd like you to respond. Blasted communication systems..."

"Blue Diamond speaking! Don't worry rookie, wherever you are... We'd like to see you again sometime! Or at least hear you. C'mon kid, say something!"

"Blue Diamond here! I miss ya, rookie! Where have you been?"

"This is White Diamond. Hematite..." There's a long pause. The audio cuts out for some reason.

"This is White Diamond. I'm sorry; Do let me know if you are alright. I would hate to see you get hurt... let alone never see you again. I know you're out there somewhere, Hematite. Please, just say something. _Anything_. Let me know you're okay."

 _ **Two more years pass.**_

"We're not giving up on you rookie. Not if I have anything to say about it. I'll keep trying for the next hundred years if I have to! Say something kid, talk to me! Blue Diamond, out."

"Hematite, this is White Diamond. Please be alright. Please tell me you're alright. Please respond; Please say something..."

"This is White. Hematite, do you copy at all...? Blue told me to keep trying, so I am. If you can hear me, please give me some sort of signal. Anything."

"This is White. I had some peppermint tea today. It reminded me of you. I hope you're alright."

"This is White Diamond. Please be safe, wherever you are."

"Hey kid. It's Blue Diamond. I just wanted to let you know that, well... wherever you are, if you're even there... anymore..." There's a small pause. "I'll try to check in every now and then. Maybe once a year if I can. Just uh, if you receive any of these, please let White know! Or me. Or anyone..."

 _ **One year passes, there is only one final log.**_

"This is Blue Diamond. White's been discouraged lately, but I keep telling her to have hope. I know sometimes these missions just take a lot of time! I just uh, hope you come back at all.. Maybe. Ah, you'll come back someday... You've got spirit, I know wherever you are, you're doing just fine, haha! ... But really, you should respond if you're getting these. We'd like to know if you're okay. Anyways... stay safe, kid. Hope to see you again someday!"

* * *

...

* * *

Adjusting his hair, Hematite stepped off of the tower warp pad, his hands shaking. _Oh, stars, he was finally home._

Ignoring a surprised stare from a nearby Pearl, Hematite excitedly rushed to White's tower. He rapidly pressed the elevator button, barely able to contain himself. As soon as the doors hissed open, he practically leapt inside, not even turning around to press the button to the top. As the elevator rose, Hematite wrapped his arms around himself, rocking on his heels. He couldn't stop moving and looking around with a bright smile on his face. Everything looked relatively the same, not much had changed in the area around the Towers.

As the elevator dinged and opened, Hematite rushed out and made a beeline for White's office door. He hoped she was inside.

With a bounce in his step, he slowed to a halt in front of the tall doors. Alright, deep breath.

His hands stopped shaking as he inhaled slowly. Steeling himself, but barely able to restrain his excitement, Hematite knocked on the door, waited for it to hiss open, and stepped in a few paces before stopping and saluting enthusiastically.

"Hematite reporting, White Diamond!"

–

Indeed, White was there... as well as the other two Diamonds. There was a long, drawn out silence. The three gems had all simultaneously turned their heads to see what was going on.

An unnatural silence fell over the room before Blue and White finally broke it what felt like an eternity later.

"OH... my stars..."

"Hematite? Is that you?"

"..."

Blue was the first to move, darting quickly up from her seat and running towards the service gem. In one swift movement he found himself in the arms of his Blue superior, being swung around in a circle as she laughed hysterically. Her hug was unbearably tight... but not crushing.

"HEMAAAAA! YOU'RE BACK BUDDY, I KNEW WE'D SEE YA AGAIN!" She cheered, putting him down finally with her hands on his shoulders. There were tears in her eyes. She was... incredibly happy to see him again, to say the least.

–

Hematite let out a sharp yelp of surprise as Blue picked him up, and he felt his head spinning as she whirled him around.

"WhOOaAA, BLUE GOOD TO SEE YOU TOO." He gave a strained laugh, trying to touch his feet back to the ground. When she put him back down, he looked up at her with bright eyes, tears starting to form at the corners. They seemed... awfully surprised to see him. He would have thought they'd be annoyed, cold... distant. But, Blue at least seemed happy to see him.

 _So... They_ _ **hadn't**_ _gotten any of his messages?_

White moved soon after, putting up one of her hands to her mouth, looking at the two in disbelief.

"Hematite..." she said quietly, a shocked expression befalling her. She walked closer, holding out her hand to gently touch the gem's shoulder. She looked down on him with a sorrowful, yet relieved look. "I was... starting to think you weren't going to come back," she said softly, another long pause following. Blue backed up, watching the two. With a wide grin, she glanced up at White.

–

As White walked over, he smiled at her in return, as if to say ' _I'm so glad to see you, and I'm so glad to be back.'_ He glanced at her hand as it touched his shoulder, but he quickly looked back up at his superior.

"So was I, but-"

–

The tallest Diamond crouched down and wrapped her arms quickly around Hematite, pulling him in closer to her. She didn't let go.

"It's so good to see you again..."

–

He stopped as she pulled him close, his breath catching in his throat. The smaller gem let out a soft exhale of disbelief after a long moment, his eyes widening. Slowly, wrapped his arms around her in return.

"I-it's..."

Hematite's eyes filled with tears, and he buried his face in White's neck, his body trembling with relief.

"It's good to see you too. I missed you." After a moment, he looked up past White's shoulder, to the final diamond standing behind her, and gave a bright, teary-eyed smile.

"All of you."

–

Yellow's expression never changed. It never so much as turned into a look of surprise. Maybe there was a raise of her brow, but that was it. She watched the other two give him hugs and praises, but she sat with her arms crossed, staring boredly at the Hematite.

"Hm... a service gem managed to make it back all on their own? Took you long enough." She said, staring right through him.

–

At Yellow's cold response, Hematite felt his heart sink, and his smile faded. Well, maybe she was just in a bad mood. _Yeah, she must have had a Peridot mess something up again today._

–

White unwrapped her arms from him, stepping back and placing her palms together.

"I'm glad to see that you made it back at all. You will have to tell me all about it later." She said, with a faint smile on her face.

"Yeah, and me too! We'll share a drink over it sometime if you'd like, Hehehe!" Blue wrapped her arm again around Hema's neck, pulling him in harshly and placing her hand in his hair. She waved it around rapidly, giving the white-haired gem a fierce noogie.

–

As White stepped back, he looked up at her and nodded.

"I have so much to tell you. M-Maybe we can discuss it over tea some time..." His attention turned to Blue, and he smiled again before she suddenly grabbed him and mussed his hair.

"AH, Blueee my hair!" _He'd just fixed that before getting here!_ "Alright alright we'll have a drink over it!" His distressed flailing turned into playful shoving and he found himself laughing happily. _Stars, he'd missed being home._

He just wished all _three_ of the Diamonds shared the same sentiment.


	10. The Harvester Approaches

_Summary: Hematite has a surprise match in the Coliseum._

* * *

 _Well that wasn't good, was it?_

Hematite slammed into the far wall of the arena, leaving a couple impressive cracks in the stone, despite only being his civilian height. He lifted his head sharply to see two gems sprinting towards him, their next attacks readied. Rolling to the side, the service gem barely dodged the smaller of the two as she barreled down on the spot where he'd just been, her arms engulfed in flames. Hematite made a run for it, but was cut off by his other opponent, who brought down her mighty ax mere feet in front of him.

Puff and Rubes were _quite_ the team.

"Stay still, for star's sakes! Puff, grab him!" Rubes called out in a commanding tone. Her partner grinned and grabbed Hematite, quickly wrapping her arms around him.

"Let him have it, Rubes!" she shouted back, laughing smugly as Hema struggled to get free. His legs flailed in the air, and his eyes widened as Ruby came barreling toward him and leapt to deliver a hard punch.

A blinding flash disoriented Jasper for a moment, and her arms were left holding nothing. Before she could react, Rubes' fist made contact with her face and knocked her to the ground with a sharp yell. Rubes gasped and stood up, fussing over her downed partner.

"Oh my stars, I'm sorry, are you alright?" Puff didn't respond, continuing to lay flat on the ground, her head spinning. All she could get out were a few unintelligible noises of dazed confusion. Angrily, Rubes looked around for her missing opponent and blinked in utter confusion when she saw him scampering away... at only a few inches tall.

What the absolute _hell_.

Leaping to her feet, Rubes let out a growl of frustration and darted toward the now tiny Hematite, her eyes never leaving him as she quickly approached.

"Get back here!"

Hematite stopped and made a sharp turn, quickly running back toward the Ruby. She tried to skid to a halt as he neared her, but her momentum worked against her, and she was mere feet away when the tiny gem suddenly shifted to about ten feet tall and landed a solid punch to her abdomen, sending her flying back toward Puff.

Rubes landed directly on top of her still-dazed partner with a loud grunt. Panting, she attempted to stand up, but collapsed back on Jasper's stomach. She was done. The crowd burst into cheers. The Harvester had won again!

Breathing heavily, Hematite looked around and soaked in the adulation, a wide smile on his face.

 _Finally._

 _He was back where he belonged._

Months and months he had been home, and he was just now getting back to fighting in the Coliseum. He missed this. After explaining his situation to White Diamond, she'd given him a short recuperation period before setting him right to work again. Thankfully, all his jobs had been on Homeworld. Seemed White wasn't too eager to send him off-planet again so soon.

Hematite, remaining at about ten feet tall, walked to one of the tunnels that lined the sides of the Arena. He leaned against the wall and wiped his brow with a sigh.

Looking up at the sound of footsteps, Hematite's face lit up, and he stood straight as he spotted Blue hurrying down to the tunnel.

–

The Blue gem ran hectically towards him, waving her hand frantically.

"HEMA! HEY!" She shouted, skidding to a halt and giving him a harsh pat on the back. "Good to see ya, I didn't miss anything fun did I?" She said, smiling like her usual self. It had been over a decade since she last got to see Hematite duke it out, let alone spar with him. She was glad she caught him when she did, the only reason she had even known was a tip-off from a passing gem. There were few times that 'The Harvester' was in the ring and people didn't talk about it.

–

Despite currently being taller than his superior, Hema still let out a loud 'PUH' as she 'patted' him on the back. Chuckling breathlessly, he regained his posture and smiled at her warmly.

"Naah, you didn't miss too much. Well, you know. Except the fact that I just ended up fighting two of those gems that I caught way back when. They almost beat me, too! They're quite the effective pair." The larger gem leaned back against the wall and crossed his arms in front of him.

"Makes me feel kinda weird for going after them. I know it was my job, but." He suddenly paused, glancing nervously at Blue. Should he really be saying this out loud? To his _superior_ , of all people?

"... I dunno. They don't seem like bad gems. It's a shame I had to uh." Hematite shrugged. "You know."

Blue bit her lip, holding her hand closer to her in her other palm.

"Er, listen bud. Don't feel too bad, alright? These things need to get done one way or the other, and hey, look at it this way!" She grinned warmly, walking a few steps closer towards the opening of the Arena, just enough to still be in its shadows. "At least ya didn't have to hurt anyone that day." _Her eyes widened a little, looking down at her feet. At least_ _ **you**_ _didn't, anyway._

Hematite had caught Blue's moment of hesitation. He knew what that was all about, but he didn't want to bring up _that_ part of the mission.

Smiling awkwardly, the taller gem looked out toward the arena where Puff and Rubes were dusting each other off and fussing over each other. Rubes was apologizing, it seemed. Puff shrugged it off and laughed as she said something, and Rubes rubbed the back of her neck bashfully. The two of them began to walk to one of the opposite coliseum entrances, probably to make their way into the stands. Though the crowd couldn't see it, Hematite watched the two lace their hands together as soon as they were in the shadow of the Arena tunnel. His brow furrowed.

"I'm just glad Yellow Diamond didn't get a hold of them."

–

She shook herself back quickly, turning to her friend, and spread her arms out.

"Haha, ah, yeah! Sparky's a real stickler for law and order." the diamond grinned nervously, taking advantage of the sudden change in conversation. "Why, if she got a hold of em, Stars... I don't even wanna think about it..."

–

Brows furrowing, Hematite frowned and tapped his finger on his arm. He sighed. Something seemed to be bothering him.

"Yeah. Me either."

–

That last statement struck a small chord. Blue looked away awkwardly again, then sighed heavily. Her arm swung behind her, hand scratching her head. She started thinking... thinking about how Yellow had reacted, or rather _didn't_ react to Hematite's return. She thought about how much Yellow would spar with Hematite before, and how he would always come back beat up and... not all _there_. She thought about how Hematite never really seemed to keep up conversations when it came to Yellow Diamond. Blue knew their relationship must have been a little rockier, but then again, she also knew that Yellow wasn't a very social person, and the 'friends' she did have were good acquaintances at best... not including the other Diamonds of course.

"Listen Hema, I know things might seem a little... weird, with Spa-Er, Yellow Diamond. She comes off really... cold? Harsh? At first, at least... But, just give her time." She said, placing a palm on Hematite's arm, looking up to him warmly. "She's an odd gem. You just gotta give her a chance." She shrugged, her once-gleeful expression finally returning.

–

Cold, harsh? _Hmph_. _Understatement of the century._ When Hematite managed to meet Blue's eyes, there was a faint hint of... genuine anger? But only for a moment. The look was quickly replaced with barely disguised skepticism, and he rolled his eyes, looking away again.

"I've tried to give her time. It'd be a lot easier if she wasn't so hard to talk to. I just. Don't think she likes me very much." The taller gem sighed and tried to find comfort Blue's attempt to make him feel better. He looked at the hand on his arm and huffed through his nose. He conceded.

"Alright, I'll give her a chance. No promises, though."

–

Blue shrugged again, moving her arm away from him.

"She doesn't really like anyone very much, to be honest... But that doesn't mean she's, ya know, a bad gem! Just give it time. She can't stay too cold with ya forever, especially given that you're around us all the time. Heh, I know when she first got her Pearl, it took her an entire century to even start thanking them... Aaand even now, she rarely thanks that Pearl... I-I digress!" She chuckled, deciding to change the subject again. She could tell Hematite didn't want to dwell on the subject for too long.. besides, she was certain she got her point across.

"Now, whadda ya say we toss a few punches in the ring? Just like the good old days?!" Her excitement had quickly returned, and she already looked like she was getting hyped back up for the match.

–

The gem listened to Blue's words with a heavy sense of doubt in his chest, but regardless, he did take notes. Right, Yellow was just.. hard to crack. That's all. She had taught him a few things, even if her methods were... questionable. It was all for his own good.

 _ **Right?**_

Putting his thoughts aside, he nodded down at Blue and uncrossed his arms, some of his old fire returning.

"Right! I hope you've been keeping sharp, I learned a lot back on Earth!" He laughed good-naturedly and began making his way for the exit of the tunnel.

"Race ya to the center!"

–

Blue laughed and bolted for the opening, the guards at the front of the entrance swaying back to avoid colliding with the two oncoming gems. The crowd erupted in cheers upon seeing their favorite fighters back in the ring. It'd been such a long time since they had seen them fight, and they were ready for a show. Smaller crystals lit up in a few of the gems' hands, excited murmurs masked by the overall hype of the crowd. Some were using their communicators to spread the word. There was no way they were gonna let their friends miss this!

–

Hematite gave a hearty laugh as he neared the center of the arena, and he turned to the crowd as he bounced back the last few paces, throwing his fists up.

"Are you all ready?!" he cheered, an excited grin plastered on this face. Looking around at the audience, he realized this was the most people he'd ever attracted to the stands... This was going to be one hell of a return!

The return of ' _''The Harvester'''!_

–

The crowd all took a standing ovation, applause and cheering exploding from the stands. Blue looked up warmly at Hematite. It was so good to see him back... so _wonderful_ to see him happy again. She gave a determined nod, throwing her own hands up in the air.

"YEEEEAHHH LET'S DO THIS!"

She reached quickly for her gem, pulling out a large mace, darting back a few feet and facing Hema.

"I've waited a long time for this!"

–

Hematite turned and grinned at his superior as she pulled out her weapon. He didn't waste any time summoning his, and he took a few paces back before settling into his familiar fighting stance.

"Bring it on, Blue! Don't hold back!"

And with that, he charged at her, for once, going in for the first hit.

–

Blue cackled and slammed her mace in her palm. She darted around, narrowly avoiding the advancing gem.

"Haha, you're gonna have to be less predictable than that bud! I haven't forgot your tricks!" she said with a wide grin, swinging her weapon around to catch him in the back.

–

Wasting no time, Hematite moved with Blue's dodge in a subtle enough way that she wouldn't catch it, and when she swung her mace, he turned on a dime, reached for the handle, and vaulted straight over it, giving her a sly smirk. As soon as he met the ground beside her, he spun and gave her a powerful kick in the side, making sure to keep himself low should she swing at him again.

–

With a surprised yelp, Blue dropped her mace and skittered backwards, clutching her side.

"Woaaahh, Where'd ya learn to do that, Kid?! I've never seen ya so nimble before!" She grinned widely, turning and swiping her mace back off of the ground. The crowd cheered even louder, more gems starting to flood in from the gates. Blue laughed, happy to see that her favorite opponent had learned some new tactics. It was new, it was exciting! She was reminded of the first time she ever fought him. With a fire in her eyes, she let out a fierce battle cry and advanced forward, her mace thrashing back for a powerful swing.

–

The gem let out a confident laugh as Blue stumbled back, and he'd taken the time to leap to his feet and make a few flighty paces backwards, as he was wont to do when preparing an attack. Once he'd made some distance, he crouched low, his knuckledusters sparking with electricity.

As Blue barreled toward him, he tensed, ready to jump over her. But he froze. His eyes widened, staring at the mace, and he found himself planted on the spot.

The image of the shattered Hematite flashed through his mind.

It was a long enough pause that instead of moving, he took a solid hit from her mace. Hematite let out a sharp yelp and landed heavily about ten feet away.

–

Blue froze for a moment, her smile quickly fading. The crowd cheered, but a few were looking on in confusion. The diamond carefully scurried up to Hematite, looking down at him with her mace still in hand.

"Hey, you ok kid? That wasn't like you at all." She said, unsure if this was one of his new tactics or not. She made sure to keep just a few feet away, in case he was gonna take advantage of the moment.

–

 _You're not a threat right now._

 _It's just a spar._

 _She's not going to hurt you._

 _You're being silly._

Sitting up slowly, Hematite groaned and shook his head to clear it. Right, that was going to sting later. Even if it already stung pretty badly now. The downed gem looked up at his concerned superior and gave her a reassuring grin. His hands were balled up into fists.

Suddenly, Hematite reeled his hand back and landed a heavy strike to the ground, the prongs on his knuckledusters sinking easily into the dirt. Electricity coursed up his arm and raced into the ground, making its way to Blue in an instant. The lightning sparked out of the ground, striking her directly. It wasn't enough to hurt her badly, but it would be enough to stun her for the moment that he needed.

He took the opportunity and launched at his superior, landing a solid strike to her abdomen as he'd done in their first fight, his fists still alight with electricity.

–

The shock alone took her by surprise, but the service gem's sudden punch quickly struck her back into the fight. With a wince, she shot him a fiendish grin.

"Atta gem!" She uttered, flinging her mace back over her shoulder. He was starting to play a lot smarter. Good. The great thing about training in the coliseum was that it was helping him learn new things while still keeping his skills in check. She was happy to help in any way... after all, it was tons of fun for her as well!

She darted out of his way sharply, her mace starting to glow and spark. In a few short moments, the mace grew, the ball on the end becoming much bigger. With a mighty battle roar, she brought the end of the mace down on the ground so fiercely that a small tremor erupted forth. Dropping her weapon completely, she lunged forward for a strong punch while her opponent was briefly distracted. Two can play at that game!

–

At first Hema's only concern was getting out of the way of Blue's mace, but he was caught off-guard when she suddenly leapt over it to land a strong hit.

 _C'mon, get back into it!_

Hematite rolled to the side as Blue closed in, and he only hoped his speed would serve him well. As he dodged, hoping it was enough to miss her fist, he kicked out at her legs, hoping to knock her off her feet.

In the shadows of one of the far tunnels, a large, well-built figure stood, cloaked in darkness. They were wearing bright brown and gold armor, a golden helmet hiding their face. In their hands was a huge gem claymore, which they patiently patted against their gloved palm.

–

Blue was ready to make her move, but her eyes caught something suddenly. Her smile quickly faded, and she took the full brunt of Hematite's kick. Landing on the ground with an ungraceful thud, she scrambled quickly to her knees and looked up past Hema. The crowd got eerily quiet, aside from a few gasps here and there. Blue looked incredibly nervous, her eyes transfixed on...whatever it was behind her opponent.

"What is _this_ , now?"

An ominously familiar voice called from above. Up on one of the archways to the gate stood a tall figure, sword placed gracefully in front of them. She grabbed a hold of it and jumped down, landing harmoniously on her feet, swiping her sword up to point at the two gems in the ring. Her eyes narrowed coldly, fixed on the taller of the two.

The coliseum fell silent.

–

Hematite had let out a satisfied shout when his attack landed, but as he jumped up to look at Blue, his excitement turned to confusion. What was she looking at? Did Mago show up again to yell at him?

The taller gem turned, brows raised, and stopped when he saw Yellow Diamond perched atop the gate arch. His eyes widened. Gaze following her as she leapt down, the gem blinked in surprise and went silent.

Suddenly, he smiled.

And he laughed.

"This is perfect!" He gave a quick, excited glance back at Blue before looking Yellow Diamond in the eye. For once, the two of them were the same height.

"I was going to ask if you wanted to spar later, but this is even _better_! I can show you everything I learned on my, er... mission!" He didn't want to reveal to his audience what exactly had made him go missing. Not yet.

The crowd was still silent, and though he didn't know it, only the first few rows of gems could clearly make out his words.

"I mean, I know you prefer the sky arena, but! This is just as good, right?" He looked at her with unbridled excitement, his fists balled up in front of him, close to his chest. His eyes were practically shining.

 _This was the chance he needed!_

He could show her what he was really made of, here, in the one place he knew best!

 _Maybe this would be the first spar he'd actually win!_

"Whatta ya say, Yellow Diamond? Care to take on '''The Harvester'''?"

–

Yellow raised a brow simply at his words, placing her sword into the dirt. She pursed her lips, looking out to the massive crowd that had gathered. _They were here for_ _ **him**_ _? … No. Blue was there. They'd come for her, probably._ She shrugged off his words completely, rolling her eyes before staring him down. Was this kid serious?

"Fine." She said simply, her gaze drifting to pierce the other. "As for you, stand aside. I'm taking over this fight." She said sternly. Blue got to her feet and nodded in understanding, looking over to Hematite with a glance that could only say 'good luck'. The crowd's murmurs started to pick up, a dull commotion sweeping over the stands. Blue joined them quickly, finding herself in one of the front row seats. Stars, it really was crowded here.

Yellow placed a palm over the hilt of her sword and looked over to Hematite, her stare hardening as the seconds passed.

"Show me then what you have learned, _'Harvester'..."_

–

Watching Blue leave the arena grounds, Hematite looked up at the crowd and gave a big grin.

"You hear that? Your champ's gonna take on Yellow Diamond herself!" A large portion of the gems watching raised their voices in a cheer. How exciting! They'd never seen Yellow Diamond fight in the arena, or if they had, it'd been FAR too long! Hematite had defeated Blue a few times, so this would be interesting!

Looking back at his opponent, the gem crouched low and regained his fighting stance, his knuckles aglow with lightning.

"The guest should get the first move.~"

–

As the crowd began to stir once more, thick clouds started to form overhead, leaving only small patches of light to shine through. The yellow gem closed her eyes and swung her sword in a fancy show, small sparks fizzling around the blade, before drawing herself into a bow. It was a courteous display of sportsmanship. Her eyes shot open into a narrowed glare, golden eyes piercing daggers through Hematite.

She straightened her posture, poised to strike. With a sharp movement, she advanced, her sword extended in front of her. It was just another spar. Just like she had done with Hematite many times before. Over and over, she would engage him, tire him out, then win. Rinse and repeat. She never lost. This would be over before they knew it, best to just humble him and get it out of the way.

The crowd was in for a treat.

–

Hematite was _ready_ for her this time.

This spar was going to be different.

 _He could feel it._

As Yellow Diamond closed in, Hematite skirted around her, feigning his usual dodge that he went for at the start of their spars, but instead of trying to avoid her attack, he shot his foot up, making strong contact with the bottom of her wrist and the hilt of her sword.

–

Her eyes widened suddenly, the sword flung into the air. She darted back and grasped her hand where Hematite's foot had made contact. She looked in short disbelief, baring her teeth with a nasty scowl. _Wha?_... _How dare he_. She placed her hand to her gem and created another sword. No use going after that one. She turned on her heel, the blade to the new sword starting to glow slightly. She went in for another strike, stabbing at the air rhythmically so she could get closer to him. She kept a sharp eye on his feet.

–

Hematite had taken the momentary pause to jump back and make some distance, and he readied his next attack.

 _Time to show off a new trick._

The gem's knuckledusters began to glow. As Yellow Diamond approached, he deftly avoided the end of her weapon, making sure to block it with his hands, the blade glancing off the silvery metal. He'd gotten very good at blocking close-quarters blades, and it _showed_. Before, he would simply dodge and roll out of the way, but he was taking her head-on this time. When he got an opening, Hematite made a wild swing for his opponent's sword arm, hoping to hit her shoulder.

He kept an eye on where her gaze was affixed, and his form began to glow.

–

Yellow started to become mildly perturbed, if even a little. Her strikes became gradually faster, but more erratic. She needed to land a hit... how come she couldn't land a hit? By now she would have at LEAST gotten him once. With a coarse grunt, she darted back suddenly, swinging her sword arm upwards. He had missed, but just barely...and now he had actually forced her back. The crowd cheered louder, now fully into the excitement. Blue however, for once, was not too excited. She had a bad feeling about this. She watched nervously, biting her lip, gripping the edge of the wall tightly.

"You can do it, kid..." She muttered under her breath, watching closely. She had watched very few fight Yellow and actually win. If he didn't win, it probably wouldn't bode well for his current mental state. But if he won... Yellow would be spiteful. In any way this went, she couldn't foresee a positive outcome.

–

As Yellow stumbled back, Hematite quickly retracted his fist, but something whipped out from it.

The hit had been a fake-out. As the gem swung his arm back, seemingly to bring it close to him, a long, crackling whip of electricity lashed out and struck Yellow Diamond's sword, wrapping around it.

Not hesitating, Hematite flicked his other hand, another wild leash of lightning appearing from his knuckleduster. With his left whip holding onto her sword, Hematite lashed out with his right, going in for a direct hit.

–

With another startled gasp, she quickly dropped her sword as soon as the whip made contact. That was unexpected. She didn't have much time to react as the other whip came flying towards her, but she saw a single window of opportunity. She reached out and grabbed the whip mid-swing, electricity violently coursing through her. Her form tensed up, but all the while she gave Hematite one of the most vicious glares he'd ever seen. This one stung. However, given that she had electrical powers of her own, it didn't do near the amount of damage it would have with any other gem. She was able to stave off the majority of the pain, quickly regaining her strength. With a sharp pull, she managed to compose herself long enough to yank him towards her, quickly delivering a fierce punch to his chest.

–

Hematite froze on the spot when she gave him that look. There was _malice_ there, hatred, fury. All the confidence and happiness he'd worn on his face a moment before vanished, leaving nothing but a startled and vaguely hurt expression.

 _Isn't she proud?_

Still stunned by her piercing glare, Hematite barely reacted as he was yanked close and struck in the chest. His whips vanished, and he was sent flying back. He landed semi-gracefully, though his recovery wasn't as steady as usual. He looked up at her, panting breathlessly, A weak smile found its way to his face, and he began skirting around her, watching her carefully.

"Like that new trick?" A timid laugh escaped him. "I thought you of all gems would appreciate it." His words were quiet, far too soft for the crowd to hear any of them. What was her next move?

And for that matter, what was _his_ next move?

–

Yellow placed her hand to her gem, creating yet another sword. How many was she going to go through? She hardly ever had to make replacements. She was starting to feel like maybe she was getting as reckless as Blue. No, no she was far more graceful than Blue. She'd prove it. Ignoring her opponent's words, her livid face had calmed to the cold look she held before...almost condescending. She took a running start, quickly leaping into the air with a flash of lightning striking her new blade. An instant charge. She twisted in the air, clutching her sword tightly and bringing it down sharply on the ground in Hematite's direction. A massive electrical current struck forward, jutting out in many different directions. It was like a shock wave... a powerful, _fast_ shock wave.

–

As Hematite watched Yellow Diamond leap into the air, he'd prepared two whips again, ready to grab onto her feet as she came down. But the lightning strike startled him, and his attack missed badly. As she struck her sword to the ground, the shock wave was almost immediately upon Hematite, and he went flying back, landing ungracefully on all fours. His body was coursing with electricity, but other than making him grimace and tremble involuntarily, the worst of the pain passed quickly, and he grinned at his opponent boldly.

"C'mon! Is that the best you've got, Sparky-"

His eyes widened, and he went silent.

 _ **Oh no.**_

–

The audience gasped, a crude silence befalling them... including Blue.

She placed her hand to her mouth quickly, eyes widening. Oh _Stars_ , he didn't. Not now, not _here_...

Yellow's face went entirely blank as she dropped her sword to the ground. She stared straight through him, her fists clenching tightly.

"What. Did you. Just call me?"

The audience roared in laughter, pointing and shouting. They just couldn't help it. Sparky. Sparky?! What kind of name was that? Blue started to sweat, nervously hunkering herself down in her seat. Yellow slowly turned her head, her expression turned to one of pure rage. Her gaze, despite being a little far off, definitely met Blue's. This was _her_ fault...and she would pay for this later. But first... she needed to make someone _else_ pay.

Her head turned slowly back towards Hematite, the same rageful glare she had given Blue now found its way back to him. Her fists started to glow vibrantly, sparks flying off. She took a heavy breath, appalled, and grit her teeth.

"How. DARE YOU..."

–

Slowly standing up, Hematite put his hands in front of him, his weapons vanishing. He was scared.

No.

He was _terrified_.

His attempts to meet her eyes failed, and he kept glancing away, as if looking around for help. His eyes momentarily rested on Blue.

 _ **Help me.**_

Avoiding Yellow's gaze, he bit his lip.

"I-I'm sorry, I'm so sorry! It was an accident! I-I didn't mean to-" He began shaking uncontrollably.

–

With breakneck speed, she was upon him already. She violently grabbed his arm and flung him down into the ground. The dirt met him with a great deal of force. _Did she always have this much strength?_ She stared down at him with a cold, merciless glare.

"How DARE you humiliate me in front of this many people!" she spat, thrusting her foot into his side, sending him skittering across the ground. She inched closer, fists still resounding with glowing electricity. "I have half a mind to KILL you for that..." Her rage was growing, as if it could even rise any higher. The crowd had since stopped laughing, but it was still all she could hear.

"GET UP."

–

Hematite felt the air violently leave his lungs as he was slammed into the ground, and he gasped weakly as he tried to sit up. But his breath was cut off again as she kicked him in the side, sending him skittering over the dirt floor. His body weakly glowed, and he shrank down a tad. As she neared, he managed to roll over and sit up, but his hands were still in front of him.

"Please! I don't want to fight, not like this!"

–

"You WILL fight, oh great _Harvester,"_ she hissed, striking venom into the last word. She grasped his shirt and yanked him up, quickly delivering a punch to his abdomen. Then another. And another. She barraged him with electrified swings, harsher and quicker as they went on. Her gaze never faltered, never left his maroon eyes. It was as if she had trapped him in a cage to beat him down, over and over.

"What's wrong?"

whack.

"Why won't you fight now?..."

WHACK.

"Are you scared?!"

 **WHACK!**

"FACE ME YOU COWARD!"

 _ **K!**_

She reeled her arm back and delivered a massive blow to his shoulder, knocking him back. Thunder cracked violently above her. She breathed heavily. Her vicious scowl alone could have sent chills up the bravest of spines.

"You should have stayed back on Earth..."

–

Hematite could do nothing but take his punishment, blow after blow. Slowly, his form shrank down, until his feet were dangling off the ground, and he took the final hit to his shoulder. He fell to the floor with a heavy thud. Weak sparks emanated from his form as he began to glow, and soon, there was only a tiny version of the service gem left huddled on the ground.

There was a long, ominous pause.

 _You should have stayed back on Earth._

 _She doesn't mean that... she's just angry.._

Deep within, he was holding onto his last shred of hope that despite all this, she still saw something in him. Even if it was something small...

"..." Hematite slowly rolled onto his side and managed to get himself upright. He was reclined on the ground, his elbows supporting him as he looked up at the massive Diamond before him.

"I'm sorry... Please forgive me"

Tears streamed down his face. He gave a weak cough, a hand resting on his abdomen.

"It was a mistake..."

–

Yellow's merciless eyes narrowed, her hand placed to her gem. It glowed brightly, revealing yet another sword. She slowly raised it, poised to strike one final blow.

"You **are** a mistake..."

 **CLANG!**

The diamond's sword fell down on something harshly, sending a massive reverberation back through the blade, shattering it completely. She stumbled back, gasping in surprise. Blue had, just in time, ran between them with her mace in hand. The sword had made contact with the bar of her mace, which was fortunately strong enough to stave off the blow completely. She lowered the bar and slammed her weapon on the ground, holding the end of the hilt.

"STOP THIS, YELLOW. This fight is OVER." She growled, protecting the smaller gem cowering behind her.

The crowed erupted in boos, hisses, and displeased shouts. This wasn't what they wanted, this wasn't what anyone wanted. Yellow heaved, still noticeably pissed... but she took a deep breath, glaring at the shorter Diamond.

She threw her sword hilt on the ground and started for the exit, but not before shooting the Hematite a rather dark glare, not even bothering to turn her head to face him. Before either of them could say anything, she stormed out of the ring. She was gone.

Blue turned to the small gem and knelt down, her mace fizzling away into a sparkling dust.

"Hematite..."

–

 **Cold.**

Hematite's body was numb. Everything went dead silent around him, he heard nothing. He felt **nothing**.

 _ **e.**_

 _Kill._

 _She was going to kill him._

 _Over a little mistake._

 _A little, tiny, harmless mistake._

 _She was going to kill a little, tiny, harmless gem._

 _Ha. Hahaha. Tiny. Harmless. Useless. Nothing. Worthless._ _ **Pathetic**_ _._

Hematite felt something inside of him sink. Sink deep, deep down, into a sticky black abyss. He'd been good. He had done everything he was told. Hematite was a good little gem.

 _A good little gem that was nearly killed over a slip of the tongue._

Hematite's eyes were hollow. He stared at the shattered remains of Yellow Diamond's sword that laid on the ground.

 _He just wanted her to be proud of him._

But it wasn't enough. It would _never_ be enough. He was nothing. Nothing but a doomed gem that would one day corrupt and leave nothing behind. She would probably be glad when that day came.

And he would be forgotten.

…

 _No._

No, Hematite would not be cast aside so easily. He was _big_. He was _loud_. He was _a force to be reckoned with_. And this gem thought she could tell him what he was? A mistake? _**Ha**_.

 _He'd show her what he was._

 _He'd give her a reason to fear him._

 _He was_ _ **something**_ _. He was a_ _ **Harvester**_ _._

 _ **And he just found his next target.**_


	11. Drone

_Summary: Blue Diamond notices Hematite is acting odd._

* * *

It'd been weeks since the blowup in the Coliseum. Blue bared through a number of verbal lashings from Yellow since then. She was _not_ happy about her spreading that ridiculous nickname around enough for Hematite to know about it. The lectures and verbal lashings were enough, but... Worse yet, Blue hadn't seen a single sign of Hematite anywhere since she brought him back to the White Tower. Hematite assured her that even in his tiny state, he could find his way to his room just fine from the ground floor... but. The diamond hadn't seen him since. She was worried about him. Sometimes, she would show up at Morganite's bar, calmly waiting for him to show up, secretly hoping she would catch him.

 _But she never did._

She set off on her own today, having heard from White that Hema had a mission he was handling out in the front end of the Pink district. Since she wasn't running into him out and about, she decided she would go and find him for herself. Blue didn't know how he was feeling, and since she hadn't seen him since Yellow's little party crash, it made her more and more concerned for him. Maybe he was mad at her? Perhaps he was just a little spooked? Maybe a good old fashioned tussle with her would make him happy! _Yeah, surely that would do!_ She raced forward, picking up her pace, her will to find him stronger than ever.

After scouting for a solid two hours, looking for any sign of the gem, she started to get a little nervous. _Was he still out here?_ He was surprisingly easy to lose, despite normally being so big. Then, she heard it. A distant crumbling sound echoing in the distance. Perhaps that was him? She made her way swiftly in the direction where she heard the noise, climbing over bits of fallen rubble and running through clearings. Fortunately, there didn't seem to be any trouble around, at least not _yet_. It was a smooth run, and the noises started to get louder and more clear. _That_ _ **had**_ _to be him..._

–

 **CRACK**

Take a step.

 **CRACK**

Take a step.

 **CRACK**

Hematite slowly pulled his hand away from the tower he was demolishing, bits of rubble and old plant life falling to the floor.

 **CRACK**.

The service gem was steadily making his way around a smaller sky scraper while at half of his full height. As he punched through another section of wall, his visor chirped in response to some movement further off. Someone was coming.

 **CRACK**.

 _Almost done._

–

Blue peered over a piece of rubble, watching the gem make his way around the building. That was definitely him, alright... but it... also _didn't_ seem like him. She stayed quiet, watching him wreck the building, in an almost... mechanical fashion. Was this how he always demolished things? Or was she missing something more? He seemed so much more drone-like than usual. She didn't want to bother him, so she tried to stay hidden for the moment. Maybe she wouldn't bother him, and maybe he wouldn't notice her...

–

 **Crack.**

 _Crumble._

Pulling his hand away again, Hematite stared hollowly at the building in front of him. Visor whirring, he stood straight.

It was ready to come down any minute now.

Slowly, the giant gem turned toward Blue, seeming to look straight through her. She was some distance off, almost out of sight, but he'd still caught her faint movement from far-off. His visor wasn't glazed over at the moment, but was dancing with different HUDs.

"I can see you there." His voice was cold, monotone, mechanical. He sounded like it did when reciting his prisoners their rights.

He waited in dead silence for the 'hidden' Diamond to make a move.

–

Blue blinked slowly, surprised he'd noticed her so quickly. _Must have been the gem tech he wore._ Not bothering to stay hidden now, she made her way closer and stopped on an outcropping that was some distance off the ground, so she could be a bit closer to his height. Not that it helped much.

"Ah, Hey kid! I thought I'd uh, pay you a visit! Do ya mind?" she asked, climbing up onto the rubble fully now, her hands out in an almost shrugging gesture. There was the faintest trace of nervousness in her tone, but she kept it together. Something really _was_ off about him.

–

Hematite raised his head ever so slightly, still staring through her. He hadn't looked this dead-eyed before, even while on his harvesting mission that Blue had tagged along with. His voice remained flat, lifeless.

"You are my superior, Blue Diamond. You may stay if you so desire."

He slowly turned back to the building. His eyepiece began to scan it, clicking and whirring as it looked for faults and weak points. Hematite was silent.

–

Blue bit her lip, her heart sinking, her anxiety rising. _No, no this definitely wasn't like him. Something was wrong,_ _ **very**_ _wrong...she was right._ She was right to assume, she just knew something was up. It wasn't like him to avoid her like this. It wasn't like him to speak this way... To _look_ this way. She hopped up on the highest part of the rubble and stood as tall as she could, which, given her size compared to Hema, didn't really matter much

"Hematite, we need to talk!" She shouted, a seriousness in her voice that wasn't normally there. She clenched her fists. _"Now."_

–

Blinking slowly, the giant gem turned to Blue and stared at her. He said nothing for a long moment. Eventually, he slowly moved toward her, his motions stiff. Another pause. Slowly, Hematite lowered himself to her eye level, his knees bent, his face unnervingly close to her. His visor had not shut off.

He waited for her to continue.

–

This unnerved her... _badly_. She didn't move, however, and stared at him, eye to eye. His lack of response didn't help the growing anxiety in her chest. She was frowning; baffled and... almost in disbelief.

"This isn't _like_ you, Hematite. Please, talk to me. Say something. Say anything! Tell me a joke!" She laughed feebly, starting to get the feeling everything she was going to say was in vain. It would at least be worth a shot.

She stared into the hunting visor, wondering if Hematite even acknowledged anything she was saying.

–

At first, his expression remained stoic, but as he listened to Blue's words get more desperate, something faltered. His brow twitched, and he glanced away for a moment. _Say something... but_ _ **what**_ _?_ What was there to say?

 _I'm busy?_

 _I don't have anything to say?_

 _Leave me alone..._

 _I don't want you seeing me like this..._

What **could** he say?

 ** _You should find another Hematite to be friends with._**

A soft, bitter laugh escaped him.

"Ha."

 _Oh... she wasn't supposed to hear that._ Slowly, he looked back at her, the slightest bit of apprehension in his eyes.

"I guess you could say my job today is to really... bring down.. the.. house." He _tried_ to smile. He did.

But nothing happened.

–

Blue stared for a moment, but burst into a pathetic laughter. She crumpled down on the rubble placing a palm on its cold surface. She didn't stop. She kept laughing, but the laugh turned dry... before it turned into something else.

A sob.

Tears flowed from her eyes, spattering onto the broken piece of building. She tried desperately to cover her face with her hands. _Why did this hurt? Why did this suddenly make her so upset? Was she overreacting?_ She ran her hands up her face, fingers digging into her puffy hair. She looked at the ground, refusing to look up at him. She just kept crying.

Though she couldn't see it at the moment, Hematite's cold demeanor broke, if only for a moment.

 _No._

 _No, he couldn't see Blue like this... She was distraught over how he was behaving. It was his fault._

… _No._

 _Yellow Diamond's fault._

 _ **She**_ _did this to him._

 _ **She**_ _hurt Blue._

"Th-they... You... I..." She could hardly keep herself together.

This hurt... This hurt her. It hurt her to see him like this. It hurt her because she didn't know what to do. A service gem... a service gem and a Diamond with a friendship that she felt was so strong, she could be comfortable around him. Or so she had thought.

The common gem would have laughed. In such a seemingly short amount of time, Blue got closer to this gem than she did most others. Sure, she was social, and palling around with gems was just how she was. But Hematite, from the start, was something special to her.

"You broke your promise," she said quietly, looking up finally with an expression of hurt and anger. She didn't know how to feel... and yet she felt _so_ many things.

He had changed. He had let them take his spirited nature away. They took _him_ away. This wasn't the same gem she befriended before... and she could do nothing about it.

–

As she looked up at him, his eyes widened, and he glanced away, hurt. Slowly, he lifted his hand, as if to reach for her, but he stopped and lowered it again, instead moving to hold his upper arm. He squeezed tightly, the fabric bunching up between his fingers.

"... You're right. I'm sorry."

 _She hates you now._

 _You hurt her._

 _You're_ _ **defective**_ _._

 _And you're a_ _ **d**_

 _You're not good enough for_ _ **anyone**_ _._

"If I may go... I have a job to do." His voice was quiet, but the numbness from before was slowly creeping back into his tone. He couldn't do this.

 _But he had to._

 _He wouldn't let Blue grieve him._

If it meant she hated him by the time he was gone, then so be it.

But damned if it didn't hurt right _**now**_.

–

Blue wiped the tears from her eyes. She felt disgusting... she felt weak. She felt vulnerable. She felt angry.

 _But she kept it together._

Standing up, she nodded simply, turning away without a word. There was nothing she could do for him. She could only hope that he'd come back to his senses. Though, she didn't count on it. She wanted so badly to just _beat_ the sadness out of him. _Hah...no, that's not how it worked._ She could tell, for a split second, she had moved something in him... but it was unlikely that it was _much,_ much less enough to bring him back.

She gave up.

Back turned to the service gem, she shrugged her shoulders and sighed heavily.

"I'll see ya around, Kid..."

–

Hematite stared at her, apprehension still clear in his expression, but as Blue turned away, the life drained out of his face again, and he went cold.

"Yes, I'm sure we will see each other around again." He stood up. "We do live close to each other."

With that, he turned away and walked back to the crumbling building.

–

Blue started off, clutching her arm in her hand. That was a disaster...she started to wonder if it was best if she had just stayed out of it. After a few moments, there was an ear-splitting crack, followed by crumbling. She jerked her head back to see what had happened. Her eyes widened.

–

Hematite stood, motionless, the building crashing down around his arm. He'd punched straight to the center, taking out the one last piece he needed to destroy the tower.

But he didn't move.

His hunting visor had glazed over.

As the dust cleared, the giant gem was left standing there with his arm still extended, his hand balled into a fist. Slowly, he stood straight. His hand turned over, and dangling from his clawed fingers, was a tiny, very frightened Jade. From the looks of her outfit, she didn't belong to any faction. She cried out in terror as Hematite lifted her close to his face, his visor scanning her gem. The giant gem turned his hand over, Jade now precariously gripped on all sides by his clawed fingers. She cried out for help.

 _ **Poff**_

One little squeeze. That's all it took. Hematite's visor went dark, and with a flick of his wrist, he bubbled the tiny gemstone and tossed it in his mouth, wasting no time in tapping his gem as it flashed brightly.

And then he left.

–

A massive wave of stress flooded over the Diamond. She quickly looked back to her original path, sweat forming on her brow. Her pace quickened. _Right, just get back to the Blue district. Have a drink. Ok, have a lot of drinks_. She had never seen Hematite so ruthless. So deadpan. So cold... No, she had to keep up hope. She had to believe that he was still in there, somewhere. Still, she wasn't going to turn around _now_. Perhaps it would be ideal if she stayed away from him for a little while. Maybe this was what he wanted. Perhaps it was for the best...

She wished she hadn't come here.

–

 _Gleam!_

Stepping off the Hematite Kindergarten warp pad, Hema looked around with a frown. He stepped down and headed down the small staircase that lead to the main floor of the Kindergarten. The warp pad was located in the very center of the huge maze of rock walls and bordered by various Peridot work stations and inactive injector drills lined against the walls. It had been over ten years since he visited this place.

But he wasn't here for sentiment or nostalgia. He was there with one goal. Slowly, he walked further into the kindergarten, heading for the north end. There was a large clearing there that was perfect for the purpose he had in mind. Hopefully, the gem he had the archival Peridot check on was where she should be. Slowly, Hematite shifted up to his full size, arms folded behind his back. His eyes remained locked ahead.

Hema was oddly silent the entire way over, mirroring the current state of the kindergarten. It seemed that most of the Hematites were out on missions or were deeper in the maze of rock walls. _Good. He didn't want to be disturbed._

–

–

Soon enough, the ivory-haired gem stepped through the massive entrance to the north clearing. There, far across the expanse of flat, purplish rock, was a well-built and _very_ big gem. It was another Hematite. She had a more muscular build than Hema, and was about twice his size. Her hair was semi-long and wavy, but was incredibly short on the left side of her head. A silvery stone laid in the middle of her forehead, covered by a pale white visor with rounded tips around the cheeks. She was leaning up against the wall, looking at the sky with a bright, curious smile. Her eyes were the same pinkish color as Hema's left eye, from underneath her visor, at least. Elbow-length dark gray gloves covered her arms, matching her two-toned top. The rest of her suit was a mix of maroons and whites.

Pursing his lips with a grim frown, Hema walked over, loudly clearing his throat. The much taller service gem perked up, her brows raising as she tilted her head down. As soon as she spotted the ivory-haired gem, she gasped in surprise, grinning soon after and revealing a large, curved buck-tooth.

"Heyyy!" Standing up, the taller gem rushed over closer to Hema, making him flinch slightly. Stars, she really was _big_. He did his best to keep his composure as she closed in on him, though. The gray-haired gem chuckled heartily and suddenly leaned down as soon as she was within arm's reach, picking Hema up around the waist with both hands. Inhaling sharply through his teeth, he stiffened and lifted his arms, glancing down at the bigger gem's hands with a scowl. She held him up in front of her, looking him over.

"Stars, I forgot how small ya were! You're a cute lil thing, heheheh! Been a long time, fancy boots. Haven't seen you a single time since after that first test we all went through! Good to see you're still in one piece, eh? I guess the Diamonds haven't worked you _too_ hard," she said jokingly, eyeing Hema curiously. The much smaller gem frowned up at his current captor and crossed his arms.

"I'd appreciate it if you put me down," he said simply, arching a brow. The gray-haired service gem grinned awkwardly, giving a soft chuckle.

"Aaw, okay grumpy granite. If you say so." Slowly, she lowered his feet back to the kindergarten floor, patting his head afterward. Hema grunted quietly and adjusted his hair, frowning. The taller gem stepped back and put her fists on her hips. "So! A Peridot said you needed me here for something? You're in luck that I'm around Homeworld for a few weeks! What did ya need, oh small one?" she said brightly, staring down at the shorter gem. Snorting unappreciatively at the nickname, Hema adjusted his eyepiece and stood straight, staring up at the gem.

"Hematite 2, I'll get right to the point. For the next few days, possibly weeks, I need you to meet me in the Blue District training grounds near the Coliseum. Stay in your civilian size so you don't cause distress. You and I will be sparring there."

Brows raising, the gray-haired gem tilted her head.  
"Eeh? Ya wanna fight? Hah! I wouldn't have pinned you as the scrappy type!" she chuckled, bringing her hands out in front of her as she cracked her knuckles. Hema arched a brow.

"We will not be 'fighting' per say. It's endurance training. As it stands, I can only last about five or so minutes at my civilian size during fights or high-stress situations, and this has become a problem. As such, my stamina isn't the best for spars, and I need to work on it for my missions," he said simply. Smirking curiously, the taller gem shrugged and sighed.

"Whatever ya say, lil buddy. Hand to hand combat, then?" she asked. Hema nodded. She smiled and rolled her shoulders with a soft hum. "Weeeell, then I'd happily oblige! But uh, just one condition," she said, lifting an index finger and closing one eye. The shorter gem sighed and frowned. He'd sought out this gem specifically because she was two ranks under him and had to do what he said, even if she didn't want to. What was this 'condition' of hers?

"What is it."

Smirking, the well-built gem lowered her hand and offered it to Hema.

"Don't call me Hematite 2. Call me Tita! That's what my friends call me," she said with a grin. Glancing at the offered hand, Hema paused.

"We're not _friends_ , we're sparring partners. But, alright. I will refer to you as Tita," he said simply, looking up to meet the giant gem's eyes. Tita gazed into the shorter gem's eyes, her smile faltering for a moment. Something in his gaze sent a shiver up her spine, and she quickly withdrew her hand.

"Right! Okay, good. Should we start today, then?" she asked, grinning awkwardly.

Standing straight, Hema narrowed his eyes and nodded.

"The sooner the better."

–

–

 _Five minutes._

 _I already know how to_ _ **fight**_ _Yellow Diamond. I just need to make sure I can outlast her in battle. I can't just shift up right off the bat. That's too easy._

 _Five and a half._

He had to keep pushing himself. There had to be more he could do. His endurance was abysmal, at best; especially if Yellow got some good hits in.

 _Six._

 _Seven._

If he was going to do this, he had to hold out longer. Hit. Kick. Punch. Swipe. _Don't give in. You're capable of so much more. Show her._

 _Seven and a half._

 _Show her what you're made of. Prove her wrong. Take a hit. Keep going. Let her words fuel you. If you can hold your own against Tita, you can hold your own against_ _ **her**_ _._

 _Eight._

 _White Diamond's been giving me odd looks. She can tell something's wrong, I think._

 **White doesn't suspect a thing so far. Thankfully. She still believes the 'I'm tired' excuse. I hope it holds out.**

 _What about Blue? She's not going to be happy. This is going to hurt her._

 **She's already hurt. She won't miss me. I have to do this.**

 _No, I don't! Just tell White what's going on!_

 **They're both Diamonds. There's nothing she can do to stop Yellow. Besides. Who knows what Yellow Diamond will do if she finds out I told on her.**

 _She can't do anything... White would protect me. … Right?_

 **She couldn't protect me that one night against Yellow.**

… _She couldn't have known she would do that._

 **I'm just a service gem. A service gem with limited time. I don't matter. They didn't send anyone after me on Earth. If I really mattered, they would have tried to find me.**

 _They couldn't have known where I was. They couldn't risk a search team for one- ... gem._

 **Exactly.**

 _But this isn't the answer! There has to be another way to fix this. Nothing's unfixable!_

… **_This_** **is.**

 _I'm not going to walk out of this intact. There's no way. I can train all I want, I'm not making it out of this alive._

 **But I** ** _will_** **be remembered. I won't simply fade away. Someone, no,** ** _everyone_** **will know my name. They'll talk about me long after I'm gone.**

… _But what will they say?_

 **What does it matter. I won't be there to hear it. I don't care.**

 _Then why do I care so much about it in the first place?_

 **They can't just toss me aside. I'm not 'nothing'. I'm** ** _something_** **. I'll show them. I'll show them all.**

 _I'll show_ _ **her**_ _._

 _Nine minutes._

 _No, I have to push myself further. Fight harder, hold out longer, don't pass out, don't shift down. I have to tire her out. Avoid her attacks. Make her throw strategy away._

 _Ten._

 _Give them a show. Give them all a show. Make them remember you. Let them know who you are._ _ **What**_ _you are. What you're_ _ **capable of.**_ _Let them know how much you've been_ _ **hurting**_ _._

 _Eleven._

 _What to say, what to say... Make it good. Diamonds and service gems, big and small. Hm. Break, broken? No. Hunter, hunted... Better. Perhaps._

 _Twelve._

 _Harvesters, harvested. Mercy... Mercy to a hunter? To the hunted? Hm. There might be something there._

 _Thirteen._

 _This didn't have to be this way. This could have been- ... Ha. You just_ _ **had**_ _to make this difficult, didn't you Yellow Diamond?_

 _Thirteen and a half._

 _That's more like it... but I know I can push the time further. I can't pass out. It'll all be over if I do._

 _Fourteen._

 _I've almost tripled my sparring time... this. This is incredible. Why didn't I ever do this before now? Why didn't I ever fight like this before?! She would have respected me if I could haven beaten her, even once!_

… _No, nothing would ever be good enough for her. Not even_ _ **that**_ _._

 _Fourteen and a half._

 _This should be good enough, right? Surely, she'd tire out by now._

 _Fifteen. Fifteen minutes._

… _**There**_ _._

Taking a flighty step backwards, Hema held his fists close to his face, glaring up at his opponent. Tita chuckled breathlessly and held a hand over her abdomen, wincing slightly.

"Stars, fancy boots! No wonder White Diamond picked you. But, ah... Do you think we could pause for the day? I actually have another job I have to get to later." Hema looked up at the well-built gem with an unreadable expression. Slowly, he shifted out of his fighting stance and looked at his fists.

"... Actually, Tita. I think I'm good," he said quietly. Tita raised a brow at the smaller gem, still rubbing her stomach with a small grimace.

"Ahh, whatcha mean?"  
"... I mean I will no longer need to spar with you. Thank you, you have been very... helpful."

The gray-haired service gem stood straighter, pursing her lips with a surprised blink.

"Oh, really? Aah man, I've kinda had fun these past few weeks, though! You sure you wouldn't wanna tussle next time I visit Homeworld?" she asked with a hopeful smile, putting her gloved hands on her hips. Hema frowned seriously, unsummoning his weapons.

"Hm. Perhaps. But for now, you're relieved of your duty as my sparring partner. Remember, not a word of this to anyone, this is private training. I don't want the others getting you, again. Good luck on your job today," he said simply, folding his arms behind him. Tita smiled awkwardly down at the smaller gem.

"Thanks, fancy boots," she said softly. The ivory-haired gem turned and started to walk off, fingers brushing together behind his back. Tita watched the smaller gem walk off before she lifted up a hand. "Hey."

Hema stopped, not turning around. Glancing to the side, the gray-haired service gem bit her lip for a moment with her rather odd, rounded buck-tooth.

"Whatever's been on your mind, lil guy... good luck with it. Don't push yourself too hard, alright? There's more to life than your job and efficiency!" she said cheerfully, with a forced smile. Hema silently clenched his fists, not replying. After a moment, he kept walking, eyes locked forward.

 _Not anymore, there isn't._

 _It's just me and you, Yellow Diamond._

 _ **'You are a mistake'**_

 _And you, Yellow. Have_ _ **made**_ _a mistake._


	12. The Incident

_Summary: Hematite displays the results of some intense personal training._

* * *

 _This chapter marks the end of Arc 1._  
 _[This chapter contains a scene from chapter 2 that some readers may find disturbing or uncomfortable. Reader discretion is advised.]_

* * *

 **Do it.**

Hematite walked down the bridge toward Yellow Diamond's tower, his steps measured, breathing even, his eyes dead ahead.

 _This was it._

Stopping at the tall office doors, the service gem took a slow, deep breath. He hesitated. Hematite's hand lifted, and his fingers gently brushed his gemstone.

 _I've got nothing to lose._

Knocking on the door, he took a step back. The doors hissed open, and Hematite looked inside, not moving, his arms now folded neatly behind him. Yellow Diamond was at her desk.

 **Good.**

–

Yellow Diamond was thumbing through a few archive disks in her hand. Looking up, she met Hematite with a rather unwelcome stare.

"Can I help you, Hematite?..." she spoke promptly. The pearl that commonly was around gave Hematite a suspicious glare, but looked away without a word.

There was an eerie quietness in the air... something stale. Something _tense_. Her eyes narrowed, fixated on the gem in front of her. Why was he here? Why was he looking at her like that? He didn't normally just show up like this, let alone without a single word. Normally, he'd have already started babbling. She crossed her arms and awaited his reply.

–

His silence was heavy, dense, cold, **invasive**. It filled the whole office, reaching every corner of the room, _**weighing everything down.**_ Hematite was so quiet, he almost seemed like a _statue_.

 _ **Do it.**_

He finally moved. Lifting his head and giving Yellow Diamond a 'friendly' grin, he saluted his superior.

"Hematite reporting, Yellow Diamond. May I enter?"

–

Yellow raised a brow and nodded.

"Yes. Is there something you need or are you just here to talk about your _riveting_ adventures with Blue?" she said with an annoyed scowl. Glancing over at the Pearl, she gave her a look... one that the Pearl understood immediately. She bowed gracefully, then made her way out of the room. She didn't look at Hematite this time.

–

After the Pearl left, Hematite took a few steps into the office. The door hissed behind him, shutting with a 'click'. He was still smiling.

He rubbed his fingers together behind his back.

"No, no adventures to report." His voice lowered a little. "No, I've been training ever since our last..." He swallowed. His finger twitched. " _Spar_."

Pausing a moment, he tilted his head with a bright smile.

"I came to see if you would like a _rematch_. Three days, the Sky Arena. Evening."

–

The Diamond couldn't help but smirk with a cocky demeanor. She never really passed up the opportunity to spar...plus, this was one of the few times he'd actually asked _her_ to. She figured she would humor him and accept his little request. Tapping a finger gently on the table, she thought about it with a sarcastic smirk for a moment, then looked back at him with an unsettling grin.

"As you wish.~"

–

Hematite grinned back, clenching his fist behind his back. His eyepiece glinted in the light as he stood straight.

"Excellent."

–

Word got out quickly that Yellow and Hematite were going to have another showdown, this time, in the Sky Arena. A smaller crowd had quickly gathered up, making their way in the stands. The warp pad kept flashing on and off, new gems arriving with each few passing minutes. Yellow stood somewhere around the sidelines of the battlegrounds, stretching her arms out and waving her sword. Blue, too, showed up... but decided to keep a low profile. She figured it'd be good to come along and watch to make sure everything went alright. After their last battle, well... she'd be lying if she said she didn't have the best feeling about this. She slipped in quietly, seating herself up on the second row. Maybe they wouldn't notice her.

The evening sky above was slowly reddening with the setting sun, casting the arena in warm hues. However, the light was slowly being suffocated by dark storm clouds that were starting to form. It was very common that lightning storms followed Yellow Diamond around, especially when she was closer up to the sky. The air felt charged with electricity, making some of the gathered gems a bit antsy.

–

There were many familiar faces in the crowd. Mago, whom was currently shrunken to her civilian size and keeping a low profile, Puff, Rubes, a few gems Hematite had met at the bar, and of course, many of '''The Harvester's''' loyal fans. They loved seeing him fight, even if they were sure this match was going to end... badly. But they would still be there for moral support!

Murmurs drifted through the crowd. Most of the gems were nervously discussing the last time Yellow Diamond and the service gem had duked it out, Hematite was _thrashed_. How would this be any different? Did he have a new trick, was he going to cheat? Over time, the crowd's murmuring grew in volume. Their excitement was steadily rising.

But... where was Hematite?

Nobody had seen the service gem since this fight started gaining popularity. Did he chicken out, ditch, refuse to be beaten again by Yellow Diamond?

No.

He was waiting. Watching. From a dark tunnel at the far end of the Sky Arena, Hematite was crouched, his knees bent, his arms resting on them. The air around him was heavy and cold, his breathing shallow.

Eyes wide, the small gem watched Yellow Diamond with intense focus.

 _Go ahead._

 _Swing your little sword around._

 _ **It won't do you any good.**_

–

Blue would normally be right there with the crowd cheering, but she wanted to bring no attention to herself. She hunkered down as low as she could, trying to be subtle. Her gaze drifted to Yellow, who was nimbly swaying her sword, breathing calmly. _This would be fine. It would be over in a flash. Just like all the other fights..._ Of course, Blue wanted to support him, to see him happy again. Maybe if he won, he'd be fine. He'd feel better. Regardless, she couldn't even so much as cheer. It was best if she just stayed quiet and watched. If Yellow tried to pull another trick, she'd jump in. She didn't want anyone to get hurt. She didn't want _Hematite_ to get hurt...

Yellow quickly swiped her sword towards the entrance of the Sky Arena, watching it intently.

"Hmph." She smirked, clicking the end of her sword to the ground. _Looks like he's a no show. Figures._

–

 _Ha. You're looking the wrong way.~_

 _Guess that was the advantage of waiting here overnight._

Tapping his clawed finger on his forearm, Hematite took a deep breath. It looked like the crowd had stopped gathering. Everyone was here.

 _There should have been more._

 _ **Oh well. Time to give those who**_ _are_ **_here a good show._**

The ivory-haired gem slowly stood to his feet, clenching and unclenching his fists. He rolled his head to stretch his neck, frowning deeply. _Don't break character. Don't let her scare you._

Looking forward, the service gem inhaled slowly through his nose, letting the breath out through gritted teeth.

 _It's time._

Hematite slowly walked out of the darkness of the far tunnel. He was across the arena from Yellow Diamond. The crowd quickly noticed him and most exploded into cheers and whoops. There he was! Phew, so he hadn't bailed!

They would have hated it if their time was wasted.

The small service gem stood, motionless, waiting for his opponent to notice him.

He was sure the crowd would get her attention.

–

Yellow turned her head, looking to the smaller gem that had now entered the ring. She smirked again, pointing her sword to him.

"I see you finally decided to show up! Well then, are you ready?" She said with confidence. _This would be easy._ Dark clouds rolled overhead, darkening the stadium. They had been gathering there all day, and now that the two were out and about, the skies started coming to life at last with a brilliant display of lightning. A roaring roll of thunder rumbled along the horizon.

 _This was it. Time to spring into action. Time to put the Hematite in his place yet again. She was ready._

–

 **This will be easy.**

Hematite didn't move as his opponent pointed her sword at him. Instead, he smiled widely. A crack of thunder rumbled overhead once more as the sky was sent aglow with lightning.

There was a long pause.

"Let's make this quick. Shall we?"

–

Yellow narrowed her eyes, but the grin on her face spoke a thousand words.

She advanced forward, her blade aglow already. The crowd erupted in cheers. The fun had begun. While running, she zig zagged with sparks of lightning trailing behind her. Perhaps this would throw him off right off the bat. When she had maneuvered herself close enough, she shot out a thick bolt of lightning right towards her opponent.

–

 _Hm. How showy._

 _This was going to be fun._

The smaller gem hadn't moved an inch as she bolted across the arena to him, seemingly unfazed by her impressive show of speed. As soon as she neared and shot her lightning at him, however, that changed.

With unnatural speed, Hematite ducked and dodged the lightning strike entirely, his body shooting forward. He went straight for his opponent, and was upon her within one short moment. Leaping upwards, he delivered a sharp blow her to abdomen, sending her back. But his full force was not put behind the punch; it was only enough to make her lose her footing. His expression was eerily calm and cold, and as Yellow stumbled back, Hematite darted for her again.

–

Yellow let out a sharp gasp, taken aback by the sudden blow. _Wha...how did he dodge that so quickly!?_ She stumbled back, scrambling to regain her footing. Not a moment later, she noticed the gem advancing quickly and swiped her sword to keep some distance between them. She muttered something crossly under her breath.

"A lucky shot..." she snarled, charging for him as well, her stance low. She looked down. With any luck, she could aim for his feet to knock him down.

–

The tiniest smirk crossed Hematite's face as he approached her, despite her swinging sword.

 _"Luck had nothing to do with it."_ he said lowly, but loud enough for her to hear. The smaller gem saw where her eyes went to, and he charged even faster for her, looking like he too was going to go for her legs.

–

Yellow scowled, but didn't notice that he was speeding up. As soon as she got close enough, she decided to pull a fast one and instead of going for his legs... she jumped. With a fierce yell, she went straight in for the kill, her sword clutched in her hand, poised to come down right through the figure below her. _He wanted fast, so she was going to make it fast._

–

 _Right on cue._

As Yellow Diamond leapt into the air, Hematite spun around, his fists suddenly alight with electricity. Before she could blink, the smaller gem lashed out his lightning whips, grabbing onto her foot.

 _ **SLAM!**_

Yellow Diamond was on the ground within an instant, a faint crack now in the marble where she landed. Before she could react, Hematite's whips dissipated, and darted forward, his body glowing.

–

The crowd called out, chanting Hematite's name. Blue, however, remained silent... she felt a prickle of anxiety growing within her. He was doing well against her. _Too well._ Not to mention, he was keeping himself together unusually well. She placed her palm to her mouth, taking a deep breath. _Man, Sparky was gonna be maaaad about this._

But she already was. Yellow felt a fierce anger rise within her. She coughed, staggering to get to her feet. That was brutal... even for him. She hadn't landed a single hit, and to make matters worse...why was he suddenly so _strong_?... She met him with the same bloodthirsty gaze she had during their last match. Clenching her fists, she readied another sword and pointed it towards him.

"ALRIGHT you pebble... Bring it on!" she hissed, her hands starting to glow with flowing electricity.

–

His form shifted quickly, and within a moment he stood at equal height with his opponent. Hematite met her gaze with an icily hollow smile as he ran for her. He wasn't even in a fighting stance, but instead was clenching and unclenching his fists.

Suddenly, they sparkled with lightning, and his hands seemed to.. change. But before Yellow could see what he'd done, Hematite went straight for her and reeled back his hand before suddenly skirting to her side. With a fierce, feral cry, he swiped violently at the side of her head.

–

She blinked in mild surprise... he shifted _up_? _Normally by now he'd be getting tired..._ then again, she still hadn't laid a single hit on him. She ran quicker, but ducked down to her knees and skidded right past him. Jutting herself back up, she swung her leg around, attempting to kick him in the back.

–

She landed the hit that time. Hematite overestimated himself, and his claws met the open air as he tumbled forward. Normally, he would have landed in a heavy heap, but the ivory haired gem gracefully rolled to the side, landing on all fours. The moment he was up, he launched at her again with claws out at his sides.

–

Yellow grinned ominously. _Finally_. She darted back, holding her sword in front of her body like a guard. She darted to the side and gained a good distance from the service gem, speeding up until she eventually started to glow brightly with a yellow aura. She easily outran Hematite in this state. With a loud crack, a massive lightning bolt struck the Diamond directly, creating a small crater where she was at said time. She ran right through it, cackling maniacally. Her entire body now surged with the powerful electricity. This time, she was using it to her advantage. The strike itself stung, but it was nothing to her willpower to overcome the pain. A simple flick... that was all it felt like to her at the moment. Bolting forward, she extended her sword, going for another blindingly fast strike.

–

 _Hmm, Impressive. But it's all show._

As Yellow Diamond was struck by the lightning, Hematite took the chance and put some distance between them, his body aglow. As she neared for her attack, there was a blinding flash, and a hideous _**CLANG.**_

Hematite had shifted up again, and was standing at 12 feet tall, his knuckle dusters having taken the blow and shattered his opponent's sword. His body was coursing with electricity, and his shoulders ached terribly, but he didn't so much as outwardly flinch.

"C'mon _Sparky_. Is that the best you can do?" he growled with a chuckle. Before she could react, he spun around and landed a nasty kick to her abdomen, sending her flying back a considerable distance.

–

 _What?..._

She didn't get a chance to even react, suddenly struck back a good 20 or so feet. She landed ungracefully on her side, tumbling over herself with a pained grunt. The crowd gasped, but quickly started cheering again. Yellow was _furious_. She shot him another nasty glare, clutching her abdomen. She didn't say anything. Standing back up, she stumbled a little, creating another sword.

"You BRAT..." She snarled, taking a more defensive stance this time.

That actually hurt... that... _actually_... hurt. He wasn't holding anything back. This strength wasn't like anything she had fought against before from him. Why was he suddenly so strong, so fast? He'd never fought like this in any of their other spars. She'd practically batted him around during all those fights!

 _So where was_ _ **this**_ _coming from?!_

–

Hematite was already racing for her, his body low. As soon as he was within reach, he swiped at her, fingers outstretched. Now at a much closer range, it was clear that his hands had definitely changed. His fingers were longer, more angular, tapered into full-on _claws instead of fingertips._ He reeled his hand back, swiping at her. He was leaving no room for her to take a swing at him. Again, again, again, he swiped for Yellow Diamond's chest, _seemingly_ aiming for her gemstone. Each time, however, his hands glanced off of her sword, missing consistently. It almost seemed like he wasn't actually trying to hit it, but was rather aiming for right around it.

He let out an unnerving, confident sounding laugh.

–

She swiped her sword in more defensive poses, backing up as he seemed to edge closer and closer. His close strikes didn't go unnoticed, and she shot him a dark, deadly glare.

"HEY! WATCH YOUR CLAWS!" she remarked harshly, darting back quickly, hoping to gain some distance. _Was this gem cracked?! He WAS going right for her gem!_ What was he thinking?! She could have him killed for that _alone_!

Perhaps he was just getting feisty. He was just really into the fight. _Surely that was it_. He wouldn't dare go after her gem again.

She was starting to sweat. He wasn't tiring out... why couldn't she land more hits? Why was she suddenly the one being backed up into the wall?! She jumped back quickly, thrashing her sword at his hand at the first sight of an opportunity. If she could just get him away from her for a few moments...

–

But he didn't stop. The gem continued to make wild swipes for his superior's gemstone, and as she darted back, he took the chance and matched her movement, seeing an opening.

"You're sliiippiiiiing.~" he crooned, his voice tinted with a strange melodic malice. This time, instead of going for her gem, Hematite landed a full-force strike to the Diamond's face. He let out a maniacal laugh as he swiped again, this time hitting her sword arm.

–

The sudden tone shift took her by surprise. The sharp cold cock knocked the wind right out of her, her sword flinging into the air. She stumbled backwards, landing on her back, but she scrambled to regain her composure. She shook her head, placing a palm to her cheek.

"YOU..." She sputtered, gnashing her teeth together with a nasty glare. She got to her feet quickly and lit her arms up with lightning. "THATS IT, I'M ENDING THIS!" she roared, violently charging the other gem, bringing her arm back to barrage her opponent. Her body started to glow once more, the electricity surging through her, more powerful than ever. It was also starting to take a toll on her body. She was starting to slow down, and her moves became more erratic. This attack was tiring her out...

It was desperate... a last resort.

Blue bit her lip, clutching her hand close to her chest. She watched nervously, sweat pouring off her brow. _Man, she never resorts to this... That's gutsy, even for her._ What grace and strategy she _did_ have had all but disappeared, leaving a livid, impetuous diamond in its wake.

–

 _ **Then let's end it.**_

Hematite admittedly was startled by her wild attack, it seemed she had reached her patience limit. _**Good**_.

As the Diamond closed in and began landing powerful punches, Hematite blocked them as best he could, her lightning coursing through him. _Oh it hurt like hell, but he wasn't about to back down._

"You're getting sloppy, Yellow Diamond.~ " The service gem was in a great deal of pain, but he simply wasn't wearing out. All that training. His weeks of endurance-tempering were paying off. Yellow's attacks hurt like nobody's business, and his entire body was screaming at him to give up, to shift down and find somewhere to recover, but he couldn't give in. Not now.

 _Not when he was so close._

–

"WHY. WON'T. YOU. TIRRREE RR AAAAAAAGGGHHH!"

She cried out in frustration, delivering blow after blow. He wasn't shifting down or backing off, but she could tell her strikes were finally making purchase. Hematite was in a great deal of pain, that much was obvious. Finally, she felt maybe she was making some headway toward being back on the offensive. She was so infused with rage, she hardly heard the words he spoke to her. Her emotions were taking over, driving her every move and decision. She reeled back, ready to deliver one final, powerful punch, meeting his gaze with the most condescending glare... Then she smirked.

 _It's over now!_

–

Hematite watched Yellow's hand reel back, and he took his chance. In a flash, Hematite had shifted up again to about 20 feet and landed a powerful blow to his opponent, electricity shooting into her through his fist. She flew away a good 50 or so feet, and the ivory haired gem felt a cruel satisfaction in the pit of his stomach.

 _Now stay down._

–

The crowd fell still. Silent.

So did Yellow Diamond.

Blue gasped, her eyes widening. She wasn't poofed... but...

The battered, beaten gem coughed, shakily trying to get up. She stared at the ground.

 _How?... How... No, there was no way..._

Her breathing got faster, heavier, more shallow.

"FINE! YOU WIN. IT'S OVER. You've bested me, at last. Are you satisfied, now?!" She looked up at him, shaking with absolute _fury_. Her hands clutched the ground, clawed fingers digging at the tiles.

Blue stared in a stricken silence. _He... actually won?_ She called the match? There had been so few in her days that she had actually seen push Yellow to this point... It was incredibly rare. And yet, even still, none of them had been quite like this... to this level of rage. Her heart sank. Yellow was gonna be beating herself up over this loss for a while. Oh well... at least it was over.

–

The gem stood in grim silence. Thunder rolled overhead, lightning cracking through the sky, lightning it up in a flash.

At Yellow Diamond's words, a cruel grin spread across Hematite's face.

"Satisfied? Oh, you'd know _everything_ about that, wouldn't you?" Hema took a single step forward, his hands out in a sort of shrug as his claws disappeared, shifting back to his regular fingers. "Nothing EVER satisfied you. No matter how harrrrrrd I tried, it was all a waste. Loss after LOSS. AFTER LOSS!" His voice dropped to a crooning lilt. "I would have been fine if you'd just... taught me. Made me a better gem. Did SOMETHING TO BUILD ME UP INSTEAD OF STEPPING ON ME ALL THE TIME! THIS COULD HAVE BEEN EASY!" A sharp, bitter laugh escaped him. "This... you think this is about _WINNING?_ YOU THINK THIS IS OVER?"

–

Her eyes widened, her furious face cringed with confusion and disgust upon his words... before fading into a hollow stare. The entire arena kept quiet, small gasps and soft murmurs being passed around. Blue felt her non-existent heart drop suddenly. _What was he talking about...?_

"Ha... haha...h haahahaHAHAHA!" Unnerving laughter erupted from Hematite's chest, and he put his palm to his forehead, cackling maniacally to the thundering skies. "You think this is **OVER**?" he repeated. His laughing grew louder, all sense of sanity gone from the horrific sound. "Nooo, no nononono! Yellow Diamond..." He dropped his hand, his eyes shut peacefully as he smiled, his face still toward the sky. Slowly, he lowered his head, and his eyes snapped open and locked onto his opponent.

" _W e ' n."_

Hematite lowered himself to the ground on all fours, his eyes never leaving Yellow Diamond. His form began to glow and shift even bigger, but it was painfully slow, as if he was making a show of it.

–

Yellow wanted to say something... but nothing came out. She wanted to yell, she wanted to respond. She wanted to say anything. But she couldn't. Her legs were locked into place, eyes unable to look away as Hematite's body took a huge form, towering now above her.

She wasted no time in placing her hand to her gem, summoning a sword, and stepping back. The angry confusion returned to her, mixed this time with... something else. An emotion she couldn't quite put a finger on. She was sweating bullets at this point, already roughed up immensely from the fight. No, she was in no shape to continue, especially not against this thing.

He still spoke, his voice slightly warped by the shifting.

"Don't you know the rules of the food chain, Yellow Diamond?" He slammed a massive hand down, leaving a huge crack in the marble. "There is no 'mercy', to a predator." A crack of thunder shook the sky arena, and the crowd suddenly started to stir, some gems gasping in surprise or worry. Hematite's massive form stayed alight for an unnerving amount of time until it finally flashed brilliantly, revealing his crouched, fully sized form. He opened his eyes and grinned down at his opponent, gaze full of fire. "There is only 'eat'." A massive hand raised to his face, and with a flick, Hematite's hunting visor blocked out his eyes.

"Or be eaten."

His words struck like a hundred daggers into her, a piercing anxiety rushing through her.

She felt... something. Something awful. She felt... _what was this?_ No, she refused to feel this way.

Baring her fangs, she swiped her sword threateningly to the side, looking up to the monstrous figure with as much courage as she could muster.

"Wh.. What ARE YOU DOING?! I ALREADY CALLED OFF THE MATCH!"

–

The visor began to glow. Hematite's gaze never left his now minuscule opponent, and as the screen fully lit up, he bit his lip in anticipation. A soft chuckle escaped him at the sight of Yellow Diamond's sword.

"I'm sorry to say, Yellow Diamond, but I humbly refuse your..." He condescendingly tapped his chin with one clawed finger. A grin spread across his face. " _Request_."

At this point, two of the guards that were standing watch at the entrance of the Sky Arena charged at the giant gem. Without taking his eyes off of Yellow Diamond, Hematite waited for his chance, and then batted the two guards away, back into the main entrance. He picked up a piece of rubble from the more torn up side of the arena, still without taking his eyes off of his opponent, and placed it in front of the tunnel, blocking the entrance.

–

Yellow's brows furrowed, her lips curling into a harsh snarl.

But it was a mask.

She felt something. Something _dreadful_. Something _she didn't like._ She was trying her hardest to suppress it. He couldn't be serious, whatever he was doing. _This was some sort of sick joke. Was this Blue's doing?_ She raised her sword up to the gem and backed up. The crowd started getting far more anxious, gems raising their voices now and pointing. They sounded distressed.

Blue was still among them... and felt everything around her. All the bustling, anxious gems, their confused whispers, their fearful questions... She opened her mouth to say something, but instead got to her feet and jumped down to the first stand, between two gems. She gripped the side of the wall, looking frantically between the two gems on the arena floor.

"I ORDER you to stand down! This fight is OVER, Hematite! You have NO authority here, and failure to comply will result in a SEVERE punishment!" she shouted up at him.

She was visibly sweating... even the sword in her hand started trembling, unbeknownst to her.

–

Hematite glanced around at the audience he had. The faintest laugh escaped him at the sight of all these gems, and he slowly looked back down at his opponent. He advanced a single 'pace', putting his hand in front of him. His visor began to whir.

When he spoke, Hematite's voice was low, cold, and devious.

"Gem Located: Yellow Diamond. Status: No gem faults detected. Mission Objective." An eerie grin spread across his face, and there was a long pause before a yellow, diamond-shaped target flickered onto the screen with a high-pitched honing sound.

 **" e."**

–

Everyone panicked.

The crowd erupted into screams and vicious yelling. _He was turning on her. He was actually turning on her!_

Gems began to scramble out of the stands, some unable to move from their seats.

Blue gasped in horror, clutching the wall so hard, she left small cracks in it. It was as if she had felt someone strike her gem head on, an exploding pain rupturing through her body. She finally put all the pieces together. Hematite's behavior, his sudden absence in recent weeks, the cold, dead look in his eyes. It all made sense now... horrible, terrifying sense. _No. Oh stars, what was he doing? No... No he can't.._

"No, Oh no... No, this is REALLY BAD..." Blue whimpered, looking nervously at the gem next to her. "YOU, do you have a communicator?! I need it now!" She scrambled, the gem nervously handing her the small device. She quickly held it up to her face, desperately trying to get it to work. _Come on, White, I REALLY need you to pick this thing up right now..._

Yellow, in the ring, felt whatever had been building up to this point hit her at full force. It hit her like a ship crashing down right on top of her, lighting the field around her in an unseen, ghastly inferno. She knew what it was.

 _ **Fear.**_

Pure, horrible, unmistakable horror.

Her body went numb for a split second, and she dropped her sword. The weapon clattered to the floor, exploding into a cloud of dust. She placed her hands up in front of her, balled up into fists. Her eyes were widened in shock, but her teeth were still bared.

"STAND DOWN, HEMATITE!" she shouted, unable to look away from the gem's visor.

"THAT IS AN ORDER! STAND DOWN, OR I'LL..." She froze mid-sentence, her pace quickening as she turned to run. There was no way she was going to keep going backwards, lest she slip up and trip.

–

The crowd's panic only drove Hematite on, and he slowly advanced toward his target, sending the fleeing gems into an even further frenzy. Hematite watched as Yellow Diamond ran, and he lowered himself closer to the ground, this time bending his knees so he could crouch down and reach for the fleeing gem.

"What's the matter, Yellow Diamond?~ Are you afraid to fight me now?!" Raising a hand, he lunged toward her, the shadow of his clawed fingers falling over her form. He purposefully missed grabbing the diamond, his hand slamming down no more than ten feet behind her. The diamond quickly realized she was heading for a corner and made a quick turn, bolting away from the massive gem. Hema made no move to chase after her any faster than he was. He watched her head toward the destroyed end of the arena. He slowly stood to his feet, now standing at his full height.

"Come on, now! Did you really forget how small you actually were to a HARVESTER?" A laugh rumbled in his chest, and he followed after her toward the end of the arena.

–

Yellow's pace quickened, desperately trying to flee from the oncoming gem. He wasn't stopping. Why wasn't he stopping. Didn't he know he'd be shattered if he dared to hurt her?... She skidded to a halt, finally coming to the end of the arena... now faced with an open drop. She was cornered. There was no way she could simply jump off the arena, a fall from this high would hurt, and it was dangerous if she landed on her gemstone. She turned her head slowly facing the huge, murderous gem walking precariously closer. Yellow was stuck.

She scowled in anger, positioning herself for an attack. Despite knowing it would do nothing, she would at least try to face her dangerous opponent. Countless times she had stared death in the face before, why did this feel different? Why did this make her so unnerved, so nervous, so absolutely _horrified?_

"THIS IS YOUR LAST CHANCE, HEMATITE. STOP THIS RIDICULOUS BEHAVIOR THIS INSTANT!"

–

Hematite rolled his eyes and gave a theatrical sigh as the tiny gem below him readied for an attack. He was towering above her. One little nudge, and he could have sent her plummeting off the edge of the arena. But he didn't, he simply stared down at her with a cruel smile.

"Well, at least you're '''brave''' enough to face me.~" Hematite crouched down, his hand closing in on her.

"An unwise decision."

–

The audience exploded into chaos, gems crawling over other gems to get away. Even though the entrance way was blocked off, they still found themselves scrambling over the edges of the rubble to get to the warp pad. Yellow, on the other hand, wasn't lucky enough to find any means of escape. She watched in disbelief as the hand cast her in shadow.

She flinched. Flinging her arm over her head and hunkering low, she braced for impact. _This was it. This was the end. There was no point in running, no point in trying to attack._ It would have made no difference... and she knew it. Yellow started to spark wildly, small bolts of electricity flickering around her body. She was surprisingly steady, despite all of her fears.

In one, last ditch effort, she bared her teeth and shouted with all of her fury, all of her courage. Whatever she could muster.

"Y-YOU WILL PAY FOR THIS!"

–

 _That's right._ _ **Cower**_ _. Be afraid._ _ **Feel everything I did that night.**_

Hematite's hand slowly, carefully coiled around the tiny Diamond, his fingers trapping her firmly in his grasp. Turning his hand over, he lifted her up towards his face, making sure to drag it out. He ignored her threat.

 _He already knew he'd pay dearly for this._

"You said that night that I needed to know my place." He drew her closer. "Well here it is, Yellow Diamond." Closer. "I was made for this. This is where I belong, and there's nothing you can do about that."

Yellow yelped sharply as she was picked up suddenly, thrashing and squirming in the gigantic hand.

"LET GO OF ME! LET GO OF ME RIGHT NOW!" She screamed in angry desperation. It was a fruitless effort, whacking her electrified hands into his palm as hard as she could, closing her eyes and yelling... just yelling. Yelling as loud as she could.

She was level with his face now, firmly held in his fist.

"Do you remember my arena name, Yellow Diamond?" The giant gem grinned and licked his teeth slowly.

 **"I am The Harvester."**

–

 _Shattering._

The noise of shattering rang through her mind, a deafening sound... a horrible sound.

Now dangerously close to his face, his words shot through her like another hundred daggers. But this time, they sank in. _Deep_.

Her expression warped suddenly into unmasked horror. Her eyes were wide, her lips parted into a small, quivering frown. She gripped tightly on the gem's hand that grasped her, clawed fingers slowly digging into his skin. She trembled, unable to speak. She was... terrified. _Speechless_. Her gaze drifted slowly from Hematite's teeth, up to his eyes. They met him with a look that he had never seen before, at least from her.

 _Don't._ _ **Please**_ _. Don't._

–

As Hematite stared at the terrified gem in his hand, something in his chest tightened. He'd never seen Yellow Diamond like this before. All her bravery, all her hatred, all her condescending sneers. They'd been replaced by a look of undisguised horror.

 _This is what he wanted._

 _This is what he'd wanted, and yet..._

Was throwing his life away really worth the momentary terror of this one spiteful Diamond?

. . .

Well, there was no turning back anymore anyways.

Hematite's hunting visor dulled, the target vanishing. For a moment, it looked as if he was going to call off this charade.

But then his lips parted.

Slowly, the giant gem lifted Yellow Diamond over his face and opened his mouth below her.

–

Yellow gasped in dismay, frantically holding onto Hematite's hand as she was lifted up.

"NO! NO LET GO OF ME!" She pleaded. There wasn't a single sliver of anger left in her... it was all replaced with sheer _terror_. She was at his complete mercy. She could do nothing. She was going to die like this, scared and humiliated, and _no-one_ was going to save her.

 _This is it, this is the end_.

She flinched abruptly, clutching her hand close to her gem, forced to stare into the awaiting maw below. With one final whimper, she closed her eyes and cried out.

"STOP! I'M _SORRY!"_

–

Hematite froze as Yellow's final cry rang out.

 _ **I'm sorry.**_

His mouth closed partially, leaving only a shocked, small frown.

"You-"

–

 **THWICK!**

A sharp object shot into Hematite's back, right behind his shoulder.

"PUT. HER. **DOWN**."

–

A stabbing pain shot through Hematite's back, and he winced heavily, inhaling sharply through his teeth and leaning forward. He still managed to hold onto Yellow Diamond, keeping her away from the edge of the arena. _Thankfully_. He panted for a moment at the sharp pain and looked back to see White Diamond standing not too far off.

 _ **Oh no.**_

–

White stood upon the rubble that covered the entrance. She must have jumped over the wall to get here. Her expression was cold. Stern. **Angry**. She walked forward slowly, breathing heavily... but steadily. She stopped only 10 or so feet away from the huge gem, looking up and summoning another pole arm.

"Drop her. **Now**."

Yellow looked on in disbelief; small, quiet whimpers escaping her. She was still petrified... _Was she safe now?_ She looked from the huge gem down to the other Diamond, then back up at Hematite. The look she had before was still frozen on her face. _She still expected him to do it._

–

Hematite watched as White approached. He made no sudden movements, no sign that he was going to cause trouble. As she pulled out another pole arm, he tensed. At her command, Hematite slowly looked to the gem still in his hand. There was a long pause.

"..."

He sighed heavily through his nose, and his hunting visor poofed away in a flash. Giving Yellow Diamond an almost... _apologetic_ look, he slowly, carefully lowered her to the ground, _behind_ White Diamond. He let go, setting her down so that she only fell a few inches to the floor. Slowly, he drew his hand away.

–

Yellow quickly skittered away from his hand, trembling behind White and quickly turning to face the two. Her expression changed yet again, but this time the anger came back... and it was laced with fear.

"Oh thank the stars you're here White-"

"SPARKY, YOU FREAKIN' IDIOT!"

Blue's voice erupted from the stands, a loud, crumbling thud soon following. She jumped onto the arena grounds and bolted for the other gems, a fire in her eyes. She stormed up to Yellow and shoved her violently back. The yellow gem gasped and held her arm where Blue pushed her. She looked at Blue, utterly bewildered, _hurt_ even.

Blue heaved, tears welled up in her furious eyes.

"YOU... You did this. This is YOUR FAULT," she hissed, pointing at her with an accusatory finger.

White raised a brow, but didn't look back at the two. She was focused on Hematite. She stepped forward.

"Shift down this instant. You are in a **lot** of trouble."

–

Hematite removed the pole arm from his shoulder and set it down beside him. He turned to look at White, guilt plastered across his face.

"... Yes, White Diamond." Closing his eyes, Hematite grasped his forearm nervously, his form beginning to glow. His size shifted down rather steadily, but as he shrank down to about ten feet, the glowing faltered. In a flash, he was suddenly on the ground, tiny.

His exhaustion had caught up with him.

Hematite sat up and stared at the three towering diamonds before him, still holding his arm. A cold shudder ran up his form, making his hair stand on end.

 _This is it._

–

White observed the small gem, looking right through him. She did _not_ look pleased.

Behind her, however, Blue continued to deliver an onslaught of angry shouts to her yellow counterpart.

"YOU were the one who beat him down! YOU were the one that changed him! YOU were the one that made him feel HORRIBLE! **YOU TOLD HIM HE WAS NOTHING. THIS... THIS IS YOUR DOING?!** " She shouted, stepping gradually, sluggishly closer to her. White turned her head slightly, but kept her eyes on Hematite, making sure he stayed in place.

Yellow backed up, unsure of how to respond to Blue's accusations. She knew they were _accurate_ accusations. She opened her mouth to say something, but Blue let out a furious roar and was on top of her in seconds. White suddenly tensed, snapping her attention to the two.

"BLUE, ENOUGH."

White slammed the end of her pole arm down on the ground. Blue had grabbed Yellow by the neck and reeled her arm back. She stopped. Shooting Yellow a nasty look, she cursed under her breath. Yellow shoved her off and got to her feet quickly, shaking in anger. Blue didn't look much better.

White's eyes narrowed, and she leaned down to pick up Hematite. Her fingers wrapped around his tiny form, and she slowly lifted him up off the ground. Her grasp was firm, but not enough to hurt him.

"Is this true, Yellow...?" she asked as she stood straight, tone unreadable.

Yellow froze, the anxiety returning to her. She glanced away and bit her lip, but after a moment, she hung her head.

"Yes."

White looked down at Hematite and walked over to Blue.

She handed him to her.

"Be careful with him."

–

Admittedly, Hematite expected White to shatter him then and there when she picked him up, and was surprised that her grip wasn't tighter. He couldn't meet her eyes, though, and looked down at her hand, trembling, waiting for his punishment.

But instead, he was handed off to Blue. For a moment, he thought that White was going to have _her_ do the job. But his fears were momentarily quelled with White's words.

 _Be careful with him._

He couldn't stop shaking, whether from exhaustion or fear, it was impossible to tell. Hematite leaned back against Blue's fingers. He crossed his arms, holding himself to try and calm his nerves.

 _He had it coming._

 _What he just pulled was unforgivable._

 _It was just a matter of time before one of them broke him for this._

–

White turned to the other diamond and walked towards her. Yellow felt a chill go up her spine as she finally looked up at the fast approaching gem.

"But! I... I didn't want ANY of this! I..." Her voice faltered, stammering and stumbling over her words. "I just... wanted to keep him in line. I wanted to make sure he didn't betray us. I wanted to keep him in check, so that no-one would get hur-"

 **THWACK!**

–

Hematite's eyes flew open at the sharp sound, and he sat up enough to peer through Blue's fingers. His arms uncrossed, and he carefully placed a shaking hand on her palm to steady himself as he watched.

Did White just... _punch her?_

–

Yellow stumbled back, the wind knocked completely out of her. She grabbed her face, looking up at White in horror.

White grasped the hilt of her pole arm, meeting Yellow with a furious stare. She clenched the fist that she had punched her with.

"That was not your problem. That was not your job. You had no right to take this matter into your own hands. If you had a problem with one of MY gems, you should have taken it up with ME. WHAT. WERE. YOU. THINKING?! DO YOU HAVE **ANY** idea what you've done?! He was FINE, Yellow! There was NOTHING wrong with his loyalty, until you used your iron-fist tactics on him! YOU did this, YOU brought this on YOURSELF." She hissed through her teeth.

Yellow looked...stunned.

Taken aback.

She looked _guilty_.

She looked away, biting her tongue, but her brows furrowed.

"You've created a monster, White."

White placed a finger sharply on Yellow's gem, making the shorter diamond look sharply up at her. The monochromatic gem stared her dead in the eyes.

"No, Yellow Diamond, **YOU** have created a monster."

–

Slowly, the tiny gem's eyes widened, and he felt tears pricking at their corners.

. _.. There was nothing wrong with him?_

Slowly, Hema looked up at Blue and sniffled, tears streaming down his face. He blinked as he heard Yellow's last accusation.

 **Monster**.

He kept his eyes on Blue for a moment longer, regret and guilt in his eyes, until he looked away, leaning against her fingers again.

–

Blue looked down on the small gem, careful with her hold. In fact, she didn't even really grip him like White did. She simply let him sit in her palm. Even after all _that_ , after all she saw, how she had every reason to believe he was dangerous... she still trusted him. She still believed in him. Deep down, she knew he wouldn't try to pull a fast one, or try to escape for that matter. Blue gave him a reassuring look, a faint smile returning to her. She, too, had a few tears in her eyes. They were subtle, but they were there.

Yellow wasn't finished. She yelled out in frustration, still appalled by the entire situation. Angry that she got hit, angry at her humiliation, angry that she was made to _fear_. White turned to walk back towards Blue, but Yellow stepped quickly forward to follow her.

"WELL? WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO _DO_ ABOUT THIS THEN, HM?! He ATTACKED me. He was going to KILL me!" She remarked, throwing her arms dramatically up in the air, sparks flying off her body.

White stopped, clicking the end of her pole arm audibly on the tiled floor. She looked back at Yellow with another harsh glare.

"Hematite will be punished for his actions today. However..." She paused.

–

Hematite listened intently to every word, despite the fact that his head was starting to throb. For a moment, he looked like he was going to pass out right there in Blue's hand, but something Yellow said grabbed his attention.

 _He was going to kill me!_

Growling lowly, Hematite pouted and angrily peeked over Blue's fingers, his brows furrowed. If he hadn't seen White walking over, he would have spoken up.

 _Hematite will be punished for his actions today._

The tiny gem's eyes widened. _Wait... was she.._

–

There was a horrible, cold tension that filled the air. Yellow narrowed her eyes, and Blue bit her lip. White raised a brow.

"Hematite will _**not**_ be shattered for this."

...

"WWHHHHAAAAAATTT?!"

–

Slowly, the small service gem sank back behind Blue's fingers.

 _Ooooh Yellow was not gonna be happy about-Yeah. There it was._ The gem winced at Yellow Diamond's angry outburst, but stayed out of sight. He didn't want her seeing him right now. He'd be lucky if she didn't make a go to grab him herself at this point.

–

Sparks flew in every direction, Yellow's whole body momentarily glowing with yellow light, but it soon faded away.

"YOU CAN'T BE SERIOUS, WHITE! HE-"

"Did everything he was told until _**you**_ berated him. You took everything into your own hands, treated him unfairly, beat him down and expected him to not get angry? If this has been going on from the get-go, I'm surprised he's held it together this long. Actually, I'm _impressed_. He will be punished dearly, yes. But he shall not be killed over _your_ mistakes," she growled.

"MY mistakes?!"

"Yes, Yellow. YOUR mistakes." She turned again, continuing to walk forward.

"BUT WHITE-"

"SILENCE!" White slammed her pole arm down, cracking the ground beneath her. "I've had enough of this. I've made up my mind, I've made my judgments... Now stop this at once, Yellow Diamond. Honestly, I expected _better_ from you."

Silence followed.

Yellow scoffed and in a fit of frustration and yelled out in anger before storming off in the other direction. She headed over to the rubble covering the door and climbed over it. She'd had enough of today.

 _Everyone_ had had enough of today.

–

The tiny gem's head began to swim again, and he broke out into a cold sweat. _Uh-oh._

Hematite flinched as White's polearm made heavy contact with what sounded like the tile floor, but he stayed where he was. He gave Blue a glance in the silence that followed White's disapproving last words. As Yellow Diamond stormed off, Hematite swallowed and looked back at the gem holding him.

"... I'm sorry. For _everything_."

–

Blue blinked and gave the gem a nod of understanding. It didn't excuse what he did, but at the very least she understood _why_ he did it. At least, for the most part. White made her way back to the two and held out her palm.

"The Hematite, if you please."

Blue swallowed nervously, hesitant for a split second, but she handed him carefully over to her. White took the tiny gem and easily grasped him, making sure not to squeeze him too tightly. She wasn't quite as comfortable holding him as freely as Blue was. She stared down at him with sharp, judging eyes, but looked quickly to the entrance.

There was a long pause.

"Well, by the sounds of it, you certainly gave them a show..."

–

As he was passed off to White, Hematite tensed involuntarily, but forced himself to stay still. He wasn't going to be shattered. He was okay. _This was okay._ Looking up at his superior, he neatly folded his arms over the edge of her hand and swallowed nervously. Why was she so quiet?

 _Well you certainly gave them a show._

Blinking, Hematite's mouth opened in surprise. Well, alright. _That wasn't the first thing he'd expected out of her mouth but..._

"... Why spare me?"

–

White didn't respond for a moment, making her way to the warp pad. With a flash, they, too, were gone. Long, agonizing moments awaited as she made her way to another warp pad, one that would take her to the White tower.

–

The silence was killing him.

As the two of them made their way to the warp pad, and then to the next, it took all of his effort to keep his composure. He could do this. It was no big deal... What he did was... justified..

 _ **Right?**_

–

Finally, as she continued walking, she spoke.

"I want to hear more of your story. There's a lot you haven't been telling us, Hematite. The little stunt you pulled today spoke a thousand words." Her voice was stern, but in an odd way... compassionate. Much like a mother who just wanted what was best for their child, even though they just got themselves into a lot of trouble.

"I still need to know if you have snapped for good... what your reasoning behind all this was... And if you still really are _my_ Hematite."

–

Hematite looked up as White began to speak. She was mad, understandably... But there was.. Something _else_.

 _I need to know if you have snapped for good._

 _If you still really are_ _ **my**_ _Hematite_

The tiny gem's eyes widened in shock, and finally, the walls came crashing down. Burying his face in his hands, Hematite let out a shuddering breath that quickly turned into a sob.

"I-I'm sorry! I swear, I wasn't going to hurt her!" He shook his head. "I wanted to tell you what was going on, I did! I even tried to tell B-blue! But Y-yellow Diamond said if I told anyone what was going on, she'd... Sh-she'd!"

–

White narrowed her eyes and hushed him softly.

"Shhh... Calm down. I'm not going to hurt you. No-one is going to hurt you." Her eyes drifted down, looking upon him with sorrow. Even if she was mad, it wasn't going to help the situation, let alone Hematite's nerves for her to be outwardly angry.

"Start from the beginning... What did Yellow _do_ to you?..."

–

The tiny gem managed to look up at his superior, and by the look in his eyes, it was clear he didn't quite believe her promise.

 _No-one is going to hurt you._

Hematite's hands grasped his forearms, and he held himself tightly, shaking his head. He was trembling uncontrollably.

"I-I can't."

There was a pause. He was still shaking like a leaf. Shutting his eyes tightly, he looked away and took a long, shallow breath.

"That night when I came back late from bringing Yellow Diamond her files, she..." Hematite swallowed thickly, as if the words were stuck in his throat. "She said I needed to be reminded how 'small' I am. She thought I questioned my position, th-thought I was stronger than you three."

Hematite shook his head again, the tears that he was trying to keep in escaped from the corners of his eyes. "A-and that you were all waiting... Waiting for me to slip up- a-and-!" The realization hit him like a war hammer.

 _This was it._

 _This was what she was talking about._

He _**had**_ slipped up. He _**did**_ consider himself more powerful than her, even for a short time.

 **She was right.**

–

White nodded simply, looking straight on ahead. She stepped onto another warp pad, sending them off with another brilliant flash of light. They appeared soon right outside of the White Diamond tower. After some time, they'd finally made their way up to the office. There was another pause, as she placed her hand to the door. It came open, revealing the warm, calm room that they were both entirely familiar with. She walked through, her grasp on Hematite slowly but surely becoming less firm.

She sat down to her desk, placing Hematite onto the smooth surface. To the left, there was a tray with hot tea still steaming in its cup. Seems she'd been in the middle of a new cup when Blue called her. She grinned softly, grabbing one of the cups and sliding it casually towards Hematite. Even if he was small, perhaps he would have enjoyed a little bit of it.

–

The tiny gem, though he was still in quite the state, found some comfort in the familiar sight of White's office.

 _Right._

He was okay.

 _Deep breath..._

He was safe with her.

Hematite looked down as the expanse of White's desk came into view, and he let out the smallest 'ooph' as he landed. He'd taken quite the beating during the end of the fight, to say the least, and his entire body was aching.

As White slid over the cup of tea, he gave her a confused stare, but then nodded appreciatively. If anything... he was happy for the warmth. Leaning back against the still-hot cup, he drew his knees closer to his chest. The warmth of the smooth surface on his back soothed him, making his eyes drift shut just slightly.

 _Silence._

–

"Now. Let's try this again." She took a deep breath, inhaling and holding it for a moment. She closed her eyes. After a few seconds, she exhaled, drawing it out.

"What did she tell you?... Did she really make you feel like you were nothing?... Did she really think that you would turn on us?"

–

"... She sure seemed to think I would. I swore, that night, that I was loyal to the three of you... That I would never think of turning on you." His face had guilt written all over it. "But she didn't believe me. And... that night."

 _No, he couldn't bring himself to give her the details._

"I thought she was going to kill me."

–

She looked down, and away from Hematite. She looked... almost guilty? The Diamond sighed heavily, taking the other cup of tea from the tray and looking down into it.

"I really wish she didn't try and take control of everything... I swear..."

–

Hematite took a deep breath.

"Ever since then... every chance she's gotten, she's put me down, said I was nothing."

He rested his head in his arms. A strange, empty tone took over his voice. It wasn't angry, no.

It was void of emotion, aside from a trace of sadness.

"Nothing. Worthless. Pathetic. Weak. Small. A coward."

Another pause.

" _Don't go thinking you mean anything._ " Hematite couldn't look his superior in the eye, and he scooted closer to the teacup. His voice was quiet.

"Her exact words."

–

White clasped her hands together, pressing her fingertips into one another. She curiously listened to every word, her irritation seeming to build with every passing syllable. She bared her teeth and looked away, but closed her eyes and took yet another deep breath. Of course she wanted to be furious, but she remained calm. For both their sakes. She picked up her tea and sipped at it, placing the cup back down onto its tiny plate a moment later.

"I see..."

A crude silence filled the air. The sun had long since set, but the warm glow of the room made it seem like there was more than enough natural lighting... yet it was subtle. Soothing, even.

"Hematite. Let me tell you something about Yellow Diamond..." She said, placing her finger onto the cup, running it across the edge leisurely.

–

At White's silence, Hematite dropped his knees back down, and his hands rested on the desk, supporting him. She wanted to tell him something about Yellow? _Oh, joy._ He was going to get the 'she's not as bad as she seems' talk again.

He'd already heard this. And he had already taken a chance and let Yellow show him what she was really like.

Regardless, he nodded silently and watched White's hand as she fiddled with the teacup.

–

White reached down to grab something out of one of the drawers in her desk. Placing it on the surface of the table, she turned it on. Hematite would have likely immediately noticed that it was an archival Diamond pad instead of a standard one for taking notes. Pressing its screen with her finger, White brought something up like a hologram in front of them both.

She made her way to what seemed like a gallery of different pictures, videos, and reports. She mumbled something quietly, before her tapping a file promptly.

On the holo screen, a picture of Yellow diamond came up...but she was dancing with someone, it looked like. The other gem in the photo was unfamiliar, but beautiful. She had long, voluminous ringlets in her hair, and she was smiling happily. But there was something else... _Yellow Diamond_ was smiling. Genuinely, warmly _smiling_. She looked content... no, she looked _happy_.

White took a deep, shuddering breath.

"Have you ever wondered why there was a Pink District, Hematite?... Why there were three diamonds, and four factions?... Have you ever wondered if there was ever a fourth?" She paused for a moment.

"Long ago, there was a forth Diamond. Pink Diamond. Pink Diamond was kind to everyone she met. Loving... Caring... Motherly, even. She saw beauty in everything. She was... a wonderful friend to us all."

White's eyes went cold.

"And then she betrayed us."

The picture flipped to the next screen, an image of absolute carnage. Burning buildings, gems running around in terror, warriors running into action with their weapons drawn... and her. Pink Diamond. The same from the picture just before, holding a sword and shield, fighting off the warriors.

"She rebelled against Homeworld over 5700 years ago to defend some... pitiful planet." Her tone dropped, and her eyes closed.

"Ironically enough... the very same planet that you were lost on." She opened her eyes, her gaze fixed on the small service gem.

"After the war, we severed all ties with Pink Diamond. She was free to live on her pathetic little rock, and we went our separate ways. We never spoke to her again... but that isn't to say that severe, irreversible damage wasn't done."

White stopped once more, grabbing her tea and taking another sip. She went to the next image. It was an image of Yellow Diamond. She had a much colder, angrier, and dry face. She stood in front of a crowd of warriors, holding her sword in front of her, her hands placed firmly on its hilt... much like she did normally.

"After Pink left, something in all of us changed. We all had deep connections with her in some form or another."

She swirled the cup in her hand.

"She liked to study with me... we liked to sit out in the parks and have tea, chatting and gossiping the night away."

The diamond smiled warmly in remembrance.

"She and Blue went to hang out at the bars commonly, even sparring against each other for fun."

She closed her eyes again.

"But her and Yellow..."

Opening them again, she looked sadly at Hematite.

"It was arguable that Pink and Yellow were, well. Inseparable. The greatest of friends. They were always talking, always hanging around one another, laughing, smiling... They too would spar every now and then. They would go out to parties and dance throughout the night. They were always thinking about gem-kind, Homeworld, and all of its majesty. Yellow had so much respect for Pink. She looked up to her, even. On top of that, Pink kept her well grounded. Level headed. She helped Yellow keep her temperament in check. Yellow was a very different gem back then... But. After the war, something in her..."

She paused, reluctantly turning off the diamond pad with a mechanical click.

"Something in her changed."

–

Hematite's eyes were wide as saucers as he listened to White's words, and he stared at the different holograms silently as they came up.

 _Pink Diamond..._

So much made sense now... The Pink district, the extra tower, the various pink-insignia'd rebels...

But, Hematite always figured the last leader had _died_. That she, whoever she was, whether a good leader or bad, that the three of them were just... upset. So he'd never pried about it or read up on it. Perhaps she'd been shattered tragically, and they had to tear down the Pink District to make room for progress? Whatever happened, it didn't effect him, after all, and he didn't want reason to pity the gems he was sent after, so he never asked.

But he _had_ wondered if that made any sense. Why would they tear her stuff down if it had been a tragedy? Wouldn't they leave it up in remembrance?

 _But no._

 _She was a traitor to Homeworld._

Not only that, but she betrayed them all for the sake of that gemforsaken planet, the one he'd been stuck on for over a decade. How could anyone turn on their home to protect some sorry clod of mud floating out in space?

He couldn't understand it.

 _If I'd known there was such a traitor back on that planet, I would have harvested her myself_ , Hematite thought to himself. He remained quiet and continued listening to White talk about each of their relations to Pink Diamond.

The look on her face broke his heart.

"... You all really miss her.. don't you?"

–

"Yes. We all.. miss her, Hematite. But, the past is in the past, time cannot heal this wound. She will never come back and we will never go back for her." She shrugged, sighing heavily.

"We all took it very hard when the war was over. When everything was said and done... but, during the war... Yellow's outlook on everything changed. Her entire demeanor...shifted. She became cold, merciless. Heavy hearted, even. She grew bitter, distrustful. We can't really say we blamed her, but..." She pushed her cup of tea away finally and grabbed the Diamond pad. She looked over it casually, and put it down in the drawer once more.

"It changed her. It effected all of us, but ... I personally believe that Yellow took it the worst. She changed the most drastically out of all of us, that I know for a fact. She became a much more cold, stern gem. She started to enforce her rules more strictly, with an iron fist. All her focus went toward progression, work, advancing modern gem-tech in any way possible. She spoke less, trusted less, and went about her own business. For a long time, she even shut us out." She looked down at Hematite, placing her palm on his tea cup. It was still warm.

"... But she eventually came around. Yellow is... ah, what is the word I'm looking for." There was a long pause. She stared right through him, her gaze drifting upwards to look at nothing as she thought.

"Yellow doesn't always go about things in the best way... But you already seem to have figured that out. Now, the point I've been trying to get at, Hematite... I'm not going to tell you to try and be friends with her. After all this, I don't expect you to. But know this... she does what she does because she doesn't want to see us or anyone on Homeworld get hurt. Even if that means being harsh. I know it might seem hard to believe, and, hell... I don't expect you to fully believe me. Just understand that Yellow isn't quite as cruel as she seems... you just...have to get to know her better. To know why she is the way she is."

As White spoke, Hematite found himself slowly putting pieces together. The aggression, the mistrust, the anger, the distance... She was this way all because of Pink Diamond?

 _What a horrid gem..._

Yellow looked so happy before... Yellow Diamond, happy? The fact that he couldn't even picture it on his own was...

 _No gem should have that taken away. Not even_ _ **her**_ _._

White shrugged again, the smile returning to her face.

"It's pretty hard to befriend her, sure. She isn't the most social of gems, and she doesn't really open up to anyone...She hardly even opens up to us. Buuuut who knows... perhaps this little fiasco has humbled her. Knocked her down a few pegs. If you ask me, she needed it."

White rolled her eyes, the faintest of chuckles escaping her.

"Something I've noticed about you, Hematite... something I've found fascinating about you the more I learn about you. You are a very compassionate gem, and fierce when you need to be. You have so much... love in you. Something so few gems seem to have, these days..."

She paused.

"Who knows, Hematite... maybe someday, assuming you two can move past this... even she could learn how to love like you."

–

Hematite touched his gemstone lightly as he continued to listen to White's words.

 _You're so full of love._

Looking up, the tiny gem's eyes widened slightly.

 _Maybe even she could learn to love like you._

Tears filled Hematite's eyes, and he turned away, ashamed.

"How can you say that about me after what I just did? What if I'm..." His voice grew quiet. "What if _that_ was the real me?" The tiny gem looked up at his superior, his eyes wide. "What if I've changed like she did?"

It was... a silly question, in a way. After all, most of his behavior back in the arena had been a facade, a mask... something to keep himself from breaking his resolve. But Hematite's head was swimming, and he was having a hard time processing all of after his breakdown toward the end of the fight.

–

She smiled warmly, cupping her hand around Hematite and petting his hair gently with her index finger. She couldn't help but chuckle... and surprisingly, it was genuine. With everything that happened today, she had every reason to be upset. She had every reason to still be angry. But for this moment, for this talk... she was compassionate.

"Hematite. What happened out there... that wasn't you. If you really changed, you would not be questioning these things. You would not have stopped when you did. You would not be here right now, confused and scared. You wouldn't be this upset..." She carefully ran her thumb over his cheek, wiping away some of his tears that collected.

"I wanted to make sure you were still loyal... that you were still _you_... And I truly believe that you are. You have not become a monster, Hematite. You are not _nothing_. You are not weak... you are not expendable. You are Hematite... and you are _my_ Hematite."

–

Hematite gave the smallest flinch when White brought her hand near, but he quickly relaxed. He sniffled and leaned slightly into the petting, surprised at how comforting it was.

 _What happened out there, it wasn't you._

He looked at her quietly, blinking as she wiped away his tears. Her words sank deep, and he felt his breath catch in his throat. She was right, of course. Right about everything. He'd terrified himself with how he acted, and deep down he knew that it wasn't him. But that didn't change the fact that he had the _capacity_ to act the way he did. And while that thought alone troubled him...

He trusted White's judgment better than his own.

She was smart. She knew what she was talking about.

Not to mention Blue still seemed to trust him some small amount too, if their moment back at the arena meant anything...

He could trust himself, _right_?

 _He would just make sure he_ _ **never**_ _got to this point_ _ **again**_ _._

"R-right. Right. Your Hematite," he repeated quietly, rubbing his arm with a small smile. His expression fell, however, after a moment. "White? What will be my punishment?"

–

White sighed heavily, the smile leaving her face.

"We will discuss your punishment tomorrow, Hematite. Right now... I think we aaaaalll could use a bit of rest. Don't you think?... Can I trust you to stay out of trouble?" She gave him a wink, a small smirk returning. She took the cups and placed them on the tray, standing up from her chair and stretching. "Take the rest of the night off as you see fit. Just remember to report to me immediately tomorrow." She gave him a stern stare, but the smirk was still there.

"You won't be getting off of this one easy. Everything I've said here tonight still holds true, but it does not excuse your actions either. Buuuut that is for tomorrow's discussion." She nodded, gesturing for the door. "You are dismissed."

–

Nodding, Hematite finally let out a yawn that he had been stifling for a while, and slowly got to his feet.

"Yes, you can trust me." The tiny gem walked over to the edge of the desk and hopped down before heading for the door. A nervous smile found its way to his face, and he nodded.

"I'll take whatever you think is fair. I know I messed up."

The door opened in front of him, and he looked back at his superior.

"... Thank you, White."

With that, he rushed out the door, making a beeline for Blue's office.

He still had one person to talk to tonight.

–

 **WHAM!**

With a horrific crunch, the dummy's entire form exploded into splinters and cotton. A bit of a primitive build, but it worked. After all, to Blue's mace, everything felt soft. _Especially now._

With a fierce war cry she slammed her weapon down into its remains, heaving and kneeling down. She glared daggers into the dummy's shredded remains, baring her teeth in unimaginable frustration. She breathed in and out, heavy, irrationally... and then she sighed.

And then she laughed.

She stood up, taking one more deep breath, her weapon disappearing. She tweaked her neck.

 _Crick. Criiiick._

 _That felt better._

–

It took a... _considerable_ amount of time to get to Blue's tower, but eventually, Hematite stopped at the door and gave it the tiniest of knocks.

"Blue? Are you in there?" he called best he could, fidgeting with his index finger and thumb.

–

Blue felt a twinge of something spike her back into reality. Turning her head sharply, she made her way to the door and opened it. Looking down, she was greeted with... the smallest of gems.

"Hematite!..." She said, her usual giddy demeanor returning to her. She backed up, allowing the gem to come in. She didn't say anything else...she was still recovering from everything. Her outburst, his outburst, the overall stress of today... she guessed that he probably wanted to talk.

–

The tiny gem scampered inside and looked up at the Diamond before him with a smile.

But after a pause, the smile vanished, and he looked away awkwardly. He... hadn't thought this part through very well. Hematite took a deep breath and scuffed his foot on the floor as he idly looked around.

"S-so... Uhm."

Another pause.

"White can really throw that polearm of hers, huh?" He laughed nervously.

–

Blue stared with a rather... distant look. But then she... smiled.

Then she teared up, her lip quivering, the biggest of grins plastered on her face. She started chuckling quietly, but it soon grew into a hearty laughter. A happy laughter. A _relieved_ laughter. She placed her hands on her head and sighed heavily, wiping a tear from her eye. Looking down to the service gem, she still had the same grin that he was so familiar with.

"I missed that... It's good to have you back again, buddy."

–

At first Blue's demeanor worried him, even when she started laughing, but he quickly smiled when he saw that it was a _genuine_ laugh. Hematite couldn't help but let out a relieved chuckle too. It had been weeks, almost months since he'd _properly_ talked to Blue, ever since that day in the Coliseum. He was glad she wasn't shutting him out after all he'd done.

"It's... good to _be_ back, Blue." He rubbed his arm. "Hey... I'm sorry. That you, you know. Had to see me like that.."

–

Blue knelt down and placed her palm on her knee, getting a little more level to Hematite. Not by much, but at least she wasn't towering over him now.

"Well, Kid... You got a lot of explaining to do. I doubt you're in any shape to go to the bar though." She said, still holding her grin. She ran her fingers through her hair and looked at him, concerned. "So..."

She sat down on the ground now, still only about a foot away from him.

"Let's try this again... And, hah, I know that you didn't wanna come talk to me about your hair!" She gave another warm chuckle.

"Tell me, Hematite... what really happened?... I want to hear it from your side."

–

Hematite looked up at the Diamond as she sat down, and he smiled gratefully. Sitting down himself, he ruffled his own hair and chuckled.

"Aww, come on Blue! What if I did come to talk about my hair?" He grinned at her cheekily, but it faltered quickly and he sighed. There was another long pause and he pursed his lips. _Where to start._

"Remember that time I got really really drunk?"

–

Blue chuckled again, crossing her arms and nodding.

"YEaaah... Man, you were really... out of it that night." She looked a little to the left, still at the floor. She appeared to be lost in a thought. "All those things... _She_ said that to you. _She_ made you feel that way. She tried to take away who you were." She frowned, looking back in the other direction.

"It's always her... she does this kinda thing all the time. Tries to take away everyone's fun... ugh, she just. She needs to chill out." she scoffed.

–

Hematite nodded while rubbing the back of his neck. He stared to the side and swallowed. Blue was understandably angry, he'd seen that much in the way she'd pounced Yellow back at the arena after spewing all those _admittedly accurate_ accusations at her fellow Diamond. Hematite knew that now might not have been the best time to discuss all this with her, lest he make her even angrier at Yellow. But no, he had to tell her. He had to let her know his reasoning, how he'd let himself get to this point. It wasn't going to be fun, but it was needed. He'd been silent with her far too long.

 _Oh boy, here it goes._

"Yeahh. But. Still. I shouldn't have... done what I did today. I guess I just wanted to... give her a taste of her own medicine."

–

Blue fidgeted with her thumbs in her hands. She narrowed her eyes, a little confused.

"What... do you mean?..."

–

 _Deep breath._

Hematite rubbed his arm nervously and looked at the ground. He couldn't look at her when he said what he was about to. He wasn't sure why. Maybe it was because there was a cruel irony in the fact that a _Harvester_ of all gems was petrified of someone doing to them what _THEY_ did for a job. Or maybe he was ashamed that he hadn't told Blue sooner, or at least hinted at it better.

Or perhaps he felt that he had no right to be mad at someone for doing what he did on a regular basis.

"A long time ago, a few weeks, months... I don't remember, after I started working here at the towers, White gave me an errand to deliver some files to Yellow."

His thumb brushed his arm.

"It went fine until she... picked me up." He glanced at her, quickly adding "I'd shrunken down that day. It was the first time it happened." There was a pause. "I tried joking that she could carry me back to the tower, since it was such a long walk at this size. But she... got really mad. Apparently it was disrespectful. So she, uh. Said I needed to know my place around here. And, well."

There was a long, awkward pause. He didn't want to say it.

"... Let's. Let's just say that for one night, Yellow Diamond seemed to think _**she**_ was a Harvester." The last part was mumbled, but still intelligible. He went quiet, keeping his eyes away from Blue's face.

–-

...

 _"I-I would never! I'm here to serve you, White Diamond, and Blue Diamond! I would never question my position!" He was full-on shaking at this point, the smallest of whimpers escaping him. Small, scared, powerless... is this what his mission targets felt like...?_  
 _"I'm sorry, I won't forget, I swear it!"_  
 _–_  
 _"No."_  
 _Her eyes narrowed in an ominous calm._

 _"You won't."_

 _She opened her mouth, moving the tiny Hematite closer to her face, now terrifyingly close to her. Her teeth were pristine, sharp, and to a gem as small as he was... dangerous. She maneuvered her fingers around his body, rolling out her golden tongue and slipping the tiny gem onto the end of it gradually._  
 _–_  
 _Oh..._  
 _Oh stars, what was she_ _ **doing?**_  
 _Hematite's eyes widened in undisguised panic, and he tried to free himself from Yellow Diamond's grasp, but quickly found it was a futile effort. He couldn't see perfectly over her fingers, but he'd seen enough of what she was doing to go into full 'flight' mode._  
 _"Y-yellow Diamond, what are you doing?! I have to get back to White!" He squeaked in fear as his feet met what he could only guess was the gem's tongue, and he tried his best to draw his tiny form away, tightly clinging to the larger gem's fingers. Shutting his eyes tightly, he hoped that if he held on hard enough, he'd be alright._  
 _And she wouldn't actually-_  
 _Hematite shook, trying to quell the terror boiling in his stomach. She wouldn't really hurt him, right?_  
 _–_  
 _She didn't respond. She took a finger and pushed against his abdomen, slipping his small frame over her slippery tongue, just past her teeth. He was just big enough to fit in her mouth, even if he was a bit of a mouthful. Her tongue curled past his legs and drew him in, her mouth becoming more and more apparent as a golden death trap. The only hope the small gem had was the light streaming in from the outside, which gradually became dimmer and dimmer by the second._  
 _–_  
 _Gritting his teeth, Hematite tried to fight his way back from the huge gem's sharp teeth, but it was a pointless effort, and he quickly found himself stomach-first on the golden surface. He scrambled to distance himself from the back of Yellow Diamond's mouth, but his actions were fruitless, and his hands only slipped on the smooth surface. Little noises of panic escaped the tiny gem, and tears stung the corners of his eyes._  
 _"Somebody, help!" he choked out, his cry barely audible to his own ears. His voice was failing, as was what little composure he had left. He couldn't understand why she was doing this, he hadn't done anything wrong! He followed her rules, right?! Was there something he missed? Why hadn't she just crushed him if she was going to do this? At least that would have been quick! Hematite, seeing that his light was about to be cut off anyways, closed his eyes tightly and covered his head, his body shaking violently._  
 _–_  
 _The pressure got tighter, the roof of her mouth gradually becoming closer and closer to him, the light fading quicker, until... darkness. Her mouth closed completely around him, her tongue pushing him against her teeth. At any given moment, she could snap down on him... but she didn't. She seemed to be toying with him. Admittedly, she didn't dislike how he tasted. Still, she didn't have too much time to dawdle._  
 _–_  
 _A sharp whimper escaped Hematite as his back met the hard surface of the gem's teeth, and his panic flared, the image of being crushed into shards flashing through his mind. He clung to her tongue, cringing, and another weak cry escaped him, though not even Yellow Diamond would be able to hear._  
 _This isn't happening. It's not real. Maybe I'm in a training simulation and I don't know it... he lied to himself, what little strength he had to hold on starting to fail him._

 _Cutting to the chase, Yellow gave a little grin, chuckling darkly, the sound echoing around the puny gem's form. Then, without warning, everything started to tilt under him._

 _-_  
 _A heavy shudder crept up his spine when Yellow Diamond's chuckle echoed around him. He opened his eyes in the darkness, confused by the sudden shift in gravity. But it didn't take long for him to process what was happening as he began to slip. A sharp cry forced itself from the tiny gem's throat, and he shut his eyes tight again, holding on to the golden tongue under him as tightly as he could. Which, admittedly at this point, was a minimal amount._  
 _–_  
 _Yellow pressed her tongue, and the small gem, against the roof of her mouth, motioning the golden muscle under him and pushing him back. With a quick motion of her tongue, the pitiful gem was pushed further back, until there was a gradual drop._  
 _Then, without a second thought, the diamond gulped thickly, pulling the Hematite down with a sharp tug, warm flesh now enveloping his upper half._  
 _–_  
 _There was no point in it now... that was all he had in his already exhausted state. With one last shudder, the tiny gem's arms gave out on him, and he covered his face, waiting for the inevitable. She was going to put him where he'd never be found. A Diamond's gem dimension was surely a terrifying place..._  
 _He wished she'd just zapped and crushed him._  
 _As his form was suddenly moved downward in a swift movement, Hematite let out another yell for help, his mind fuzzy with terror. There was nothing he could do. It was over._  
 _I shouldn't have said anything. I should have just left the pad._  
 _–_  
 _Another quick gulp sent the rest of the small gem traveling down her neck. She raised a brow, swiping her tongue over her lips. She moved over to her seat, sitting down and propping her legs up on her desk, sighing heavily. Crossing her arms, she clicked her tongue once._  
 _"Stop whining," she said coldly, looking out to the door in front of her._  
 _–_  
 _Hematite could only make out a little of what Yellow Diamond had said at first, and quickly found himself on 'solid' ground again in what he assumed was her stomach. Wait... so she didn't put him away in her gem's pocket dimension?_

 _She was still aggravated from the previous guest, if the irritated scowl on her face was anything to go by._

 _"If I wanted you dead you'd be shattered easily by now. Consider this a little warning." She said, tapping her fingers on her arm, both of which were crossed over her chest. "Show some courage. You sound pathetic."_

 _The panic that had driven him moments before was starting to fizzle out, his emotional energy almost spent. He'd already had a terrible mission that nearly got him seriously hurt, and now this? After seemingly no provocation?_

 _He backed against the 'wall', his breathing uneven, but he stopped cold at her last words._

 _ **Show some courage.**_

 _His shaking stopped, and his brow furrowed. A long moment passed, and the gem said nothing._  
 _Slowly, he lifted his hand to his visor, swiping a finger across the surface. The clear visor lit up, the hud coming online, and Hematite looked around at the glittering golden surfaces around him. A deep frown plastered itself across the gem's face, and he slowly pushed his hair from his eyes, ignoring how it clung to his hand._  
 _"Fine."_  
 _An uncharacteristic cold tone crept into Hematite's voice, and he looked around again at the environment he found himself in. The diamond's words echoed in his mind._  
 _ **If I wanted you dead, you'd be shattered easily by now.**_  
 _Then why do this, he thought with a heavy hint of bitterness. Why do something so..._  
 _Well, it didn't matter. Fine. If she wanted him to stop whining, to 'show some courage' after thinking he was going to_ _ **die**_ _, or be locked away forever, then fine. He wouldn't give her the satisfaction of panicking any further._  
 _–_  
 _The Diamond's patience today was already worn thin, and she didn't like the Hematite's sharp tone. Still, he was already in a bit of a bind, so she bit her tongue for once._  
 _"Hmph."_  
 _Shifting her weight, she leaned over to grab the metallic pad that was on her desk. Blipping on its screen, she peered over its interface. After what seemed like an hour of reading, she lightly tapped the pad on the desk. The Hematite had been quiet for some time now. Good. It was just how she had wanted it. She got her point across, she was sure of it. Maybe now she could trust that he wouldn't try anything funny._  
 _She was doing this for them. For all of them. Still, White did need this gem back. She sighed heavily, taking a deep breath._  
 _"Alright Hematite. Since you probably have gotten my point by now. You should be getting back to White. But you'd better not forget anything I said. Do I make myself clear..." she said rhetorically._

 _Another day, another enforcement, another lesson. At the very least, she wasn't quite as angry as she had been an hour prior._  
 _But now she had to return him to White. She couldn't keep him in there even if she had wanted to. Besides... it was just a scare tactic._  
 _–_  
 _Hematite had done nothing but sit in wait, tiredly wishing he was back in White's office. Soon, he heard Yellow Diamond speaking to him, and noted every word. No, he wouldn't forget anything._

 _Within a few moments, a small spot on Yellow's abdomen glowed a bright golden color, and she reached in casually, easily able to grab Hema's tiny form and pull him out. Her form returned to normal as soon as Hematite was out in the open, and she glared down at the tiny gem. Hema glanced up in return, but quickly looked back down at her hand. Well, at least she wasn't making this anymore unpleasant than it needed to be._

 _..._

Blue scowled in disgust, looking from Hematite to the door. It all made sense. Everything Hematite said, everything Yellow had been doing... it all played together. It all made... _so_ much sense now. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. There was no use getting worked up now. She had to keep it together for Hematite, and everyone else for that matter.

She gazed back on him with a concerned look this time, the anger not quite gone all the way from her eyes.

"You must have been really scared..." she said, unsure of how exactly to respond. Her hand clenched in her palm, squeezing her fingers. She sighed heavily.

"... And she... made you feel like you were nothing. Like you were worthless..." Her shoulders drooped. The pain on her face said everything. "I couldn't have known... but I should have guessed... I'm so sorry, Hematite. If I had known, why I woulldaaaa..." She grit her teeth, shutting her eyes tightly. "Tsssss... Mmm." She relaxed, the tension fading away once more. _Keep it together, Blue._

–

Seeing Blue get so tense wasn't a surprise, but it was worrying to the tiny gem. He nodded, brows furrowed in a frown.

"I was, yes. I guess I just. Wanted to show her what it felt like." Hematite hesitated.

Without warning, the tiny service gem hopped to his feet and scurried over, jumping onto Blue's knee. He knew he wasn't supposed to make contact with her, but he... he had to make sure she could really hear and see him.

"It's not your fault! I could have told you, I could have told _White_... but I let her control me. I let that terror of her loom over me for years, despite White being my immediate superior. She would have taken care of the whole thing but I..." He clenched his fists. "I didn't understand how things worked when this all started. I just did what I was told, and I was scared of getting hurt. I just.. went along, doing my job."

The tiny gem inhaled deeply. Here goes.

"But _you_ made me feel like I actually had something to strive for. Like I had worth! Sure, White gave me _purpose_ , a job to do, but that was... empty at times. You showed me there was more to life than doing my missions and being afraid. You showed me the arena, sparred with me, praised me, Everything that Yellow Diamond didn't... Everything I _wanted_ her to do. And no, I never stopped trying to make her happier with me, but the failure to do so was... lessened by being able to talk with you."

His eyes were wide, and his expression was hard to read. It was something akin to pleading, but there was a fire there.

"I _know_ you're mad at Yellow Diamond, I am too. And honestly, this whole thing has... probably ruined any shot I had at mending things with her."

His hands shook, just slightly.

"I screwed up today. I screwed up _**big**_ time. But. I don't want my mistake, my choice to shut out the only person that's been by my side this whole time to ruin... what we had going."

–

There was silence. A hollow, yet shocked look glued to her face. Everything...everything he had said. It was all ringing through her like melodious chimes.

He... he really did care. He acknowledged everything she said. Hema took it all into account. He remembered...he believed her. The whole time, he cared. Despite how things had looked, he didn't lose sight of who he was in the end. What she said _mattered_ to him. She had helped him far more than she could have even imagined, and she did it by just being herself. She _helped_ him. She actually made him feel _better_. All this time, she had partially thought all of this was her fault. His outbursts, his anger, his unhappiness even. She had been worried that she had influenced him in all the wrong ways. Even to the point of being convinced that she had hurt him... that she taught him the wrong lessons. That she was a horrible leader. All this time... it was the opposite of what she had thought.

A small, single chuckle escaped her.

Tears welled up in her unblinking eyes, her lips parted subtly. She almost looked like she was hurt... but it was quite the opposite. No... no it wasn't hurt. It was _hope_.

She lifted her hands and grabbed the small gem, squeezing him close to her chest and, without warning, the tears started to flow down her cheeks. A quiet sob resounded through the small room. Her grasp was firm, but... surprisingly gentle coming from the normally rowdy gem. She often didn't know her own strength, but not this time. No, she made sure to be easy with him.

"Hematite..." her voice shuddered in a quiet whisper. She opened her eyes and stared down at her feet, looking past him. "You kept your promise... thank you."

–

Hematite's own eyes filled with tears as Blue pulled him close, and he buried his face in her shirt, hugging her best he could at his size. He was surprised at how careful she was able to hold him, and a bright, relieved smile spread across his face.

 _They were okay._

 _He hadn't ruined the best thing he had here on Homeworld._

Sure, he'd really messed up today. There were wounds made that would leave scars for a long time. _Some he wasn't aware of yet._

But it also... opened doors. He trusted White more, he understood himself better... and he understood Yellow better. Hell, he'd learned things about his own home that he'd never expected.

But he was still here because Blue supported him. Because she opened up to him and showed him what his life could be.

"Even though I shut you out... and I hurt you... You still didn't give up on me, despite having every reason to."

He looked up at her, teary-eyed, a wide smile still on his face.

"Thank you."

–

Blue sniffed and smiled, giving him a wide grin. Having finally let him free from her embrace, she placed him back on her knee as carefully as she could.

"I always knew there was somethin' special about ya from the first time ya spoke, kid... I guess I saw a lot of me in you? And, hah... I don't say that about many." She shrugged.

"No matter what happens... at the very least, I understand why you did what you did. No it wasn't right, but what she did wasn't right either. In the end, I guess no-one really won." She sighed, placing her palm on her cheek.

"... But maybe it's for the best. If we all learned anything from this whole mess... I'd consider that a plus in the end." She said reassuringly.

 _At least it was finally over._


	13. Loom

_Special Note: In celebration of Christmas of 2017, and the upcoming 2-year anniversary of The Harvester starting to post on Archive of Our Own, we're posting all 33 chapters of arc 2 all at once. Happy Holidays, everyone, and a happy New Year.~_ _Summary: Yellow Diamond runs into Hematite somewhere she didn't expect._

 **Dark.**

 **Silent.**

 **Freezing cold.**

 **Alone.**

 _What was this? What was this dark abyss she found herself in? And how long had she been wandering around aimlessly?_ Yellow Diamond tried to find anything, _anything_ at all to guide her way. She could feel some kind of solid ground under her feet, but no matter where she looked, in every direction, it was black. Pitch black.

Yet when she looked at her arms, she could see her own color just fine. It was as if she were standing somewhere where it was perfectly lit up, despite the world around her being inky black. _Strange... very strange._ Perhaps it was some sort of gem magic. She shrugged, continuing to walk tirelessly into the darkness.

Surely if she kept moving, she'd run into something. Anything. _How long would this last? And what was it?_

 _Why was it just... nothingness?..._

–

Within the inky blackness of the area surrounding the Diamond, something was watching. Waiting. Unseen, unheard, undetected, it watched its 'guest' intently.

Soon, it began making itself known.

It grew bored watching her walk around aimlessly. Slowly, the darkness grew denser, more invasive. It felt as if it were closing in behind her, slithering along the floor.

 _Something was coming for her._

–

She felt an odd pressure in the air. Yellow felt something rising within her... _anxiety_. Her pace quickened, but... she felt as though she was getting nowhere. Hell, was she even moving?

It was dark. It was quiet. It was cold... She was alone.

Or was she?

Despite the eerie silence, she couldn't help but get the feeling she was being watched. She kept glancing over her shoulder every now and then, eyes wide. _Why did she feel like this?! What was going on?!_

Soon enough, she broke out into a full on sprint, trying to get away from her unseen pursuer.

–

The darkness followed right behind her, never more than a few feet away from her heels. Whatever was on her trail was fast, relentless, and huge.

Though it had been chilly just moments before, the darkness around Yellow Diamond slowly became... colder. It weighed down on everything, making the air thick and heavy.

A soft breeze blew at the Diamond's back.

 **"Haha~."**

–

With a sharp gasp, Yellow nearly stumbled forward and turned around on her heel, facing whatever it was behind her.

"WHO'S THER-" she hissed threateningly, though her eyes quickly widened in shock at what she saw as she turned around. Her head lifted slowly, sweat starting to form on her brow. Her mouth hung agape in disbelief. She grit her teeth and stepped back slowly. Her body went numb... Her legs heavy.

–

Black, inky shadows slowly peeled away as a massive, dark form crept from the void surrounding the Diamond. Its face was near impossible to see through a mess of mussed hair and blackness that blocked out the form's distinguishing features. Huge, clawed hands scraped noisily against the 'ground' as the humanoid figure moved closer and closer. With each pace, its claws left massive, stark-white cracks in the floor. It appeared to be on all fours, despite being.. mostly human in appearance. Not to mention, the back half of its body seemed screened from view, obscured by the blackness surrounding the two.

As the last shadows peeled away, the figure lifted its head to stare at the tiny Diamond before it. Within the darkness that covered the top half its face, there was a single, small yellow insignia. It was watching her.

 **"What's the matter, Yellow Diamonnnnd?~ Aren't you happy to see me?"**

–

A sudden horror befell her, and she felt her nonexistent heart _drop_.

"YOU?! I... Wait, NO! What are you doing here?!" She shouted in anger. She knew _he_ wasn't supposed to be here. Despite the fact that she knew nothing about this place, she knew he wasn't supposed to be around, especially not when he looked like _that_. She clenched her fists and nervously stepped backwards.

"NO I'm not happy to see you! Shift down this instant! Have you learned nothing from that last stunt you pulled?! You're lucky you weren't shattered for that! When White finds out about this..."

–

The nightmarish Hematite stopped advancing for the moment, but he cocked his head at her with a wide smile.

 **"Ooooh, but I'm ever so happy to see YOU!"**

Slowly, the smile spread into an unsettling grin.

"You're lucky **you** weren't shattered for it. And White?" A soft, low chuckle echoed around in the darkness. "White's never going to find out about this.~"

Closing in, the darkness around the two grew even denser.

"We're aaaaaaall aloooooooone."

–

A cold sweat ran down her brow. Yellow's eye twitched, her entire body tensing up.

"Wh-what do you mean _**I**_ was lucky?... What do you mean we're alone?" she asked, pacing back a few more quick steps. He was closing the distance between them, getting unnervingly closer... _Uncomfortably_ closer. She glanced to the side, trying to spot anywhere to go but here. There was... a whole lot of nothing. She looked back at him, her anxiety flaring as she was met with the target on his visor once more.

Holding her breath, she stared up at him, standing tall. _Be brave..._

–

Slowly, the huge form leaned down until his face was mere inches from Yellow Diamond's. His breath stirred the tiny gem's hair, and his unsettling grin was replaced with an even more unnerving, 'friendly' smile.

"Ooooh, being brave now are we? Goood. Goood." Without warning, the giant gem leaned forward, his lips parting. Chuckling, he slowly drug his tongue across Yellow Diamond's front and moved to hover above her afterward, his visor whirring.

 **"You're going to need it."**

–

A heavy whimper arose from the yellow gem, startled by the huge gem's sudden _less than appealing_ gesture. She stumbled back, panting heavily in horrified shock. Her legs started shaking... her entire body soon following. Her spiteful expression was wiped clean off, only to be replaced with one of terror.

"Y-you... You aren't serious!" she stuttered, brows furrowed. _Be brave..._

–

The huge figure inched closer again, his massive face only inches above her. Flashing, the yellow insignia clicked and changed into an exact replica of the Diamond's gemstone shape.

"Oh I'm **deadly** serious, Yellow Diamond.~" A low chuckle escaped him, shaking her tiny form.

"Did you really think... you were safe?" He breathed down her neck. "Did you really think this was **over**?"

A crack of thunder violently shook the area around the two gems, and the nightmarish form suddenly vanished, leaving behind nothing but a sinister, unsettling laugh that slowly grew in volume until it was unbearably loud.

"Ha.. hahaha ah aHA HA HA HA AH A **AHAHAHA!"**

–

 **CRASH!**

Yellow winced in pain, clutching her head and groaning. She was jolted awake suddenly, her forehead meeting the shelf that hung over her bed. Her body was in a cold sweat, and she felt groggy and disoriented.

It was dark, but at least it wasn't pitch black. The stars and city lights illuminated the room around her, spilling in from the window which she left open that evening.

She was back in her quarters.

Sighing nervously, she wiped the sweat from her brow and sat on the edge of her bed. It was the night of the incident with Hematite, and she'd decided it'd be in her best interests to take a long, well-deserved rest that night. Gems didn't _need_ sleep, in all honesty, but it certainly helped sharpen the mind and regain their energy at a more rapid pace than staying awake. It was common that the diamond would sleep or nap after she pushed herself too hard for an extended period of time. She hardly ever took breaks in her work, after all. And after that fiasco in the arena... Yellow needed all the rest she could get. _However, she didn't expect to be greeted with_ _ **that**_ _in her sleep._

 _Thank the stars... It was only a dream..._


	14. Punishment

_Summary: Hematite is given a job in the Kindergarten._

The air was dense in the Kindergarten this morning. A few Peridots were scattered here and there, checking holes in the walls and writing things on their screens. With a quick flash, White Diamond arrived with Hematite on a nearby warp pad. Her hands were placed formally behind her back. Standing tall and looking over the scene, she raised a brow. Her appearance did not go unnoticed.

"Wh-WHITE DIAMOND!" One of the closest Peridots saluted, startled by her sudden arrival.

"Forgive me, I had no idea you were coming! Do you need an assembly?" she asked politely, walking closer. White held up one of her hands and shook her head once.

It had been a long time since Hematite last visited the kindergarten, all the way back before he was stranded on Earth. It didn't look too different, aside from a couple new holes here and there in a quartz section and an unknown one. Late bloomers, he supposed.

The familiar sight of the Peridots going busily about their work was a slight comfort to the service gem, but he wondered if any of them knew who he was. He didn't recognize any of the green gems. The ones he'd gotten to know were probably working in a different kindergarten by now or stationed in another sector.

As White spoke with the Peridot in front of her, Hematite stood politely at her side, a few feet away, and stayed quiet.

White finally spoke up.

"It's alright, I'm not here for business or meetings really. I'm just here to bring this Hematite so that he may serve his punishment. I didn't really have much time to make my entrance known, this was sort of a last minute decision," she responded, stepping off of the warp pad. Ever since Hematite first showed up this morning, she hadn't said much to him, let alone told him what his punishment even was.

The Peridot nodded in understanding and stood as still as she could, nervously awaiting their next move. White stepped closer.

"You are able to broadcast a small PSA, I presume?"

"Yes ma'am, I can do that."

"Good, then I want you to tell the other Peridots that Hematite here will be assisting you for the next month or so. For the time being, he is a lower rank than you workers. Have him help you with whatever you deem necessary. I expect him to be on his best behavior," she remarked, giving Hematite a side glance.

The Peridot nodded and brought up her screen, walking off and repeating White's words.

As the Peridot walked off, White turned to the ivory haired service gem and crossed her arms.

"As for you Hematite, perhaps I should... elaborate a little more on what your punishment is. This isn't the only part of it, of course."

–

When she finally turned to him, he stood straighter, his arms behind his back.

The service gem gave a nod, and his half-visor chirped as a screen popped up on the small gem tech piece. He was ready to jot down whatever his responsibilities would be.

–

White continued, pleased to see his cooperation.

"First off, as you just heard.. You will be working here in this Kindergarten for the next month. You will do as the Peridots tell you to do and comply with their orders. You won't have to stay here all the time, however. Every 7th rotation, I would like you to come back to my office to give me a direct report on your jobs and whatever else goes on while you're here. Once the first month is over, you will spend another month picking up and helping around the Yellow, Blue, and White districts. Community service, more or less. You will have a guard with you at all times during that period."

She unfolded her arms and placed her hands on her hips, looking as though she were deep in thought for a moment. Raising a brow, she met Hematite's gaze directly.

"Also, no tea for one year."

–

 _Alright, working for the Peridots, check._

 _Community service with a guard, check._

 _No tea for a year, ch-_

 _ **WHAT?**_

"A whol-..." Hematite was definitely about to say something, but he cleared his throat and nodded, though his eyes gave away his distress. "Yes ma'am. As you wish. Who will be my guard?"

–

The diamond gave a flick of her wrist and nodded slightly.

"Ah, yes, about that. I have not decided quite yet, but I will have one for you soon. You need not worry however, seeing as you won't be meeting with them for another month. Now, off you go! Remember, I want full progress reports! Don't disappoint me, and don't cause any trouble. Alright, Hematite?" She said, turning and observing the kindergarten around her.

"Now, if you don't need to know anything else, I shall be on my way."

–

Hematite blinked and nodded as his eyepiece dulled, turning off.

"Full reports, right. I won't let you down, White Diamond! I don't have any questions!"

He saluted her respectfully and stood at attention.

 _I got it easy. I'm lucky I still have my gem, job,_ _ **anything**_ _after that stunt..._

The service gem pushed the thought aside.

 _But White is fair. This seems suitable punishment, if even a bit lenient ... Even if the tea part is a bit cruel._

–

White clasped her hands together and gave another quick nod to the service gem.

"Very well then! I'll be off now," she stated simply, starting off for the warp pad.

–

Hematite watched her go with a respectful smile, but it faded when he heard a familiar voice some distance away.

"YOOO PIIIPSQUEAAAAAAK~"

"Oh _nooo."_

The service gem grimaced and turned to see Mago, who was surprisingly only a head or two shorter than White right now, rushing toward him and his leader. She seemed to be leaving one of the other Hematites behind her. Hema recognized her from his test years and years ago. She was lithe, graceful, with long silvery white hair and warm eyes. Her forehead gem gleamed in the early morning sun as she turned and walked away from Mago. There was a faint smile on her lips.

Hematite turned his attention back to Mago, who was quickly closing in. What did _she_ want? The ebony-haired gem hurried up the set of stone stairs that led up to the warp pad, approaching White and Hema without hesitation.

Stopping a little ways off from the two, Mago saluted White Diamond and gave her a semi respectful, semi devious smile.

"Hey, White!"

–

White Diamond stopped abruptly, raising a brow in curiosity.

"Hello, Mago. You're looking... _chipper_ , today," she stated with a small bit of confusion.

She was surprised to see her so small for one, and her timing was... impeccable.

–

"Hmm, chipper isn't the word I'd use! I'm actually in a _pretty_ bad mood!" her smile widened, but it wasn't threatening. It was more... stressed? "Hey so, juuust curious." She started walking over to Hematite, who leaned away slightly as the ebony haired gem approached him. She was a little taller than him right now, and he didn't like when she loomed. The longer-haired gem leaned her elbow casually on Hematite's shoulder and looked to White Diamond. "I'm having some... _troubles_. With my size shifting." Looking at Hematite with a smug grin, she pinched his cheek. Hematite scoffed and swatted her hand away. "I was wondering if, for part of his punishment, shrimp here could help me learn how to control it better."

–

White looked on, a little concerned about the Hematite's former statement about being in a mood.

Her eyes narrowed, and she pursed her lips a little, as if she was a tad suspicious. She was quiet for a moment, deep in thought. Looking up to the sky gradually, she placed a finger to her chin.

"Aaahhh, nmm... Well. I don't see why not?" she said, giving a shrug of her shoulders. "Very well then, Hematite, see to it that Mago's size shifting is stabilized. Add that to your reports as well." Her ominously bemused stare drifted to Mago, piercing through her. "I'd like to know of _her_ progression as well as yours."

–

Admittedly, Mago felt her cocky smile falter at the corners, and a few beads of sweat formed on her brow as White stared through her.

 _Oh stars cover this up fast._

"Thaaanks, White~! I'll be sure not to rough him up too bad." Mago grabbed Hema's cheek again before her hand was swatted away in irritation. Hematite growled lowly at her, but said nothing to object.

"Yes, White Diamond. I'll..." He gave Mago a highly suspicious glare. "Make sure to tell you _everything_."

The ebony haired Hematite's smile faltered again, her left eye giving a twitch.

"Yeah, he will."

–

"Very well then, you two both stay out of trouble," she said sternly, turning and waving her hand. Within a few short moments after, the warp pad flashed brightly, and the two were left standing alone in the middle of the clearing.

–

As soon as White Diamond blipped away, Mago's shoulders relaxed slightly, but she didn't stop leaning on Hematite. The shorter gem was still giving her a suspicious glare, and he cleared his throat.

"Do you _mind_ , Mago?"

"Oh! Right right haha silly me, you're not an armrest." Standing up straight, Mago turned to Hema, but suddenly grabbed his shoulders, shaking him aggressively.

"WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING BACK IN THAT ARENA, PIPSQUEAK?" she shouted, brows furrowed.

Hematite's voice wavered as the taller gem shook him, and he couldn't quite get his words out. The ebony-haired gem continued, teeth bared.

"YOU COULD HAVE DIED. I mean it was really cool and all BUT YOU COULD HAVE DIED, HOW ARE YOU STILL HERE?" she exclaimed, confusion clear as day on her face.

"B-B-B-E-E-C A U SE-" Hematite grabbed her arms, lifting them away from his shoulders. He cleared his throat and adjusted his sleeves. "Because. White is... fair. We had a long talk, I explained what happened."

Mago's face went deadpan, as did her voice.

"What happened. _'What_ _ **happened**_ _?'_ Pipsqueak you tried to _harvest_ a Diamond, that's not something you get _community service_ for." Hematite looked away grumpily and ruffled his hair in irritation.

"I wasn't going to harvest her. It was a scare tactic. I don't wanna explain everything, but she wasn't in any danger." The smaller gem looked up at Mago, and he frowned suspiciously. "And how do you even know what happened? Did word spread THAT quickly?"

Blinking, the taller gem looked away, almost awkwardly. She scoffed, putting her hands on her hips.

" _Tch_ , if you must know, I was _there_. I caught your first match against Yellow Diamond and I wanted to follow up on it. Figured it'd be fun to watch you get your butt kicked again."

Hematite bristled.

"You know what, Mago. I have a punishment to deal with, so if you'll excuse me, I need to get-"

Mago hissed through her teeth at him before looking away, to the side. She pursed her lips and looked down, though she didn't move her head. After a long pause, she finally moved, and lifted her hand to her eyes. Slowly, Mago removed her visor, uncovering her bright pink irises. The shorter Hematite blinked in surprise. He'd _never_ seen Mago remove her visor willingly.

"Listen, Hema. Just be quiet for a sec. I got something to say." The gem twisted her visor between her fingers, as if looking it over, but there was a distant look in her eyes. "It's true, I came there to watch you get thrashed."

A long pause. Hematite crossed his arms, watching the taller gem intently. He'd never seen her act like this before. The sharp-toothed service gem continued.

"... But. You didn't. You kicked _her_ butt. It was... pretty awesome." The taller gem gazed at her kin and gave him a look that was... unreadable. "But. It didn't really seem like _**you**_. You feeling alright?"

She suddenly put her visor back on and leaned on his shoulder again, a teasing grin on her face. "You aren't going rogue are ya?~" The ebony haired gem gave a loud laugh, but Hematite didn't respond. He stood there, still a bit... baffled at what Mago had just said.

 _How did she know that wasn't like him? What did_ _ **she**_ _know about him? All she did was pick on him._

"No, I'm not going rogue, and yes I'm feeling fine. Yellow Diamond and I just had some..." He shrugged her off of his shoulder and adjusted his suit again. "Business to finish."

The taller gem nodded and crossed her own arms as she looked away.

"Mmm. Gotcha." There was another pause.

"Is that all? Because I need to get to work."

Mago looked at him. The mischievous light returned to her eyes, and she 'saluted' him before she turned around.

"Alright shrimp but don't forget, you still gotta train me. Meet me at the Cove in a few hours.~ Or tomorrow, whenever, I don't care."

She walked off. Hematite was left to stare after her and wonder what her angle was. She had to have something planned. He knew it.

 _The question was_ _ **what**_ _._


	15. MAGRO

_Summary: Hematite meets some of the other members of his kin._

–

\- Long ago, a day after the Hematites were first presented to the Diamonds, six days before their fateful 'test' in the Pink District.

–

"And that is how you activate your hunting visor. You will need this for your test in a few rotations. The Diamonds will expect you to put these to use. Tonight, you will all be giving your visors to us, and specify if you would like them styled any differently than they currently are. We'll give you some choices and ideas. This is strictly an aesthetic choice, and shouldn't mess with the visor's effectiveness. That being said, please do not break these. You will all be provided with a set amount of visors every few years, and while we CAN replace them, it may take some time." Standing tall, a Peridot tilted her chin up and frowned seriously at the fifteen gems collected in front of her, on the kindergarten floor. She was standing on a cleanly cut ledge with a rather sizable holo-screen projected in front of her. A few other Peridots and service gems stood around as well, eyeing the collected giant Hematites either curiously or suspiciously. There was an assortment of Jaspers and a few unidentified gems in armor that stood guard during the presentation, holding their weapons at the ready, destabilizers on hand, should anyone get rowdy. The presentation was being held in a miles-wide 'scoop' in the ground that was large enough to be occupied by the gems that were being lectured.

Fifteen gems sat in five neat rows, the smallest in the front, the biggest in the back so that all of them could see the screen. All of them had their legs crossed or folded in front of them and remained quiet, though a few of the gems seemed antsy. A Hematite with swept back curly whitish hair was rocking side to side subtly where she sat, looking around between the different sections of the Peridot's lecture. Another with a similar hairstyle, though her locks were a deep black color, was intently watching the screen, a small, serious frown on her face. She listened to every word and nodded once in a while, never making a move from her spot. Another gem with light gray hair and small, sharp tooth that stuck out slightly from under her upper lip was watching the Peridots with intense curiosity, eyeing the limb enhancers they wore. Every once in a while she would start to reach for one of the green gems, but was quickly scolded and told to face front again. Three of the largest Hematites sat in the back. One had a head of curly ivory locks and a gem on his collarbone, another had messy pink hair and a gem on the upper half of her chest, and the last bore a forehead gem that was partially hidden under her swept-over bangs. She and the pink-haired Hematite were more well-built than the larger gem sitting next to them, who didn't seem to have the most powerful physique. If anything, he actually looked a bit scrawny, for being the largest Hematite. Despite that, however, they didn't dare question his strength. They'd seen what he could do, during their training they'd endured before being presented to the diamonds a day or so ago.  
The Hematite with the pink hair and the chest gem leaned over to her slightly smaller kin, muttering something under her breath with a smile. Eyes widening, the gray-haired Hematite brought her hand up to her mouth, snickering quietly as she looked to the gem sitting next to her. She leaned over and whispered something back, earning a displeased glance from the ivory-haired Hematite sitting near them. The Peridot on the ledge continued.

"Now then, about size shifting. You will not be doing this during your test. It is far too unpredictable and you will receive a full lesson on it after you are ranked. All of you will receive this lecture, regardless of the results of the test. However, you will need to momentarily shift down to teleport to the Pink District, should you be too large to fit on the warp pad. It's a rather big one, so a few of you shouldn't have any problems. The rest of you, however, will receive some assistance shifting down and getting the warp pad to work."

The largest Hematite looked rather bored. There was a small, disgruntled frown on his face. He kept casting side glances at the guards standing within a few hundred feet, or the Peridots that were walking around once in a while, his deep maroon eyes betraying a strange mix of emotions. It was hard to tell what he was thinking. Whatever was on his mind, he certainly wasn't paying attention to the lecture.

But then again, neither was a certain ebony-haired Hematite.

"Hey pipsqueak, you've got a rock in your hair."

"What, no I don-Hey!" Hematite winced and inhaled sharply through his teeth as the slightly bigger gem at his side yanked harshly on his long white hair, snickering. "Cut it out! I'm trying to listen to the lesson!" he whispered harshly, attempting to tug his locks away from the ebony haired service gem.

"Yeah you and all these other nerds. What's the matter, can't focus, runt?" She tugged on his hair again, this time a bit more forcefully. Glancing down at the front row of Hematites, the Peridot continued, still giving her speech on size shifting.

"You all have a few sizes you should naturally default to. Staying _between_ these sizes will require more concentration and use up far more energy. You will all find that you have four sizes that you should naturally switch between when shifting. Your civilian size, which you should use to walk around normal gems and while you're off the job. Your 'combat' size, which is a bit bigger, your half size, and your full potential. Currently, you're all at your half sizes," she stated, tilting her chin up. Blinking in surprise, the largest Hematite looked down at his form, leaning forward slightly to look himself over. _So they could all get even bigger, huh? Interesting..._ _ **Very**_ _interesting._

"Hmm."

Another white-haired gem in the first row stared up at the Peridot with wide, maroon eyes. A tiny grin spread across his face, revealing rows of unnaturally sharp, narrow teeth. A near perfectly-round gemstone laid on his stomach, gleaming in the low moonlight. His hair was spiked up into side-swept tufts, an oddly rectangular visor over his eyes. He eagerly patted at the ground, tilting his head down to look himself over. _They could get bigger and smaller? What?! That was so cool! He just thought they were stuck at this size._  
"Whoa..."

Smiling in wonder, the gem turned his attention back up to the Peridot, listening intently to her speech.

Snickering, the black-haired service gem in the front tugged on her victim's hair again, her sharp teeth bared. The smaller Hematite growled lowly and backhandedly tried to slap his neighbor's arm away from him, but she grabbed his wrist and sneered cruelly at him.

"And in order to shift down, which need I remind you, you will not be allowed to do during your test, you simply need to visualize where you wish to be standing when you shift down or up, and feel out the energies as-"

"You're going to have to hit harder than that if you wanna make it out here, pipsqueak. Whatever this 'test' is, you're never gonna pass it with those reflex-"

"HEY! Hematite 9, Hematite 11! Stay still and pay attention down there!" a rather irritated voice piped up from the cliff, light, metallic tapping following. The lecturing Peridot was staring right at the two gems in front, a hand on her hip, her foot tapping on the ground impatiently. The ebony-haired Hematite nonchalantly flipped the smaller gem's hair back into his face with a smug 'hmph' and sat up straighter, looking once more at the large holo-screen. Scoffing, the ivory-haired service gem scooted a few feet away, glaring at the gem by his side before he too turned his attention up. _Great, now he'd missed a whole section! Something about shifting?_ He hoped it wasn't too important.

Flipping to the next section of the lesson, the Peridot cleared her throat and frowned seriously, tapping something on her limb enhancer screen.

"As I was saying. You are all classified as "M.A.G.R.O." gems."

The black-haired gem wrinkled her nose with a lopsided frown, arching a brow at the screen as an acronym popped up onto it. Words began to appear down below each of the capital letters as the Peridot continued speaking. "This stands for Maintenance And Gem Relocation Operative. But they are more commonly known as 'Harvesters'. While you Hematites are created specifically for this position, there are occupational 'Harvesters' as well that really only handled Gem Relocation. Many Generals and District-specific operative gems have this ranking. It was a job given to many powerful gems long ago for the purpose of cleaning up stray rebels and corrupted gems here and there, but has since become more of a need. That's where you all come in. While originally, 'Harvesting' simply entailed poofing, bubbling, and relocating troublesome gems, it has a slightly different meaning for all of you. There's a psychological aspect to it as well."

The ebony haired Hematite had stopped listening at this point. She pursed her lips and let out a soft hum, muttering quietly to herself, "Magro? S'a dumb name. 'Harvester' sounds a lot better." Rolling his eyes slightly, the smaller Hematite tried to ignore the gem's mumbling beside him. Not noticing the gesture, the black-haired service gem looked slightly to the side, brows furrowed. "Magro. Groma. Groam. Doesn't matter how you put it, it sounds stupid." She sneered, her sharp teeth glinting lowly in the dim moonlight. "Even if you took out some of the letters."

The Hematite at her side drew his lips tight with a look of exasperated frustration and looked sharply at the gem beside him, whispering crossly,

"Would you please be quiet?! Yes, Magro, Mag, Grom, Mago, it's all stupid! Okay?! I am _trying_ to focus!"

Brows raising, the larger Hematite stared at nothing in particular. She was silent a moment. At first, it seemed the smaller Hematite had finally shut her up, and he rolled his eyes again, looking at the screen. There was a stretch of quiet before the ebony-haired Hematite suddenly chuckled and sat up straighter, a smug smile on her face.

"Huh. Mago. I actually kinda like that one."

"Excuse me?"

"Hmm? Oh. Nothing, Pipsqueak. Nothing at all."

\- Present day, the afternoon after 'the incident' between Hema and Yellow Diamond. Kindergarten.

–

"Mago!"

"Hm? Oh, hey Pipsqueak, took ya long enough! So you actually showed up, huh?" Mago turned on her heel and put her hands on her hips, smirking down at the approaching service gem. Hema frowned and scoffed, glancing to the side as he made his way over. His eyes scanned along the huge cliff faces that stood at either side of the wide path the two of them were standing in, idly glancing at the different holes in the stone.

"Well considering I have an order from White Diamond, yes, I did show up."

"Ooooh what a good little service gem you are.~" The taller Hematite wrinkled her nose in a mocking smile, snickering to herself. Groaning and closing the distance between the two of them, the ivory-haired gem crossed his arms and gave the taller gem a dirty look.

"Listen up Mago. Whether you like it or not, I'm in charge of you for the next month, or until we fix whatever this 'trouble' of yours is. _You_ set this up, not White, so I can tell her that you refuse to work with me if you're going to be difficult. I'm sure she'd have no problems revoking her orders for me to help you." Narrowing his eyes, the gem tapped his foot. Mago's eyes widened slightly, and her smug sneer vanished. Standing a bit straighter, she scoffed and looked to the side, tapping her fingers along her hip.

"No need for that, pipsque-er. Hematite. Look, just. You're the only one who can help me out with this, alright?" A slightly nervous edge entered her voice, though Hematite had a hard time telling what was going through her head, as Mago refused to make eye contact. Hema pursed his lips and frowned.

"What exactly is the problem anyways, Mago? You said you were having issues with your shifting, but what is it exactly?"

"Aaah. Listen I'll tell you when we're actually at the Cove, alright? Let's not talk about it here." Glancing around, the ebony haired Hematite turned and walked down the huge path, her arms swinging casually at her sides. Huffing his bangs away with a sigh, the smaller Hematite followed suit, glancing around idly. From here, the Cove was still about a thirty minute walk. Hematite was surprised to find Mago here instead of all the way at the old meeting point.

 _Something was definitely up._

Mago remained silent as she and Hema rounded corner after corner and walked down vast passages and up steep slopes. It'd been so long since he'd been here that Hematite forgot how arduous it was to walk through here when he wasn't huge. In fact he was half tempted to shift up, but figured it'd be best to get information about what he'd be helping Mago with before he changed size. After all, the last time he'd been around her when she was this size hadn't ended in a friendly manner.

After a few minutes of walking, Hematite zoned out and idly followed after Mago, his hands folded neatly behind his back. This area was familiar enough to him, as he'd walked through it plenty of times back in the day. Though he wasn't fully paying attention, he did notice that things had changed slightly in his ten years of being gone. A few new holes here and there, a missing boulder or two, a new wall blocking off a path to the east sector -... wait.

 _A new wall?_

Frowning, Hema shook his head to clear the idle daze he was in, and he finally turned his attention to the gray surface he and Mago were walking by. The small service gem stopped dead in his tracks, eyes as wide as saucers.

 _That was not a wall._

Laying on their side, the massive gem was laying in the opening to a branching path, and didn't seem to notice the passing service gems. Though he couldn't see a face, or even half of the form before him, Hema quickly realized that what he was looking at was one of the Hematites from his group. But it was worse than that. It was the _biggest_ remaining Hematite.

Hema recognized her from her build alone. This gem was broad-shouldered, had powerful arms and a wide chest and back, and most noticeably, had dark pink, short messy hair. Her back alone, even with the massive gem laying on her side, stretched at a little over fifty feet high. From what Hematite could tell, it seemed this gem was... sleeping? She was breathing softly and wasn't moving, so in the small service gem's mind, she didn't seem to be a threat. Cautiously, the tiny gem continued to walk toward Mago, who hadn't so much as slowed, but instead seemed blissfully unaware of the massive gem she was walking alongside.

That is, until she lifted her hand up and chuckled.

"Afternoon, Meta~!" she called up rather loudly, just now passing the giant gem's shoulders. Hema stiffened and inhaled sharply through his teeth, looking nervously up at the monolith of a Hematite beside him. He paled upon noticing that the pink-haired Hematite was _moving_ now, ever so slightly. His pace quickened.

"Mago! What are you doing?!" he whispered harshly, trying to close the distance between them. Mago stopped walking entirely and arched a brow at the ivory-haired gem, chuckling. Turning, she looked up just in time to see the reclined Hematite raise her hand, give a small, half-hearted 'wave'. Her arm cast a dark shadow upon the two tiny gems, blocking out a considerable amount of sunlight. She lowered her arm again, not so much as turning around.

"Afternoon, Mago," she replied lowly, her voice deep and monotone. She sounded rather tired.

Hematite ran the last few paces toward his accomplice and glanced up at the giant gem, brows furrowed.

"You two know each other?" he asked curiously, looking over at the ebony-haired gem.

Mago flipped her hair behind her shoulder and smirked, glancing back again at the pink-haired gem.

"You could say that. Meta here's helped me on a few destruction jobs and even some recon, eeeeh Meta?" Gently nudging the giant gem in the back, Mago grinned, eyes half lidded. Meta gave a soft, tired sounding hum in reply and sighed.

"Yup. That I have."

"Yeaaah, Meta's the best. Haaah, but we should get going. Sorry for waking you." Not losing her smirk, Mago continued forward and glanced at Hema as she passed him. The smaller service gem blinked in confusion and glanced once more at the huge gem laying nearby before he followed suit. Meta shifted slightly in place, getting comfortable. Within moments, she was fast asleep again.

Soon enough, the two stepped foot into the absolutely massive, vaguely scoop-shaped clearing that the Hematites had 'affectionately' named the 'Cove'. It was where they'd trained and been lectured years and years ago. They'd emerged from the other end of the Kindergarten, but were put through classifying tests in this section before they even met the Diamonds. It was also where Hematite had learned the hard way what being the runt of a batch meant to a gem. He still remembered all the teasing he'd suffered from most of the fourteen other gems of his kind long ago.

And to his misfortune, Hematite saw a few of his kin working in the very clearing Mago had taken him to. Seemed quite a few of the Hematites weren't currently on Harvesting jobs... just his luck. Three Hematite gems were being bossed around by Peridots a little ways off, working on a broken-down injector drill or two. Hematite recognized a few of the giant gems, and was displeased to see that at least two of the three were ones that used to treat him rather poorly. Another was a Hematite he recognized to be rather indifferent to him. She had short, swept back black hair with a tuft of bangs between her eyes. She was one of the biggest Hematites, just a few tiers below Meta. Currently, she was standing at her half height, helping out with the drills. Hema hoped none of them would give him any trouble.

–

"Alright, that should be good! The diagnostics have been completed, and it looks as if everything is as it should be," a tall black haired Hematite spoke promptly, tapping a finger to the sharp edged pink visor that she wore. A few of the service gems standing near an injector drill nodded and tapped their fingers over the exposed panel. Within seconds, it hummed to life, remaining online and stationary. The Hematite looked quite pleased with herself, grinning softly and holding a clenched fist over her chest.

The technicians soon powered off the drill and gave the massive gem a wave of thanks, moving onto another drill which had been previously fixed. The other two Hematites were half-hidden behind said device, tinkering with something under the instruction of a few Peridots. Glancing around, the tallest Hematite wondered if they were going to check everything again. _It never hurt to double or triple check their work!_ As she looked over her shoulder, she noticed another pair of service gems. However, this duo was of her own kin. Her eyes widened upon noticing one of them.

 _Was that White Diamond's Hematite?... He looked... different. Ah, well, what could she expect? The last time she saw him had been a while ago. He had much longer hair back then. Well, short hair was far more practical._ She was confused, though. _Why was he here? And why was he with..._

 _Oh stars, not_ _ **her**_ _._

She turned quickly, though she tried to keep it subtle. She hoped they wouldn't acknowledge her. Glancing over the newly fixed drill, the taller black-haired gem eyed the strange contents inside the drill's casing. It appeared to be newly filled, and she couldn't help but ponder when it would be put to use next.

–

Rather quickly, Mago spotted the other ebony-haired, though much larger Hematite and grinned deviously.

"Oh heeeeeeya Tam~!"

Snickering, she made her way over toward the working Hematites, earning a startled objection from the ivory-haired gem behind her.

"Mago, wait!" Hema trailed after her, grunting in frustration. "We're not here to socialize, we're here to... do whatever it is we need to do!"

"Oh pipe down pipsqueak we have a whole month." Stopping short of the giant gem, Mago stood a little ways behind her, tapping her foot. "Taaaam. I know you saw us. It's rude not to say hi, you know."

Hema stopped a little ways from Mago, shooting her a scolding look before he turned his attention up to the giant gem before him.

–

The larger black haired Hematite rolled her eyes, sighing quietly. _Wonderful_. Turning with furrowed brows, she looked down upon the shorter of her kin and placed her arms behind her back.

"Helloooo... egh... Mago," she sneered in undisguised annoyance. She was quick to straighten up however, clearing her throat. "And, hello to you as well Hematite. What brings you to the kindergarten?" she asked curiously, raising a brow simply at the ivory haired gem.

She couldn't really think of a reason as to why he _would_ be here in the first place. He worked directly for White Diamond herself, what on Homeworld was his business here? _Maybe he just had a day off and wanted to spend it here? No, that certainly wasn't it._

If there was one thing that Tam was good at, it was observation. For one, it hadn't exactly gone unnoticed how most of the other Hematites treated him. For two, he had the highest position a Hematite could probably ever dream of having. Working for White Diamond herself? Living a cushy life among gem royalty? Surely he wouldn't spend any of his time HERE by choice.

She'd be lying if she said she wasn't envious; and that made her slightly wary of this gem. Why would White Diamond ever consider the _runt_ for the position that he held?

Still, she was a stickler for the rules and since this Hematite was officially ranked higher than any of the gems in the kindergarten, she still held some sort of respect for him.

–

Hematite mirrored Tam's posture and cleared his throat, looking up at her with an arched brow.

"Sorry to interrupt your work. Mago and I are here on business. I'm... Well. I'm actually going to be around for a while because-"

"HEY!"

"Oh dear." Grimacing, Hematite looked over his shoulder at an approaching pair of Peridots. They didn't look pleased. The one that had called out had her screen out over one hand, and seemed to be quickly putting in some data of some sort. She glared at Hema and narrowed her eyes.

"We didn't say you could leave yet, clod! We still needed you to move a few rocks!"

Blinking, Mago raised her brows and turned slowly, now watching the three service gems. _Oooh? Did pipsqueak of all people shirk his work?_ Looking rather taken aback, Hematite frowned and fidgeted behind his back.

"Yes you did say I could leave! You told me we were done for the day."

 _That was the only reason he'd gone to find Mago in the first place!_

The drama going on over by the injector drill hadn't gone unnoticed. One of the Hematites that had been following Tam's instructions peered over, arching a brow. She had poofy side-swept bangs and a medium-length haircut. Her locks were a deep pinkish-gray color, and she wore a slanted white visor over both her eyes and most of her nose. A rectangular, silvery gem rested on the left side of her neck, glinting in the afternoon sun. Upon noticing Hema standing a little ways past Tam, the Hematite sneered and glanced to her side, motioning for her friend to come and see the fuss.

White Diamond's Hematite was getting ordered around by a Peridot? Ohoho, this should be interesting.

–

The other Hematite, who had been meddling with the hair that swept over her brow turned to her friend with a bemused grin.

"Hmmm?" She inched closer, peering beyond the slightly taller Hematite. "Heeeey isn't that White Diamond's Hematite? What do ya suppose this is all about huh?" She said, brushing her fingers through her hair. It was styled much like White Diamond's hair, though slightly more curled and with longer bangs in the front.

Tam remained in a frozen, stationary position and glanced quickly between the bickering gems. Was White's Hematite really one to put off his orders? She figured if he did, he wouldn't have still been White Diamond's Hematite. _Wait...was that why he was here?! Had Hematite slacked so much that she demoted him?_ She felt a spike of indignance welling up in her chest. _How could he waste an opportunity like that?!_

–

Looking behind him, Hema noticed the two other of his kin that were now watching this. He frowned and bit his lip, looking back to the two Peridots in front of him.

"Look, you said, and I quote, 'We're done for the afternoon, we'll get a Hematite to move these other rocks later.' Your exact words."

The second Peridot snerked and glanced at her associate, raising a brow.

"Yeah, _a_ Hematite, and we chose _you_. Now come back to the west section! We need you immediately."

–

The shorter, off-white haired Hematite scoffed under her breath, turning her nose up at the ivory haired gem. Still, she kept her grin, peering over at her slightly taller buddy.

"Those Peridots are toootally askin' for it..." she whispered, stifling a cocky snicker.

–

Sneering, the pink-haired Hematite glanced at her friend and nodded, whispering back,

"They are. If that were me..." She licked her teeth, gently nudging the shorter service gem. Leaning on her shorter friend, the pink-haired service gem raised a brow, her eyes half lidded as she gazed at Hema.

"Better listen to her, _**runt**_."

The ivory haired gem grimaced and glared back at the pink-haired Hematite.

" _Excuse_ you."

Taking a few paces back, Hematite frowned and glared at the gems surrounding him. Glancing at Mago, he crossed his arms, closing his eyes. His gemstone started to glow.

Within a moment, Hema shifted up to his full height, now standing equally with Tam, a little taller than the other two Hematites. Mago's eyes widened subtly, but she didn't back up. Hema raised his head and frowned at the two Peridots and the four collected Hematites.

"Now _listen up_. I can't say why I'm here, but I will _be_ here for the next month. I am indeed under the jurisdiction of the Peridots here, but _only_ the Peridots. And." Looking down, Hema eyed the two green service gems, who admittedly looked a bit nervous. "Even though I am under your orders for the month, you told me my work was finished for today. I have two jobs at the moment. One of them is to help Mago here. So today, my work with you is done. I will help you move those rocks later on, because my second job overrides your changed mind." He now turned to Tam and the other two giant gems. "Before anyone gets any ideas, I am still White's bodyguard, and my status has not changed. I am simply serving out a special 'job' in the kindergarten. At the end of this month, I will return to the towers."

The pink-haired Hematite rolled her eyes and pursed her lips. _Of course. Tch. Did he really expect them to listen to him or something?_ _He was still a runt. Being at his full harvester height didn't change that. He better not try to boss them around._

–

Tam clenched her hands behind her back, listening to Hematite's every word. Admittedly, she felt somewhat intimidated by his sudden change. _So he was just here for more business? That was all fine, then. She could understand that. Heck, she could respect that._ She may have been envious of his position, but from what she could tell, he seemed to know his rules and regulations. Perhaps she could learn more from this gem.

–

Hema sighed softly.

"But until then. I suppose we'll be seeing each other around. You can call me Hematite, Hema, either is fine."

"Or Pipsqueak."

"Not Pipsqueak."

–

Tam raised a brow, giving Hematite a polite nod.

"Very well, Hema. You may call me Tam. The two imbeciles over there go by Hemmi and Mite, but I refer to them as _SLACKER ONE AND SLACKER TWO,_ " she snarled suddenly, turning to the others with bared teeth. Her frustration was short lived however, and she sighed, facing Hema once more. Mite was too busy making quiet, snide remarks to hear the first part of Tam's outburst.

"Yeah yeah, don't get your boots in a bunch ya uptight squawker." The shorter of the other duo remarked, shrugging her shoulder. She didn't pay much attention to Tam, really. She was always getting onto them about not doing their work, and she could honestly care less what she had to say about it. She never forced them, she was just an awful lot of bark.

–

Hemmi scoffed and turned to her friend, whispering to her,

"Oh no, White-wanna-be is angry. Maybe she needs to catch a snack to calm herself down~ Oh wait, that'd be too hard for the poor clod."

Tam inhaled sharply through her nose at Hemmi's discourteous statement, but didn't want anymore conflict. It was best to not respond. She furrowed her brows, shooting both gems a rather nasty look from the side, but returned to her professional stance.

–

Hema shook his head and sighed. _Hemmi, Mite, Tam. Got it._ He stared down at the two Peridots.

"I will contact you as soon as I am finished here. I may be done before the end of the day. Apologies for the inconvenience. Please inform me ahead of time next time."

Scoffing, the Peridot rolled her eyes and looked at the other green gem beside her, who nodded and headed off. She noted something down on her own limb enhancer screen before leaving with her associate.

–

Tam watched the two Peridots leave, raising a brow.

"I have work to do, myself. Perhaps I'll see you around as well. Good luck with..." She blinked, looking down at Mago in curiosity "Her."

–

Mago glanced at Mite and Hemmi with narrowed eyes before looking up at Tam. She drummed her fingers along her hips with a soft, nervous chuckle.

"Abouuut that, Tam. We might need you around." Chuckling softly, she lifted a hand and flipped her hair back over her shoulder. "Hematite's going to be helping me with some... stuff. And we could use your, you know. Tendency to notice a bunch of weird stuff."

Offering the giant gem a rather awkward grin, Mago glanced sidelong at Hemmi and Mite without turning her head. It was clear she was uncomfortable talking about _something_ with the other two around.

–

She raised her brows in bafflement, snapping her attention back to Hema and Mago.

"What do you mean?... Actually... Would you like to take this conversation elsewhere?" She said, dropping an obvious hint that it was probably best to get away from the others. She didn't like them, for one, and for two it seemed no one else fancied them either.

–

Mago glanced at Hemmi and glared at her with a sneer. She nodded at Tam and started to walk off toward another corner of the Cove. Hema arched a brow at the two gems making snide remarks and nodded to the ebony haired service gem to his side.

"Right, yeah. Let's uh. Take this elsewhere. You two." He turned to Hemmi and Mite. "Back to work. There's nothing to see here."

Hemmi gave her friend a long, sarcastic look before slowly grinning. She turned to Hema and gave him an exaggerated salute and bow. In a mocking voice she crooned, "Oh, yes of course, whatever you say..." she snickered, shooting Hema a venomous sneer. _"Gray Diamond.~"_ Her voice was _dripping_ with disrespectful sarcasm.

–

Mite turned quickly, chuckling with a pleased smirk.

"Gray Diamond... Niiiice one Hemmi." She nudged her elbow into the side of her taller friend's arm. Tam growled too quietly for any of them to hear and started off for the side of the cove where Mago was headed. Hopefully she wouldn't have to deal with them much more today, they were already giving her a headache.

–

Hema snorted with an offended grimace before he turned away, following after Mago and Tam. _Stars those two were just as obnoxious as he remembered... if not worse!_

"Are they always that disrespectful? Apologies, Tam."

Hematite walked alongside the ebony haired Hematite, his arms folded behind his back. His brows furrowed in apologetic concern. Seemed Tam's patience was already worn thin with those two before he even arrived.

–

Tam had zoned out for a second, turning her head towards Hematite with a somewhat surprised expression.

"Hm? Ah, yes unfortunately. I don't think I'll ever get used to them honestly." She faced ahead once more but kept her eyes on Hematite. Honestly, she was rather impressed by how he handled that entire fiasco. She'd have to keep her eyes on this one.

They soon found themselves far enough away from the other Hematites for Tam's comfort. She turned to look behind her, and smiled once she realized they thankfully weren't followed by anyone. "So, what is it exactly that you need me for?..." she inquired.

–

Inhaling deeply, Mago looked up at Tam and crossed her arms, biting her lip.

"Alright first, both of you shift down." After a quick pause, she glanced away, adding "Please."

Hema's brows raised, and he looked at Tam quietly, lips pursed in confusion. He of course had a general idea of what Mago's problem was, but he didn't have any details. And seeing the normally cocky gem acting so oddly was... mildly _concerning_.

–

Tam slowly furrowed her brows.

"E-excuse me? Why?" she said, crossing her arms. After a few moments, she sighed, her expression falling. She spared Hematite a quick glance and her form began to glow. Not giving Mago time to answer, she shrank down to her civilian height which stood about a good foot or two above Mago. Soon returning to her normal colors, the light fading from her newly shifted form, she crossed her arms behind her back. "This is as far as I'm going... What are you plotting, Mago?..."

–

Mago looked up at Tam, and then turned her attention to Hema as he too shrank down to his civilian height. The ivory-haired Hematite crossed his arms and looked to the taller gem before him.

"Alright Mago, what exact-"

"I can't size shift. At all. I'm stuck. I can't shrink, I can't grow, I'm freaking out."

Hematite's eyes widened, and he slowly turned to the other Hematite. Her expression had barely changed. She was still grinning, but it seemed... _off_ , much like it had when she was talking to White Diamond. The corners of her mouth twitched, and she was looking around nervously, not making eye contact. "Something's _wrong_ with me."

–

Tam didn't react at first, in fact for a moment she didn't _believe_ her. But...that _would_ explain why she hadn't seen Mago running around at a much bigger height. It wasn't like her to stay small like this. Her brows shot up and she frowned with worry.

"What?! What do you mean you can't shift? How can you not shift? You had no trouble before!" Tam exclaimed with a hushed tone, holding her hands out beside her with confusion.

–

Mago's unnerved grin faltered. It seemed she was doing her best to keep her aloof air up. She shrugged, her arms out at her sides. Her hands were shaking.

"Hahah, beats me! I just CAN'T!" She let out an off sounding laugh. "I-I can't do anything. My powers still work and all, but... any time I try to shift... nothing happens." Looking to the two gems before her, she scoffed and reached under her visor, rubbing her eyes. "So you know! I thought you two might be able to help me! Tam!" Her cocky air dropping entirely now, Mago lowered her hand, a distressed smile on her face. "You're really smart! Probably the smartest one of us clods! And pipsqueak, you're really good at size shifting! Between of the two of you, I'm sure we can figure out what's wrong with me! _Right_?"

Hema's eyes were wide, and he stared at the distressed Hematite, mouth slightly ajar.

 _Mago?_

–

Tam stood, bewildered, staring at the panicked gem before her. She looked to Hematite once, then back at her. Mago wanted _her_ help? What could _she_ do for this? She placed her fingers over her mouth, lowering her head without a word. This was a problem. _A major problem._ What was a Hematite that couldn't size shift? Around here, _probably in_ _ **big**_ _trouble._

"Alright, alright. Calm down." Tam took a deep breath, pressing her fingertips together. She closed her eyes, exhaling through her nose quietly. "We'll figure something out. When did this start? Do you even know?"

–

"I-it, uh. It started. Well. A few days ago." Mago put her hands on her hips, drumming her clawed fingers on them. "Yeah. I shrank down for something, and then... this. That's all I've got."

Hematite arched a brow, biting his lip. A few days ago... _Uh oh._

"Mago, are you sure you don't just need a nap? That's what I have to do when I get tired out and shrink down."

"But that's- _Ugh_! That's the thing, pipsqueak! I don't _get_ tired! I don't _get_ stuck small!" She rubbed her face, taking a deep breath. "If anything, I get stuck _big_! The only time I've ever shrunken down like this was by will, or... well. That one fight you and I had years ago. When you used that weird... I don't even know what you did. But even then, I was able to change back later that day." Crossing her arms, Mago puffed her cheeks out, huffing. "Do you... have any information on this sort of thing, Tam?"

–

The other ebony haired gem tapped her fingertips on her chin, hissing quietly through her teeth.

"Well... not off the top of my head, no. But not to worry! I can do a little research and ask the Peridots if they have any knowledge on this matter. I've never had this problem before, myself. But..." She paused, glancing to the side with brief exasperation. "I will try to help as much as I can."

 _Why did she feel like she was going to regret this?_

She already didn't like hanging around Mago all that much, but if she didn't help her, who would? Tam wasn't exactly spiteful or completely uncaring. Of course, she wasn't going to go _out of her way_ to help her, but maybe in hanging around these two she could learn more about Hema. Perhaps that would make this worth her time.

–

Blinking in surprise, Mago gripped at her sleeve, a small smile crossing her face.

"Wait, really?" After a moment, she shook her head, smiling smugly and tossing her hair over her shoulder. "I mean, of course! A nerd like you _would_ help with something like this. I meaaan after all if anything you'll probably get more data or whatever." Twirling her hand at the wrist, Mago sighed and shook her head. "And Pipsqueaaak, maybe now would be a good time to teach me that trick you did at the coliseum! Maybe I just gotta use it on you and I'll be all fixed!"

Hema arched a brow slowly before pursing his lips and tilting his head back slightly as he looked up at the sky, expression unreadable.

"Yeah. About that." Sighing, he shrugged. "I don't know how I did it." Mago stared at him, not losing her cocky smile, though the corner of her eye twitched subtly.

"... Pardon."

"I don't know what that trick was, or how I used it. Ah! Tam. Have you or any of the other Hematites ever used a sort of... ahhh. How do I describe it. It almost seemed like a size-stealing ability. I used it on Mago and she shrank down while I was able to shift up in return. Almost like I'd swapped our energies?"

–

Tam narrowed her eyes at Mago, but she knew she was right. This could be very valuable to her data collection. She was always willing to learn more. Though, she had never heard of anything like what Hematite had described.

"Well, no actually? There isn't a lot of information on what a Hematite's abilities are. We are, in case you haven't noticed, a rare gem and knowledge of our kind is ever growing. Thooough if you find anything out about that... I'd love to know,? she said, an interested tone in her voice. _Size stealing? That was peculiar. She'd have to ask the Peridots about that, too_. She knew quite a bit about the Hematites herself, but there was some information she knew she'd need to get from an outside source. If anyone knew anything about the Hematites that she didn't, the Peridots did.

–

"Well, if we figure anything out in the next month and you're not around to see it yourself, I suppose, we'll let you know. Thanks for any help in advance, though. Now." Turning to the long-haired Hematite, Hema nodded quietly. "We don't have much to go on. You can't size shift, it started... 'a few days ago', and there's no further data on that weird ability I used. So... I guess maybe we should just. Try some training first, perhaps that would spark something? You've tried napping, right?"

Mago rolled her eyes and puffed her hair out of her face.

"Yeees pipsqueak I tried napping. Didn't work. I've tried napping, picking fights with gem monsters-"

"Wait, what?!"

"Tshhh, nothing major, nothing major! Calm down."

Hema arched a brow and suddenly took a few paces forward, now looking Mago over curiously. Her form hadn't changed a bit from what he remembered, so that was good. It meant Mago was staying safe and hadn't been poofed for a while. _That was a plus._

–

Tam took a step back, placing her arms behind her again.

"Mago, I hope you haven't been getting reckless..." Tam rolled her eyes. "You shouldn't go picking fights you know. What if your gem gets cracked? Or you cause a commotion?" She scolded. It seemed like she was getting a little off point, and she thankfully caught herself. "Er... Nevermind. Have you... told anyone else about this? Or just us? Any of the Peridots, or White Diamond for that matter?" She continued, narrowing her eyes again.

–

Mago stiffened at the mention of White.

"U-uh. Hah. Haha, yeah. No. No I haven't. I told her that I-" She cleared her throat. "I told her I was having 'trouble' with my shifting and that pipsqueak should help me 'control' it better. It's not a lieeee exactly. But she doesn't know I'm stuck like this, no." Trailing off, she lifted a hand to her mouth, tapping her fingers along her top lip. "... I'd be decommissioned in an instant if she knew I wasn't able to shift."

 _If she knew I was broken._

–

Tam grimaced.

"You really should report these things, you know... Have you considered that White might be able to actually help you with this? She has vast amounts of knowledge and resources at her disposal," she stated simply, holding her chin high as if she were proud of her statement. "Though, I guess I can understand not wanting to risk that... so, I'll keep quiet about it as well." She raised a brow simply, closing her eyes.

–

Hema nodded slowly. He agreed with Tam on Mago needing to report things, though in the back of his mind, he wasn't so sure about that second part. It was true that White had a seemingly infinite well of knowledge at her fingertips, but even he knew from his studies that information on Hematites was little to none. Even if Mago did risk telling their leader about this, he wasn't sure White would have been able to help much.

As much as that haunted him to think about...

Mago turned to Tam and gave her a grateful nod.

"Thanks, Tammy. At least until the end of the month. If we can't fix me by then... Well. We can tell her. But not until then!" She narrowed her eyes at both of the Hematites before her and pointed an accusatory finger at them, her hand still close to her face. "Or I'll... sic Meta on you or something. Maybe. She probably won't get up, who am I kidding?" Rolling her eyes, she huffed her bangs away from her face. "Alright, 'training', then, pipsqueak? What kind of training?"

–

Tam frowned, unamused by Mago's 'joke'. She'd still keep her promise though. If it really was imperative that White knew about it, she would find out later one way or the other, but until that became apparent, it just wasn't necessary.

–

Hematite sighed and put his hands on his hips, looking at the ground for a long, quiet moment. He hadn't thought this part through, exactly. How was he supposed to help Mago fix her powers? Fusion was leagues out of the question, so he couldn't help her that way. Simply explaining how he size shifted wasn't going to work either. It wasn't something he could put into words. Not only that, but why was this happening in the first place? Could a gem's abilities simply stop working? He had never heard of such a case.

However, it was a known fact that sometimes newer gems just didn't know how to use their abilities, and it took time to learn to harness them. He himself was still learning new things. But, could a gem truly forget how to use a power?

Or was there something else to this?

"Alright, let's see. Tam. Mago and I are going to do some simple hand to hand training, see if that takes us anywhere."

"Aw, what?! Pipsqueak, how is that supposed to-"

"Look, Mago. Just. Trust me, alright? What harm can it do? Look what our last spar spurred on. Maybe if we warm up with some melee lessons, it'll make something click. It's worth a shot."

"Tch... Fine." Glancing to the side, Mago shrugged and dropped her arms. "Lead the way, pipsqueak."

Nodding, Hematite folded his arms behind him and made his way to the most open part of the cove, far away from any of the other workers.

–

Tam gave the two a curt nod and turned to walk in the other direction.

"Be careful you two." She called out simply, holding up a hand even though they couldn't see it. She wasn't queued for any jobs for the next week, so she was already bored out of her mind. She wanted to work, so at least this gave her something to do. In the end, she couldn't really complain, even if it did mean she had to hang around Mago every now and then. She may have frustrated her to no end, but maybe this would turn out in her favor somehow or another. That, and perhaps what new knowledge she gained could prove useful to her in the future. Maybe it _would_ be worth it.

–

– A week later.

–

 _Well that didn't work now did it?_

Hematite frowned and sighed, thinking back to last week's sparring session. He and Mago had gotten nowhere with their hand to hand combat training, and he'd worn out before they could really get anything out of it. After that, he'd been put hard to work with the Peridots, and he'd had no chances to get together with the ebony-haired Hematite. Ever since last week, he hadn't even seen Mago around. Granted, after their last spar he told her that if he didn't get away from his job during the week, that she should try and meet him in the cove every seventh rotation, after he reported to White. He hoped Mago hadn't gotten herself into trouble, as nobody had seen her around...

Though, knowing her, it was very likely she had.

Hema rubbed his shoulder with a long sigh through his nose and closed his eyes, walking down the path he usually took to the cove. Currently standing at his civilian height, the service gem strolled along in silence, wishing the Peridots hadn't overworked him so much today. He'd shrunken down to his normal height and found himself unable to shift up. While he was thankful he hadn't shrunken down entirely and passed out, this was still a bit of a problem. Finally he had a day off to meet with Mago, and he wouldn't even be able to use his abilities. _Oh well, maybe teaching Mago some more fighting skills would spark something!_

 _He hoped..._

Much to Hematite's relief, he hadn't run into any of the less-than-pleasant of his kin, and his walk toward the cove was going smoothly. He quickly made his way past the huge pink haired Hematite that... still appeared to be sleeping in the same spot, and made his way down the last few paths. Until he rounded a corner and yelped in surprise, nearly running into the long-haired service gem he was heading to meet.

"Whoa-! H-hey pipsqueak, didn't see you there! Sorry, I was heading over to see if you were done with work!" Mago smiled awkwardly and put her hands on her hips, drumming her fingers anxiously. Hema arched a brow and adjusted his sleeves, clearing his throat. How would she have even known where he was?

"Well. I am, so let's get going. No wasting time today."

"Right, right." Shrugging, Mago turned and briskly made her way down the huge stone path, not saying another word. Hema followed after her with a sigh and crossed his arms.

After a few minutes, the two rounded one of the last corners to the cove, stopping dead in their tracks. Mago went from looking surprised to exasperated, but Hema just looked surprised. Ahead, almost directly in the path, was what appeared to be a Hematite's... leg? Hema couldn't tell from here. The rest of the form was hidden behind a rather large boulder, though Hematite could just barely make out a tuft of maroon hair behind it. Was someone sleeping over there?

Mago suddenly grunted and rushed over, much to Hema's surprise. After a moment of hesitation, the service gem followed suit, staring nervously ahead as the two of them neared the large, half-hidden gem.

"'Ey! EY! Out of the way, buddy!" Stopping near the Hematite's leg, Mago tapped her foot, lips pursed in an impatient pout as she stared up at him. She lifted her leg and prodded at the huge limb, glaring up towards its owner.

–

The larger figure didn't move at first, but after a few moments of Mago's prodding it shifted.

"UUuuuuuuggghhh."

From atop the large boulder, a massive clawed hand gripped the hunk of rock. They were much more claw-like than most of the hematite's fingers, tapered to a point. Slowly, the massive leg disappeared from view. A new figure appeared slowly, hoisting itself up and over the top of the boulder, slouching over it wearily. It was another Hematite, much more sluggish and lanky looking than most of them. He smacked his lips and blinked at the two with half lidded eyes. He seemed either bored, tired, or both. It was kind of hard to tell.

His hair was fluffed up and forward, a dark washed out maroon in color. His visor was sharp, thin, and jutted outwards; It was a wonder he could even manage to keep that over his face. He bore a small round gemstone high up on his neck. Though, what was really odd about him were his teeth; he had a large, buck-toothed styled overbite, though his teeth were sharp. Even his front teeth were tapered into a point, connecting as one large, singular tooth.

He stared at them both, unmoving, slumped over the rock.

"… Yeah?..."

–

Admittedly, Hematite stepped back a few paces as the larger gem hoisted himself over the boulder, and he stared up at him, swallowing quietly. He didn't quite recognize this member of his group, though to be fair it seemed all of them had changed their forms at least once since he last saw them. Staring up at the gem, Hema scuffed his foot on the ground, eyeing the maroon-haired gem's rather large, odd front tooth.

"Sorry to bother you, we're just heading through-"

"We've got business to get to. So don't leave your legs in the path, alright?"

"Mago please, we could have just jumped over..."

"Yeah well. Still." She puffed her bangs away from her face, shrugging. "Alright you've got a point. Sorry, bud! Buuut don't you have something you should be doing right about now?"

Hema glanced up at the gem.

"Ah, yes. If you're not terribly busy, the Peridots in the east sector could use some extra hands."

–

The larger Hematite's expression didn't change for a moment, but soon he closed his eyes and lowered his forehead onto the rock.

"UUUUUUUGGHH..."

Muffled by the stone, the Hematite gripped at the surface of the boulder they were laying on and slumped over further, rolling off of the rock completely. Laying on his back, he splayed out his arms and continued groaning quietly. Had he ignored them?

–

Hema and Mago slowly looked at each other before steadily making their way down the path. Popping his lips once, the ivory-haired gem folded his arms behind him, brows raising.

"Well. We will just let you be. You have a nice afternoon. Come on Mago let's go."

"Right behind you Pipsqueak."

Heading off, the two made their way to the cove, not looking back.

–

"Mmmgghh... Bye..."

As they made their way past the maroon haired Hematite, he rolled over onto the ground face first again, propping his head up on his arms. He seemed to be muttering something quietly, but from afar it only sounded like he was complaining about something. It was uncertain what.

–

The injector drills from the previous week had long since been cleared out, and now a few Hematites were helping a rather large group of warrior gems tear down a section of wall. Seemed they were nearly finished. Wiping their brows, the two harvester gems stood back and huffed, looking around before they made their way to another section.

Stepping into the cove, Hema looked to his fellow kin and huffed, glancing back.

"Well he's a sparkling conversationalist."

Mago smirked and shrugged, chuckling quietly.

"He does that a lot. I'm not sure what his deal is. I've only seen him a few times and he's always laying around or grumbling. At least he doesn't get in the way a lot. Unnnless he does stuff like that. Anyways. So, what are we gonna do today?"

Hema took note of what Mago said about the maroon haired Hematite and nodded quietly.

"Right, well I'm... a bit worn out from work today, so I'm afraid it's sparring and hand to hand technique again."

Mago's cocky smile vanished, and she tilted her head back, groaning quietly.

"Not again. Alright, fine. But don't hold back this time, alright?"

Without waiting for an answer, the ebony-haired Hematite strolled over to the same cleared area that she and Hema had used before, glad to see it was empty. Hematite rolled his eyes and followed after her.

–

Unbeknownst to the newcomers, they were being watched from afar somewhere within the cove.

"Hey, Hemmi... Do ya smell that? Smells like runt and _annoying_ runt..." A snide voice came quietly from behind a dip in the wall. Peering at the two newly arrived gems, Mite felt her grin widen darkly upon spotting Hema and Mago. "OOoohohoh, get a load of this!~" She crooned deviously, narrowing her eyes. They were smaller this time? This was going to be _fun_.

–

Turning from her freshly finished work, Hemmi raised a brow and let out a soft, curious hum. The pink-haired Hematite turned where her partner was peering, her eyes widening slightly.

"Hmmm, I knew I smelled some gems looking for trouble.~" Biting her lip, the taller gem slowly turned to her friend, her dark expression saying a thousand words. "Shall we?"

–

Mite poked her tongue out between her teeth slightly, shooting Hemmi the same expression that she wore.

"Oh, but of course!~ You first, hmhmhm!"

–

"Alright Mago, so your techniques could still use some work, but you _are_ making progress. You need to have more control and awareness over where your arms are at all times." Walking over to his opponent, Hema carefully adjusted her fighting stance and nodded once, stepping back. "Like so. If you keep them close to your body, you're more likely to block a hit that's coming for you."

Mago puffed her bangs from her face and rolled her eyes. However, she didn't talk back this time, and instead took notes on what the smaller Hematite was saying.

Hema showed her a few common block and jab combinations that he knew, reiterating what they'd gone over in their last session.

"These are really good for close quarters combat. They can usually buy you some time before you can get a hit in-"

"Too bad a hit at her size wouldn't do much."

Stiffening, Hema turned right to see Mite and Hemmi heading straight for himself and Mago. _Oh dear, this couldn't be good._

"Excuse me, this is a private lesson, and I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't interrupt."

–

The smaller of the approaching duo sneered coyly and slouched her shoulders a little.

"Awww, he'd appreciate it Hemmi! How cute. Well, _I'd_ appreciate it if you didn't show your little faces around here, but we can't all have what we want now _can_ we." Mite hissed in a mocking tone.

–

Hema scoffed, an offended frown on his face, and he turned fully to the approaching giant gems. Crossing his arms behind him, he did his best to keep his composure. They didn't know he was currently stuck at his civilian size, best not to make them aware of it if he could avoid it.

"We will come here if we please. I have a job to do and if you interrupt it, you're interfering with White Diamond's direct orders."

Hemmi shot the tiny gem a condescending sneer before turning to her friend.

"Oh no, White Diamond's orders. Whatever shall we _do_ , Mite?"

–

Mite cackled and looked over at her taller pink haired friend, grinning ear to ear.

"I think we should teach Grey Diamond and his little assistant a lesson! Afterall..." She paused, glaring down at the two, suddenly taking another slow, condescending step towards them. "They're awfully small to be barking such big talk."

–

"Assistant!?" Mago grimaced, baring her teeth up at the two gems. "Now listen here you pebble! Unlike you two we have important stuff to get done, so get lost!"

Hema wasn't so quick to talk back. The smallest trace of sweat began to form on his brow, and he took a step backwards, trying to keep his serious frown.

"Shift down this instant. Interference with a service gem's work is illegal, a-and."

"Shift down? Why, so we can get to your level, you defective little pebbles? No, I think Mite's right. You both need a little lesson on the pecking order around here."

Mago took a few steps back, slowly making her way behind Hema. She kept her fists up, the faintest glow appearing around her arms.

–

The shorter of the giant Hematites slowly circled the two, stifling faint, dark chuckles.

"What do you say Hemmi? Would you like the runt?" She hummed out, narrowing her eyes at the smaller duo. With every word, she seemed to inch closer and closer. She held her hands behind her back, skulking around the two.

–

Hematite frowned and inched closer to Mago, his arms slowly reaching out to the sides in a defensive pose.

"Cease this at once."

"Hmm. I think I would, he doesn't seem to understand his position here."

Hema's eyes widened, and his teeth grit harshly together, a fierce and familiar indignance rising in his chest. His hair stood on end as he narrowed his eyes up at the pink-haired Hematite.

Mago kept her back to Hema's, staring up at the shorter giant gem that was inching closer.

"Back off. Pipsqueak's taken on far tougher gems than you, he'll do it again."

Grimacing, Hema glanced back at the ebony haired Hematite, whispering too quietly for either of the giant gems to hear, "Mago, now is _not_ the time for that."

–

Mite raised a brow, baring her teeth in a crude smile.

"Ohoho is that so? I'm soooo scared! If that's the case... I'd be more than willing to see you try to _make_ us leave. Go on! Go ahead!" She chuckled, now seemingly looming over the two, bringing her hands out in front of her at last. "Or what about you, ya feisty pebble? You gonna shift up and say that to my face? You're awfully quick to be hiding behind the _**runt,**_ " she snarled connivingly.

–

Eyes widening, Mago stammered quietly, her fighting stance faltering.

"W-well I would, but you're not worth wasting the energy on." Gritting her teeth, the tiny service gem glared up at Mite. Her hands glowed brightly with plasmic energy as a last warning for the giant gem to leave.

She just wished it wasn't such a weak bluff.

Hemmi sneered and crouched down where she stood, sizing up the two tiny gems before her.

"Yes, oh great and mighty chosen one, why don't you show us why White picked you out? If she has such great taste, I think it's time you proved it." Her eyes narrowed, a cruel grin spreading across her face. "One way or another."

–

Mite leaned down on one of her knees, placing a massive palm down next to Hema and Mago. Without warning, Mite was quick to snatch Mago up in her hand, glaring daggers at the puny gems she still towered over.

"Oohhh I've waited a long time to try this!" She cooed, holding up the ebony haired gem to her face. She spared Hema a glance, smirking. "But don't worry! I'm sure nobody will miss either of you."

–

Letting out a sharp, angry yelp, Mago immediately started to fight back, struggling as best she could to get out of Mite's grasp. Glaring venomously back at the giant gem, she bared her sharp teeth, a low growl in her chest.

"Put me down, Mite! If you two touch pipsqueak you're really gonna be in for it! Hema! Call White or something!" she yelled down, sounding more angry than afraid. Hema looked up with wide eyes, taking a few steps away from Mite's hand that rested on the ground.

"R-right!" Quickly tapping his eyepiece, the ivory haired gem frowned and grit his teeth.

Contact Whit-

"Not so fast." With one deft movement, Hemmi snatched the other tiny gem in her hand, suddenly tossing him into the air. Hema let out a distressed shout as he plummeted back toward the ground, only to be painfully caught by his left leg. Now hanging upside down, the service gem tried to re-orient himself, but found it near impossible when Hemmi suddenly started teasingly swinging him from her hand. She hummed in amusement and glared at the tiny gem in her grasp. "Can't have you doing that, now can we?"

–

The shorter of the giant gems leered down at Mago once more, slowly licking her teeth.

"Nice catch Hemmi. Mhmhm... Nooow... about you..." She clenched her fist a little tighter, squeezing the puny gem just enough to make her very uncomfortable. Her teeth parted slightly, revealing a bright red tongue that slowly swiped over the top of the small, ebony haired gem. "Oh!~" She crooned, raising a brow. With a widened, toothy grin, she chuckled lowly. "That's not bad at all..."

–

Hema managed to catch sight of the other two gems a little ways away, and his eyes widened, his face paling.

"MAGO!"

The ebony haired Hematite shuddered heavily, grunting in disgust as she tried to turn away from the giant gem. Her breath came in pained huffs, Mite's grip getting worryingly tight. It cut off any snide comments she could have made, and instead, the tiny gem returned to struggling.

Suddenly, faintly, her gemstone began to glimmer.

Hema's eyes widened, catching sight of the dim light. He couldn't tell if the sun was glinting off of her gem, or if something else was going on.

"What-AH!"

Hemmi suddenly pulled the tiny gem up closer to her face, a cruel smile on her lips.

"Seems your assistant doesn't taste as sour as she acts. How about you, huh?" Slowly, the pink-haired Hematite parted her teeth, flicking her tongue over her canines. "Being White's assistant must be a tough job. There's surely a lot of _pressure_." She sneered. "I wonder how much it'd take to _break_ you."

–

 **"Record."**

Mite froze in her tracks, her head turning sharply to look behind Hemmi. Upon realization of who's voice she heard, she hissed through her teeth.

"Ughh, what do _you_ want Tam? Can't you see we're _busy_?" She hissed. Standing behind Hemmi with her hands behind her back, towering at _full size_ was Tam, her visor glazed over.

"I suggest you put those two Hematites down, unless you want me to send this recording straight to White Diamond. If you so much as poof either of them, you will be severely punished." She said formally, sternly, and calmly.

Mite furrowed her brows in frustrated disgust, sparing her friend a glance. Her grip on Mago loosened ever so slightly, but not enough to fully let her go. She hesitated.

–

Hema's eyes widened, and he attempted to see past Hemmi's head, though at this point it was impossible.

Turning sharply, Mago blinked up at the massive service gem standing not too far off. After a momentary pause, she suddenly furrowed her brows, a smug grin on her face.

"HEEEEY, nice timing, Tammy!" she crowed, giving the ebony haired gem a smirk. The tiny gem turned her attention quickly back to Mite and shot her a venomous, devious grin before suddenly baring her teeth.

And chomping right down on the giant gem's finger.

–

"GRAAH!"

With a sharp, pained yelp, Mite opened her fist completely and dropped Mago, holding onto her finger where she had been bitten. She snarled harshly at Mago, but was silenced by a sudden noise Tam had made.

"Ahem! I wouldn't, if I were you." Tam said, bringing a finger up to her face, tapping onto her visor. Mite growled lowly at her and stood up completely.

"Hmph. Come on Hemmi, lets go." She said, shooting Tam a nasty glare.

–

Hemmi said nothing since Tam started recording, and instead, slowly lowered Hema to the ground, standing silently afterwards. She didn't so much as turn to look at the larger harvester. Shooting Mite a look, she nodded and walked off with her, tightly crossing her arms as they left.

Mago stood up and dusted herself off, grimacing and trying to wipe the unappealing stickiness that still clung to her hair and face.

"Ugh, when I get back to normal, I swear. Let's see how she likes-"

"Mago. Now is not the time."

"Tch."

Wiping her hands on her sides, Mago slowly looked up at the other ebony haired Hematite, a slightly nervous frown on her face. Tam was absolutely _huge_ right now, completely dwarfing the two of them, even more than Hemmi and Mite had. As far as Mago knew, Tam was one of the tallest Hematites, just short of Meta and perhaps one other. And seeing her at her full height like this was... _daunting_.

Looking up as well, Hematite adjusted his sleeves, frowning seriously.

"Thank you, Tam. That... could have gotten nasty."

–

Slowly, Tam knelt down to get herself a little closer to the duo, her visor powering down aside from a soft, pink glow.

"Don't mention it. I heard Mite cackling like an idiot so I came to see what the ruckus was about. I'm just glad I got here in time." She raised a brow, her form glowing briefly. She shifted down to about half her height now, seeing as she probably didn't need to be at her full size with no other threat in sight. "Perhaps I should stick around and make sure they don't try to bother you again... or anyone else for that matter," she said, pursing her lips. "That is of course, if you'd like. I'm rather surprised you didn't shift up and try to fend them off, Hema."

–

Pursing his lips, Hema rubbed the back of his neck and looked to the side, brows furrowing.

"Yeaaah. About that. The Peridots might have overworked me a bit today and used up whatever energy I had. I'm afraid that until I get a good rest, I won't be able to shift up."

Mago turned to the ivory-haired Hematite with raised brows, a small frown on her face.

"You could have mentioned that earlier. You just said you were tired you didn't say you couldn't change size."

"Well you were so busy complaining I didn't get a chance to elaborate."

–

Tam rolled her eyes, but she couldn't really blame him.  
"I see, well...guess you two are lucky then. Very lucky... Though, actually, I came because I brought someone with me that might be able to help. Would you mind waiting here just a moment?" Tam held up a finger, standing straight once more and turning to walk towards the entrance she came through. Disappearing behind a curve, she was out of sight for a good few long moments. Soon, however, she reappeared with something... or rather, _someone_ in her palm.

"I'd like you both to officially meet someone!"

–

Hema watched curiously as Tam walked away, and his brows raised in surprise when he caught sight of just who was in her palm.

At a head smaller than Hema, a tiny Peridot stood happily in the giant gem's palm, waving down at the two service gems. She had a visor like all the other green service gems, but she seemed to have a slightly different model of limb enhancers. Instead of the cone-shaped ones the Kindergarten Peridots wore, this one had rounded ends on her arm enhancers, and rounded fingers to match. Her leg enhancers were far less pronounced, and looked more like metal boots than extended legs. Her hair resembled Hema's hairstyle mixed with a bit of Yellow Diamond's, and stood at a fluffed point toward the top with little tufts at the side of her face. Most notable though was a patch of small freckles that ran along her cheeks and the bridge of her nose.

This was the Peridot that most of the Hematites reported to at White's Archives when they dropped off their records and mission logs. Most of them had met the small gem, but hardly any of them had any sort of extended conversation with her. That was, except for Hema.

Excitedly, the green service gem practically bounced in place, holding her metal hands close to her.

"Hiii Hema!" she called down, her voice bright and clear.

"Oh! You brought Frecks? Shouldn't she be at the archives?"

Mago crossed her arms and arched a brow, narrowing her eyes up at the tiny gem. She'd met her once or twice, but never stuck around the archives long enough to introduce herself.

 _'Frecks?' What kind of name was that?_

–

Tam raised a brow and lowered her palm to the ground, allowing Frecks to hop off.

"Oh, so you know this Peridot? That's good then. She might be able to help you with your little...issue," she said, giving the small Peridot a reassuring nod.

–

Frecks nodded and eagerly brought up her limb enhancer screen, looking at Mago.

"Tam told me you were having some troubles with your powers! I couldn't find any data on it, but I do have all your records and mission logs! Maybe something there can help you!"

Grimacing slightly, Mago crossed her arms and looked to the side. She never knew how to interact with this gem... she was far too chipper for her tastes.

"Riiight. This has never happened before, Peridot. I doubt old records will help."

Freckledot's expression fell, and she pouted slightly, glancing at the screen.

"It won't? ... Well! We can at least try, right? I have access to all the Hematite logs and statistics, so perhaps there's something we can glean from that! I can't share personal information or audio logs, but I can tell you about someone's powers from a gemetic standpoint!"

Hema stood back and let Frecks talk, looking a bit distracted. He could have sworn he saw Mago's gem glowing for a moment earlier... what was that all about?

Was she faking all of this?

With a chipper smile, the tiny Peridot continued on.

"But I should mention, Mago, this might take a while. From what I've gathered, your shifting is... well."

Turning, the green service gem enlarged the holo-screen and brought up a few stats on it with a model of Mago's gemstone.

"Your energy polarity is almost reversed! While all the other Hematites use energy to shift and stay bigger, you use energy to shift and stay smaller. From your mission logs and what you've mentioned to me in the Archives, that's what I can conclude. I'm unsure what we can do with this information, but." She tapped a single green finger on the screen. "From what I can gather, this should wear off eventually! Your energy can't keep up this form forever. How long have you been stuck like this? A day, two days?" Turning to Mago, she arched a brow. The ebony haired gem slowly looked away, clearing her throat.

"Over a week."

"... WHAT?! B-but that's not possible! Even the largest Hematite can only stay big for five days... Are you sure it's been that long?"

Mago sighed and huffed her bangs away from her face, nodding once.

"Yep, I'm sure. It's been over a week. No progress. I can't budge an inch. I've been worn out before and unable to shift down, but this feels... different."

Pursing her lips, Frecks looked at Hema quietly and turned back to her screen.

"Oh... well. Uhm. Tam? Could you fetch the Hematite named 'Tiny?' I know her powers are different as well, perhaps she can shed some light on this. She shouldn't be on a mission right now."

"Is anyone on a mission right now?" Hema commented idly, under his breath.

–

Tam shrugged simply, glancing away.

"Weeeell, there are a few that are on missions... But Tiny is not one of them. I'll go get her right away." The tallest Hematite stated, giving the group a nod. "Frecks, contact me if anything goes awry while I'm gone. I'll try to hurry back." Without another word, she saluted, and turned to run off towards the entrance.

–

Some time later, Mago and Hema were sparring casually in the same place Tam had left them. Freckledot was watching in delight from a small cliff side 'shelf', about ten or so feet off the ground. She tapped her metal feet together, idly taking notes as the two fought. Watching the Hematites was always so interesting! Though Frecks did wish that either of them could use their shifting abilities.

"Alright, good! But you need to keep control over the plasma, otherwise your shots are too wild."

"And how exactly do I do that?"

Hema opened his mouth, closed it, and then narrowed his eyes.

"I do not know."

Rolling her eyes, Mago snorted and attempted to shoot a more stable bolt of plasma at her opponent, but she stopped abruptly, eyes widening as she looked up and behind Hema.

"Uh pip-"

 _ **THUD!**_

"Heya, clods!"

"AH-"

Letting out a rather unflattering shriek, Hema stumbled forward and landed flat on his face. He quickly scrambled to roll over and stared up at the giant gem crouched down behind him, right in front of the huge kindergarten wall. This Hematite had short, swept back, light pink curly hair and a bright pink visor that had a rather lopsided shape to it. The right side only covered her eye while the left side sloped all the way down to cover nearly half of her face. A small, claw-shaped gemstone rested between her brows, covered by her visor. But most noticeably, this Hematite wasn't physically the same as all the others. While all the other harvester gems were proportioned like Pearls or other taller service gems, this Hematite was similar to a Ruby or a Peridot. She had shorter limbs and smaller shoulders, and hardly looked like she belonged among the lithe or powerful hunters.

Though, her stance certainly said otherwise.

Mago backed up a few paces, staring up at the giant crouched gem. Tiny, she presumed, was lowered onto all fours before Hema, staring him down with a wide grin and playfully narrowed eyes. The ivory-haired service gem attempted to get onto his feet, but suddenly stumbled backwards when Tiny leaned down without warning, her face mere feet from him.

"Man I knew you were small, but I forgot _how_ small you were! Heheheh. Tam said she needed help with something, is that 'thing' getting you two to leave?~" Lifting her hand, the Hematite stuck her tongue out just slightly and hovered her palm over Hema's form teasingly.

–

"TINYYYY!"

Tam's voice bellowed throughout the rocky cliffs, followed by the gem herself. Making her way quickly towards the group, she stopped just shy of Tiny and grabbed her by the back of her uniform, lifting her up to her feet. "Ugh, WHAT did I say?! WAIT for me next time!" she snapped, running her fingers through her hair with piqued frustration. Furrowing her brows, she looked down at Hema and Mago and placed her hands on her hips. "So sorry about that, Tiny can be very... hyperactive and impish. Especially today," Tam remarked.

–

Tiny blinked as Tam picked her up, but quickly stood on her own feet, circling the tiny gems with quick, light steps.

"Yeah yeah Tam, so what are we doin, huh? Where's-HEYY!"

Perking up, the giant gem leapt straight over Mago and Hema and rushed over to the cliff side where the Peridot was sitting. Grinning ear to ear, Tiny held up a balled fist close to the small service gem, snickering. "Long time no see, Periwinkle!"

Frecks grinned back and gently tapped her metal hand against Tiny's knuckles, giving a cheerful laugh.

"You need to come give me your reports some time soon! It's been two months!"

"Yeaaah sure whatever. Maybe. That place is so stuffy." Sticking out her tongue, the giant gem turned to Tam and rocked side to side on her heels, constantly shifting her weight. "So! What are we doing, I have a very full schedule! Chasing gem monsters, putting said monsters into Mati's little hideaway spot, laughing at Mati as she throws stuff at me. You know. Important stuff.~"

–

Tam rolled her eyes and, with a somewhat exasperated groan, turned to the other large Hematite. "Would you quit messing around? Honestly, there's no need for you to be so childish." She scrunched her nose up at Tiny. "Now, we brought you here because Mago here is having a little issue with her shifting. If you know anything about how to help, your cooperation would be very important and valuable to us." She said, closing her eyes and standing up straight.

–

The pink-haired Hematite returned to circling the tiny service gems and eyed them curiously.

"Mago's the taller one right?"

Tossing her hair behind her shoulder, Mago raised a brow and narrowed her eyes up at Tiny.

"Yes, I am."

"Alright, so what's your problem? Why are ya so small, you're never like that, far as I've seen."

"Well... if you must know. I can't size shift at all."

"At all?"

"Yyyyeaaah."

"Wow, that's unfortunate."

Mago frowned crossly and scoffed, putting her arms out to her sides as she looked up at Tam.

"Oh yeah, some help she is! Can we please actually find someone that knows what they're doing?"

Tiny snickered and crouched down quickly, prodding at Mago with one finger. The ebony haired Hematite grunted in surprise and tried to slap the giant gem's hand away, but couldn't make much headway. Arching a brow, the pink-haired Hematite looked at Tam curiously.

"So you don't have any info on it, I'm assuming Periwinkle doesn't have any info, what am I supposed to do?"

Frecks made her way down the side of the cliff with her limb enhancers' gravity-defying features before scurrying over to the group.

"Well! Tiny, your powers are kind of odd like Mago's! You take extra energy and focus to change to your full harvester size, and you've only done it twice, right?"

Though the pink-haired gem's expression faltered for a moment, she nodded and continued prodding curiously at Mago.

"So, maybe whatever made you shift then will help Mago! Do you remember what you did differently those two times, Tiny? Anything at all?"

Finally backing off from the rather frustrated ebony-haired Hematite, Tiny put a finger to her lip, tapping it as she thought to herself. There was a moment of silence before she shrugged, closing her eyes.

"All I remember is being in danger. Both missions got pretty out of hand. Physically? I don't remember what I did. It just kinda happened."

–

Tam curiously started to pace in place, slowly walking beside the group.

"Peculiar... I suppose high stress situations could have some sort of effect on your abilities, be it involuntary or instinctual." She closed her eyes, mumbling something under her breath. "Mago, did something stress you out? Those few days ago that this all started?"

–

Looking away, Mago pursed her lips and crossed her arms.

"Yeah you could say that. I saw something pretty..." Glancing at Hema, the black-haired gem paused. "Intense. But that couldn't mess with my powers, right?"

Hematite frowned and crossed his arms, staying quiet. He didn't want his kin to know about his little 'incident' with Yellow Diamond.

–

Tam raised a brow and opened one of her eyes, sparing Mago a strange look.

"Hm... I'm not too sure. Honestly, you should have worn out by now and sized up but..." she paused, utterly perplexed. It frustrated her that she had no clue how this not only could have happened, but that she didn't know how to resolve it either. "Frecks, give Mago a rundown the appropriate stats, if you will."

–

Blinking, Frecks stared up at Tam, a perplexed look on her face.

"Uh. Uhm. ... Which stats, exactly?" She grinned awkwardly, rubbing the back of her head. "I haven't been out in the field for a few... years."

–

Tam blinked at the tiny green gem, grimacing slightly.

"Ergh... you know, abilities? Weapons? Any faults if they are recorded? Aside from...well.." She paused, shaking her head quickly. "Just, find anything you can that might help us determine the closest thing to Mago's... 'condition'."

–

Hema nodded and looked at the Peridot as she blinked and gave Tam a quick nod.

"Ah, right! Sorry. Okay, uhh." Turning to Mago, Frecks held up her screen and stuck out her tongue slightly, pressing a few 'buttons' on her holo-device. A bright green beam shot out at Mago's feet and scanned up along her form, taking about ten seconds to completely move up to her head. A flurry of gem-speak and numbers popped up on the holo-screen, and Frecks enlarged it so the collected Hematites could see.

"Alright. Taking a look at this... Hmm."

Mago quirked a brow and stared at the statistics, pursing her lips. She didn't understand most of that stuff, as she only really learned to read things on her hunting visor. There was a long pause as both Frecks and Hema skimmed over the details of Mago's status.

After a few long moments of soft humming or muttering, Hema reached up and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Well that's not good..."

–

Tam watched the initial scan, eyes widening slightly. She couldn't make out exactly what the screen said from where she stood and knelt down.

"What isn't good?..."

–

Looking up at Tam, Hematite scratched the back of his neck and frowned. He wasn't sure what to make of this.

"Well according to the scan... Mago's statistics are all normal. There's nothing wrong." Turning, Hema frowned at the ebony-haired gem. "Mago, this says you're totally fine. Your energy levels are normal, your gemstone hasn't changed status since its last scan some time ago, and physically you haven't changed at all." Crossing his arms, the ivory-haired gem narrowed his eyes.

Tiny glanced between the two gems, shifting her weight back and forth. A curious frown found its way to her face.

–

Tam blinked in confusion, placing a palm to her cheek. Her jaw hung ajar, eyes darting between the three smaller gems.

"Wh-what?! But this... doesn't make any sense, this is statistically improbable. If something is really wrong with Mago then..." She sighed, moving one of her fingers under her visor to rub her eye. "Well... something should be wrong _here_."

–

"Yeah. If there is something wrong," Hema grumbled, suspiciously eyeing Mago. The ebony haired Hematite frowned, offended, and held her arms out to her sides.

"Excuse me? Are you calling me a liar?"

"Well the stats don't lie, Mago. That scan says there's nothing wrong with your gem. So either there's something that modern gem tech can't detect, or you're not telling us the truth."

–

Tam rolled her eyes, pinching her brow. She wanted to believe it was a lie, but there was one small problem with that.

"Mago was in serious danger when Hemmi and Mite showed up. If she was lying, she probably would have broken her facade then and there." Opening her eyes again, Tam straightened up. "I highly doubt she'd risk her life staying small over a lie like that... Or that she would lie about something like that around here either. If any more found out she was stuck like this, she would have been in far more trouble right off the bat."

–

"Yeah, what Tam said!" Mago's tone sharpened, and she took a threatening step toward Hema, teeth bared. "You think I'd fake something like this?! I hate being small! I hate being stuck like this!" Tiny's brows raised, and she silently side-stepped toward Tam, hiding behind her. Ooooh this was gonna get tense quick.

Hema's brows raised in surprise, and he opened his mouth to speak, but Mago silenced him, not finished.

"Maybe you guys are fine walking around like normal gems, heck, you're lucky to get to walk around like normal gems whenever you want! But I don't get that luxury! AND NOW I'm just... I don't have a choice! I'm not choosing to be like this! Why in star's name do you think I asked you guys for help?!" Mago shook her head, her clawed fingers clenching and unclenching tensely. "If White finds out I'm broken, that's it! I'm done for! It's bad enough I'm defective, now I'm just plain USELESS!"

–

Tam opened her mouth to speak, but for a moment, she found herself silent.

"Mago." She said quietly, her expression softening. "We'll do what we can to help, alright?" She put her hands behind her back, clasping them together. She'd never seen Mago like this before. Something really was wrong with her...

–

Sharply turning her attention up to the other black-haired Hematite, Mago glared up at her, her chest heaving. She was absolutely seething.

"Well nothing we're doing is helping! Frecks can't help, pipsqueak can't, you can't, Tiny surely can't!"

The pink-haired gem pouted and peeked from behind Tam.

"Hey."

"And at the end of the month... Hema's gonna report all this, and that's it! I'm done! ALL BECAUSE THIS CLOD DECIDED TO GO BESERK-"

 **"MAGO!"**

–

Tam flinched slightly, looking quickly at Hema.

"Berserk?... What do you mean berserk? What is she talking about?" She said, her expression falling into heavy suspicion. _What did she mean? What was she talking about? Hematite was here on business terms... right?..._

–

Eyes widening, Hema frowned deeply at the gem before him, glaring daggers through her. Mago flinched and glared back, her teeth bared.

"This is all your fault, pipsqueak."

"Mago. You will stop right there. That is nobody's business here."

"Oh yeah, what are you gonna do if I tell them? You haven't exactly been a big help, I don't owe you _anything_."

Standing straight, Hema frowned deeply and grit his teeth.

"I'll tell White that your problem is _unfixable_. I won't give you any more lessons, I'll be done wasting my time on this."

Mago's eyes widened, and she immediately dropped her angry glare, mouth hanging ajar.

"You wouldn't."

"I report to White every seventh rotation. I'm sure that if she hears we're not making any progress, she'll agree that my time is better spent elsewhere."

Scoffing, Mago turned away, her hair falling over her eyes, hiding the panicked expression they betrayed. Frecks fidgeted awkwardly, glancing uncomfortably between the two.

–

Tam cleared her throat abruptly.

"Hema, forgive me for...intruding here? I know it's not my place, but... if any ounce of you thinks she might be right, perhaps you can help her?" She suggested. She wasn't exactly sure what they were talking about, but maybe... just maybe this time, it wasn't worth prying for.

–

Hema sighed heavily and turned to Tam, staring up at her.

"That's the thing, I've been _trying_ to help, I don't have any other ideas!"

"U-uhm. Hema? If I may..." Frecks took a cautious step forward, the hair on the back of her neck standing on end from the tense air surrounding the two Hematites. "If Mago's abilities are not physically malfunctioning, perhaps it's a mental block?"

Blinking in surprise, Hema turned to the Peridot. She continued, glad to have his attention.

"Sometimes... gems can't shape shift or use their abilities simply because something's stopping them in their mind. It can happen to anyone..."

–

Tam quickly placed a finger to her lip, furrowing her brows.

"Mmm that's right! If what Mago says is true, perhaps Frecks is correct." She said, glancing down at the panicked Hematite below. "If it's something that happened between you and Hema, perhaps try... talking about it?" She shrugged a little.

–

Hema looked at Mago, the ebony-haired Hematite returning his gaze. After a long moment, she scoffed and rolled her eyes, looking away.

"There's nothing _to_ talk about. At least not around every one else. Right, pipsqueak?"

"... Hm. Well, no. There isn't." Crossing his arms, the ivory-haired gem sighed softly and shook his head. "Alright, everyone... I think Mago and I need some time alone. Thank you for your help. Frecks, can you stick around for a little while? Can you come back in seven rotations, as well?"

The Peridot blinked in surprise and nodded with a hearty salute.

"Of course, Hema! Anything for you!"

Looking up at the taller black-haired service gem, Hema turned and gave her a polite nod.

"Tam, I won't need any help for the rest of the week, but could you return here again in seven rotations? I'd prefer to have you around if Hemmi and Mite get... rowdy."

–

Tam offered Hematite a formal nod and saluted.

"Of course! You wish to meet here in this very spot, I presume?" she asked, letting her hands fall beside her. If anything, if she didn't have to work she'd try to keep an extra eye on them when she could. It probably wouldn't hurt.

–

"If you would, yes please."

Peeking around the taller Hematite, Tiny arched a brow.

"And what about me, eh? Can I help?"

Turning to the pink-haired gem, Hema blinked and pursed his lips.

"Aah. Well. Tiny, was it? You may... observe, if you wish. But I don't think we'll need your assistance. Thank you, though."

"Aww. Okay." Pouting, the smaller Hematite walked out from behind Tam and stretched, closing her eyes. "Well! If that's all, I have another Hematite to pester~ See you clods later!"

Without waiting for a reply, Tiny bolted off toward the exit and quickly scaled one of the kindergarten walls, out of sight within moments.

Shaking his head, Hema looked to Tam, then Mago.

"Alright... We'll. Try to talk. You're dismissed, Tam!"

–

Tam shot Tiny an annoyed glare, but rolled her eyes.

"Very well. Be careful, you three." Without another word, she too headed out for the entrance she came through.

–

After the two Hematites had left, Hema turned his attention back to Mago and sighed softly. He gave Frecks a look and a quick nod, and the green service gem took the hint, running back to her cliff ledge. Looking back at the black-haired Hematite, Hema frowned and crossed his arms tightly, letting out a slow exhale through his nose.

"You really shouldn't go blurting out things like that. Do you have any idea what sort of commotion it could cause among the harvesters if they found out what happened?"

Mago scoffed and flipped her hair back, lips pursed.

"You're making it out to be way bigger of a deal than it is. So you attacked a Diamond, what are these guys gonna do about it?"

"I don't know, but I don't want to find out. Besides, this is about you, not me."

Sitting down, Hema crossed his legs and stared up at Mago, tapping his fingers along his upper arm.

"So let's talk."

 _Beep beep, beep beep, beep beep!_

Eyes widening, Hema groaned and sighed, holding up his index finger to Mago as he answered his communicator.

"Hematite reporting."

"Hey, we need you over in the west sector!"

"Can't you get one of the other Hematites?"

"Excuse me? You're the only one under our direct order, get over here!"

"... Fine." Shooting Mago an apologetic glance, the small gem stood and dusted himself off. "I'll be right there. Hematite signing out." With a chirp, the service gem's eyepiece powered down. Hema turned to Mago and frowned, folding his arms behind him. "... I'm sorry. I have to get going."

Mago looked to the side quietly, not responding. Her lips were drawn tight, and she slowly shook her head.

"Whatever. It's not like this _matters_ to you anyways," she muttered, shooting him a venomous glance.

Hema's brows raised, but he didn't have a chance to reply as Mago turned and walked off, her arms crossed tightly. Soon enough, she broke into a run, out of the cove within a few minutes. Frecks looked after her with a concerned frown, fidgeting with her limb enhancer fingers. She looked at Hematite quietly, her ankles crossing nervously. The ivory-haired service gem stared at the exit to the cove for a long moment, Mago's words echoing in his head.

Normally he'd brush off such a comment, but what shook him was... _part of him wondered if she was right._

* * *

Five rotations passed since Hemmi and Mite's little incident with Hema and Mago. Thankfully, they remained on the down low and went back to their territories since then, keeping away from the other Hematites when they weren't on one-day missions here and there. Hematite would have to report soon, though he wondered if he'd possibly get lucky and have his time with White delayed. His leader was currently on a short mission, and possibly wouldn't return until after the seventh rotation of the week. Unfortunately, that also meant she was currently out of contact with him.

Other than that, nothing really changed. The days were generally uneventful; the Hematites would come and go from their jobs, and nothing out of the ordinary happened.

Which was precisely why one Hematite in particular was bored out of her wits. Sauntering down a particularly large path, a slightly stockier built Hematite made her way out of the primary kindergarten and towards the southern entrance where most of the Peridots hung about. She seemed to be whistling a cheery tune, leisurely bobbing her head side to side as she walked.

Sporting short, fluffy gray hair and a visor that almost resembled huge, round glasses, the service gem looked more like she belonged in a lab than in a group of hunting gems. A single, sharp snaggletooth poked out from her upper lip, which was curled up into a cutesy smile. She bore a glimmering square gem on the right side of her chest.

Rounding a corner quickly, she spotted her destination, eyes widening with glee and wonder. Sure enough, there they were! Dozens of busy, tiny Peridots. She herself was standing around her preferred height, around 25 feet or so. Big enough to not use up too much energy at the time, and small enough to not startle any of the finicky service gems.

In her spare time, she enjoyed watching the Peridots work. Observing their limb enhancers, watching them run around, listening to their tech talk whenever they did socialize with one another, and most of all... learning more about gemtech were some of her favorite pastimes. She loved learning about gem technology; loved watching it in use, and she envied the Peridots for having limb enhancers. The Hematite thought they were exceptionally neat, and wondered what it was like to have a pair of the multi-use enhancers. Of course, she knew she'd probably never get some of her own, but it was nice to learn about them at the very least.

A few of the working service gems noticed the larger gem pacing towards them and shot each other a blank glance. They didn't seem confused or worried, oddly enough. Seemed this was a normal occurrence to them.

"Hey Mati," one of the Peridots said, holding up their arm to the approaching Hematite. Mati beamed at the tiny service gems and plopped down next to them, leaning forward just a bit.

"Heeeey! How are you both?" the Hematite said, waving her fingers at the two Peridots she sat near. One of them immediately held up their screen and turned slightly as if ignoring Mati, but the other shrugged with an amused smirk.

"Oh, you know. It's the usual. Same routine every day, here we are again. We'll be performing a maintenance check on some broken injector drills today. Have you come to watch again?" she remarked, glancing over the other Peridot's shoulder at their screen. Mati chuckled.

"More or less, yeah. There's nothing to do, and Tiny keeps annoying me. Hita keeps complaining, and he was wandering in my general area and when I told him to leave he just groaned at me and fell on the ground." She frowned, poking out her lower lip. "And Mite won't keep away from my territory so I keep having to chase her away... Ah, everyone's so annoying! Except you guys! I like you guys," she continued, raising her brows. The Peridots seemed to have zoned out of what she was saying for the most part, aside from the one who was supposedly paying the most attention.

"Right." They responded simply.

Mati frowned and crossed her arms. _Did they listen to a word she said? Well, whatever._ She leaned over, narrowing her eyes at the other Peridot's screen. It displayed some sort of elaborate diagram of the drills, as well as a huge map of the kindergarten itself with many white dots scattered across it. She looked transfixed with what she saw, that is until she heard a few hushed voices somewhere behind her.

"Yeah, lots of gems saw it! And that's why he's here!"

"What? You're kidding! He'd surely be dead by now if that were the case!"

"Nooo, he's White Diamond's Hematite. I think there was something far more to that..."

Mati perked up, her interest suddenly shaken from the screen that she watched, turning her head slightly. _White Diamond's Hematite? What were they talking about? Ohhhhh this should be good!_ She turned around completely, spotting two more Peridots walking up to a ledge together, talking.

"He's serving out a punishment for trying to take out Yellow Diamond. He's supposed to be here all month, you know."

"Hmph! He attacked _our_ Diamond? Are you suuuure Yellow Diamond didn't shatter him on the spot? There's no way he's still alive after a stunt like that."

"I'm serious! Look, didn't you read the reports?"

Giving the other Peridot a quick nudge with their enhancers, they brought up a screen. From where Mati was sitting, she couldn't make out what was on the holoscreen, but she could make out every word they _said_. That was all she needed. She gasped quietly, her eyes going wide. Sharply, she got to her feet and bolted for the path that she had entered the Kindergarten section from without a word. The Peridots she sat near looked at each other in confusion, shrugging before continuing on with their work.

The Hematite made her way down the rocky slopes of the main Kindergarten halls, panting heavily with every step. A few minutes into her run, she shifted up to her half size. _Oh stars, just wait till the others hear about this!_ She smirked, skidding to a halt as she came to a sharp turn, bolting around the corner. At such a speed, she didn't have time to react as she barreled herself right into the back of a pink haired Hematite, slamming into them at full speed.

–

Hemmi let out a sharp, squawking shriek as Mati ran into her, and she sharply turned and shoved the shorter Hematite off of her, adjusting her suit with a venomous scowl.

 **"** _ **Excuse**_ **you,** clod-watcher. Did I give you _permission_ to touch me?" she sneered with malice, taking a large step back. Staring down at the gray-haired Hematite, Hemmi scoffed and adjusted her visor. "Watch where you're going."

–

Mite crossed her arms indignantly, glaring down at the smaller gem. She and Hemmi both were at their half sizes, a bit taller than the gray-haired gem. Mati was quick to right herself, grinning impishly at the duo.

"Hey, hey! You're not gonna believe what I just heard!" she said giddily, clenching her fists tightly. Mite raised a brow, taking a step back.

"Eh? Spit it out then! What's go-"

"White's Hematite straight up attacked Yellow Diamond! And that's why he's here in the kindergarten with us!" Mati blurted, her arms trembling with unconstrained excitement. _Talk about the juiciest story of the millennium!_

Mite's eyes widened, her jaw dropping slightly.

"… Come again?..."

–

Brows furrowing, Hemmi mirrored her friend's pose, crossing her own arms. A serious frown crossed her face, and her eyes betrayed a strange mix of emotions. Her expression was unreadable.

"Did he now. How... _Intriguing_."

–

Mati bounced up and down in place, ramped up by her adrenaline-like rush.

"Yeah! Yeah! I gotta find the others... Ooohhh boy!" She didn't wait for the duo to respond; in an instant, she rushed passed them ungracefully and bolted out of sight. Mite slowly turned to her friend, a grin spreading across her face.

"Well, now... This just got a whole lot more interesting..."

–

Hemmi returned her partner's gaze, an unnatural gleam in her eyes. Her left eye was blocked out by a bright reflection on her visor for a moment.

"Yes, yes it did. I think the runt has some explaining to do."

–

Mite cackled softly, circling around her friend without so much as looking at her. She seemed to be skulking around, clasping her hands together.

"What do you say then? Shall we pay him a visit? Or..." She paused, stopping behind her accomplice and giving her a sidelong glance.

–

Silent for a long moment, the pink-haired service gem tapped her fingers along her chin. She seemed to be processing a thousand thoughts, and her eyes were dark with an unreadable expression.

"Perhaps. Or, you know. Maybe we should follow after Mati and see how many of us we can get to corner this little annoyance. Either way..."

Chuckling lowly, Hemmi cracked her neck and smirked faintly.

 _"This will be fun."_

–

Mati had made her way quickly through the vast expanse of kindergarten walls, skidding and stumbling multiple times with her increasing excitement. Panting heavily, she scrambled into a small clearing where Tam was standing with an injector drill. She was knelt over at just under half of her potential height, carefully inspecting the drill head.

"TAAAAM! TAM TAM TAM!"

Mati shouted out hysterically, stopping just shy of the taller Hematite. Tam grunted and stood up taller, sparing Mati a rather annoyed glance.

"What," she replied simply, narrowing her eyes in suspicion. Mati was practically shivering, clenching her fists tightly in front of her. She was grinning impishly ear to ear.

"So ya know White's Hematite? You won't believe what happened!"

Tam rolled her eyes and brought a hand up to her face. _What was she going to babble about now?_ She didn't see Mati around too much, but she knew about her overly rambunctious nature. She also knew she had a pretty big mouth and hardly knew when to keep it shut.

"So, the whole reason he's here! He attacked Yellow Diamond and he's serving out a punishment! Can you believe it?!" Mati wasn't even looking at Tam at this point. In fact she seemed to be rambling just to hear herself talk. She turned away, quickly making her way out of the clearing that they were in as soon as she spoke. Tam was left standing alone, her expression falling into shock.

 _Did she hear that right?..._

 _ **That**_ _was why Hematite was here?_ _ **That**_ _was what was going on with him?_ _ **That**_ _was what Mago was talking about?_ Her brows furrowed as she glanced around the clearing quickly. She wanted to be furious, and part of her was. But she had to remain calm and collected for now; she couldn't let her emotions get a hold of her like this.

 _How was he still alive if this was the case?... Surely Yellow Diamond would have had him shattered for that, or at the very least White Diamond. Why was he still White's bodyguard after that?!_

She was appalled, and despite her best efforts to keep her emotions in check, she felt a prickle of spite faint betrayal rise in her chest.

 _He attacked a Diamond. Why did he still deserve that position?_

She started off to find Hema. Tam had questions for him now, and on top of that she couldn't help but worry. _How many other Hematites was Mati blathering to? Would they be as angry as her? Worse?_ She didn't want him to get hurt, even if she was suddenly very wary of him. She'd have to find him quickly, lest Mati start a riot.

–

"Alright you clod, pick up the pace!"

"I'm trying, I'm trying!" Hema frowned and glanced up at the small green gem on the cliff side. She had been barking orders at him for the past hour or so, and admittedly it was starting to wear on his nerves. He'd had a rough night working for a few other gems and was already a bit worn out. However, Hematite had been sure not to wear himself down too much so he could stay shifted up. Since that incident with Hemmi and Mite, he wasn't risking shifting down anymore. Currently, he stood around his half height, and didn't have the energy to shift up any further.

The Peridot atop the wall was having the giant gem scan and check the states of every injected gem in the patch of cliff he was working on. He needed to document the state of each incubating gem for stability, date of emergence, etcetera. It wasn't exactly exciting work. And after this, he still had to go check the state of a few injector drills. This was looking to be a long day.

And it was about to get longer.

Footsteps were heading Hematite's way quickly. Eyepiece chirping in response to his broken concentration, the harvester frowned and turned his head to look back at the path that lead into the dead-end area he was working in. Those footfalls sounded big... Was a Hematite coming to join him?

–

Storming through the chasms, Mati came barreling into the hall leading to the area that Hema was stationed. She straightened up upon spotting him, freezing in her tracks. Sweat began to form on her brow, but she looked at him fiercely with a small grin.

"SO IT'S YOUUU!" she yelled out, pointing an accusing finger towards him. The Peridots raised their brows, looking at one another, taking a few steps back from the newcomer, despite being on the top of the cliff. One of them, however, stepped forward grumpily.

"Ahem! You there! This is a restricted area. You are not authorized to be here at this ti-"

"Hey, back off! You don't know what you're dealing with here!" Mati shouted back, her lips curling into an odd snarl. She looked back at Hematite, eyes narrowing. "What did you do?! What were you THINKING?!" she hissed, stepping quickly towards him. She didn't get much time to get too close before more footsteps were heard behind her.

–

Brows raising in surprise, Hematite took a step back toward the wall as Mati closed in on him. His eyepiece dulled, turning off. Frowning, the giant gem tensed at the sound of more footsteps closing in.

"E-excuse me? What are you talking about?! I'm trying to do my work over here, you need to leave!"

–

Mati's grin quivered, twitching into more of a frown.

"Rrrrgh you know why I'm here! How could you attack a diamond?! What is WRONG with you?! Are you cracked?!" she growled, continuously pointing her finger at his face. Before too long, Tam came huffing in quickly behind Mati. She immediately grabbed onto the boisterous gem's shoulders, pulling her back.

But it wasn't Mati that she spoke to first. Her eyes were locked onto Hematite with mistrust and disbelief. She was quiet for a second, but turned her head slightly, still staring into his eyes.

"I... cannot _believe_ _you_..."

–

Hematite's expression quickly faltered into a look of guilt, and the giant gem looked away, eyes wide, sweat forming on his brow.

 _ **They knew.**_

 _Did Mago tell them? Did she want to make his life more difficult_ _ **that**_ _badly?!_

"You weren't even there, you don't know what happened!"

Around the corner, two more Hematites peered into the area Hema was in, but unlike Tam and Mati, they didn't approach. They stayed back, watching, waiting. Hemmi narrowed her eyes.

 _Looks like things were about to get interesting._

–

Mati squirmed out of Tam's grasp, pacing forward a few slow steps.

"What were you thinking..." she sneered.

Mite stood just behind Hemmi, crossing her arms with intrigue. _It seemed maybe they wouldn't need to get involved themselves!_ She was all fine and dandy with watching Hema get torn down from afar. _Less work for her, anyway._ Tam placed another hand on Mati's shoulder, but it was quickly shoved away. Tam furrowed her brows at Mati, taking a step forward herself.

"Why did you do it?..."

–

Standing his ground, the smaller Hematite set his jaw and frowned up at the two standing in front of him. His arms crossed in front of his chest, clawed fingers clutching at his sleeve. _Maybe he could fib his way out of this..._

"It was a rematch. I'm not sure what you heard, but that's all it was. We had a spar that got a bit out of hand. Nobody got hurt."

–

Mati's expression darkened.

"That's not what I heard..." She growled lowly. Tam quickly stepped in front of Mati now, pushing her back. Her eyes never left Hematite. Before she could speak, Mati peeked out from behind Tam, glaring at Hema. "The Peridots said you attacked her! Why did ya do it?! How are you still alive?" she growled.

Some of the Peridots stepped forward, yelling down at the group.

"You all need to leave immediately! You have no business here!" One of them called out. Tam shot them an immensely intimidating glare. She didn't say a word. Looking back to Hema, she took in a deep breath.

She stepped forward again. Her face twisted into anger.

"You... How are you still here. How are you still in the position that you are? Why do you get to be a bodyguard when you can't be trusted?!"

–

Hema's back finally met the wall as he stepped away from the two Hematites. Furrowing his brows, he felt his own expression darken.

"White Diamond handled my punishment and made her judgments on what happened. I'm at no liberty to share anything with you." His eyes narrowed. "Are you questioning White's authority to say whether I remain her guard or not?"

One of the Peridots scoffed and rolled her eyes, glaring down at the group.

"Well she certainly doesn't seem to know how to punish a gem that tries to harvest our leader!"

Shoulders tensing, the giant gem grit his teeth and glared up at the green service gem, his eyes wide and filled with anger.

–

Tam clenched her fists tightly, taking another step forward. Mati followed in her footsteps. Mite, however, remained behind with Hemmi, raising a brow with intrigue. _This was getting good._ Baring her teeth slightly, the ebony-haired gem stood straighter.

"I'm not questioning White's Authority. I'm questioning _you_ and your position." Tam scoffed, sizing up the smaller Hematite. She seemed undeterred by his demeanor, for once. All she could bring herself to feel was envy, mistrust and confusion.

–

Scoffing angrily, Hematite turned his head to attempt to meet Tam's gaze. He quickly found he couldn't. Clutching tighter at his sleeve, he grit his teeth and glanced away.

"I still hold my position because White knows and trusts me. You all couldn't possibly understand what it's been like to work for her. And you couldn't understand why I did what I did."

–

Mati snarled from behind Tam, now coming out to face him directly. She closed in.

"That's no excuse to attack your leader! You ought to know better than that!" she shouted, baring her teeth. Tam straightened up, sparing the rowdy Hematite a glance. She didn't know how many Hematites Mati told of this ordeal, but likely all of them would hear about it sooner or later. Admittedly, she wondered how many would have this violent of a reaction. She herself didn't plan on hurting Hematite, but with the way Mati was going, and knowing the way that she acted in general, Tam couldn't speak for _her_.

–

Around this time, another new face peered around the corner. The silver-haired Hematite with the forehead gem seen with Mago a few weeks ago curiously blinked and bit her lip, nervously watching what was transpiring down the corridor. For the moment, she didn't say anything.

Hemmi leaned against the wall, not noticing the new arrival. She was far too occupied watching Hema.

The shortest Hematite glared at Mati and took a step forward, finally removing his back from the wall.

"You wouldn't say that if you knew what I went through! Hell, you would have done the same thing, probably! You have no IDEA what I have to put up with, working for the Diamonds!"

–

Tam was a little surprised by Hematite's sudden outburst. _How could he possibly try to justify this? Should she even be listening to him right now? By the Diamonds' standards, he should have been easily classified as a traitor!_ And here he was, standing before them alive and still in a higher position than them.

But she wanted to hear him out. As wary as she was of him right now, she wanted to hear his side... and wanted to see why he did it.

Mati however, had no such intentions. She took another bold step forward, a low growl rising in her chest.

"I wouldn't be so stupid as to turn on my leaders..."

–

Hematite scoffed and looked away, gripping at his sleeve. He didn't have a response for that. He knew how stupid his stunt had been, he couldn't defend against that. However, he raised his head boldly and looked right into Mati's angry gaze, an odd look in his eyes. He seemed to be hiding something, or rather, that he had something to say that he couldn't.

"Yeah, well what's done is done. I didn't _turn_ on her, I had a point to make. I made a mistake and I'm being punished for it. End of story."

A new voice spoke up, low and measured.

"Well, if you ask me, you aren't being punished severely enough." Slowly, Hemmi walked out from around the corner, her hands up at her sides in a sort of shrugging motion. "If you ask _me_ , White doesn't know the proper measures you need to take to put gems back in their place... Serving Peridots? That's hardly a suited sentence for attacking a diamond. No, I'd wager..." Stepping closer, the pink-haired harvester frowned and turned her attention to Mati. "We could come up with something a bit more... appropriate. What do you say, Mati?" Hemmi suddenly turned to stare Hema dead in the eyes. "If you were to wear him down, Mite or I could 'take care' of him. I'm sure such a traitor wouldn't be missed. And, ah... that would open up a certain _job position,_ wouldn't it?~" She shot Tam a look, a smirk on her lips.

–

Tam looked at Hemmi, raising a brow. For a moment, she looked hesitant. Mati didn't fare much better. Tam, for one, was _livid,_ sure. She wanted _justice_. But did she really want to _hurt_ Hematite for it? No, she wasn't stupid enough to attack him. However, she couldn't speak for the others. She glanced between Hema and Hemmi, her expression unreadable. Mite started to approach from the back, cracking her knuckles loudly.

"That it would. And, if Tam wouldn't want that position. I'm suuuure you or I could fill in just fine hm?" Mite sneered, closing in on Hematite as well. She nudged her elbow into Hemmi's arm, glaring hot, spiteful daggers into Hematite's very being. Tam raised her hand, but curled her fingers. She looked reluctant, biting her lip. Both Mati and Tam weren't sure how far they wanted to take this. That didn't stop their dirty looks, though.

Mite looked down at Mati, giving her a dark smirk.

"You wouldn't want him turning on _you_ now would you?..." She whispered. Mati's eyes narrowed, glaring over at Hema. She turned to him, squaring her shoulders.

"No. I wouldn't. We should stop him before he gets out of hand... before he hurts anyone else!"

–

During this entire exchange, Hematite had backed against the wall, his eyes wide, staring up at the four larger harvesters before him. Though he didn't actually change size, he slowly felt himself shrinking under their angry gazes, his chest rising and falling a bit more rapidly than before. His body went cold at Mati's words, and he shook his head slightly.

"B-back off. I'll contact White about this!"

"Then we won't give you a chance. Have at him, Mati," Hemmi sneered, her lip curling into a condescending sneer.

–

Mati grinned darkly, placing a hand to her gem briefly and summoning her weapon. With a flash of light, she brought out a large, heavy club. Without a word, she inched steadily closer. Tam's eyes widened, and she stood frozen. She wanted to interfere, as this was about to get ugly... but something stopped her. Something kept her held in place. The Peridots, too, were ominously quiet about things, some even looking the other way without a single hesitation.

–

Hematite paled, trembling slightly as Mati approached him, weapon in hand.

"W-wait, we can talk this out! We-"

In a blur of silver and pink, someone suddenly shoved Mati back, away from the smaller Hematite.

Not an instant after Hema began his sentence, the harvester with the forehead gem had zipped between him and the club-bearing service gem. She held her arms out in a defensive manner, frowning at the gray-haired Hematite.

"..."

Hemmi's eyes widened. She snarled at the silver-haired gem and flicked her hair behind her shoulder in annoyance.

"Ti! What are you doing?! Get out of the way!"

Hema stared at the taller gem's back, blinking in confusion. He went silent.

–

Mati snarled, clutching her club tighter.

"HEY! What gives?! Get out of the way!" she growled. Tam raised her brows, taking a step back. She was in no hurry to get in the middle of this herself. Mite made her way towards Ti, but didn't get _too_ close.

"You're defending a traitor, Ti..."

–

Shaking her head, Ti frowned sadly.

"Now hold on, everyone. Look..." Standing straight, the silver-haired gem clasped her hands together in front of her and sighed. "Are we really going to turn on each other like this?"

Scoffing, Hemmi narrowed her eyes at the lithe Hematite.

"If it means weeding out a dangerous gem like him, then yes. Stand down, Ti."

"No." Frowning seriously, the silver-haired Hematite put her hand near her gem and pulled out a long, thin weapon that quickly morphed into an odd looking cross between a hammer and a pickax. She quickly placed the head of the weapon on the kindergarten floor, resting her left palm on the hilt. "Look... There's more going on here than I think any of us could know..." Glancing back, Ti bit her lip.

–

Tam parted her lips, staring in mesmerized surprise at Ti. After a tense moment of silence among the Hematites, she finally stirred, clenching her hands together. She got closer at last, standing next to Ti and facing the group, standing in front of Hema. She straightened herself up, glaring fiercely down at Mati.

"Ti is right. Perhaps it is best we don't...get involved." she said softly, a hint of shamed regret in her tone. Mati glared up at Tam, but didn't make any moves.

"Tam, don't act like you're okay with what he did!" Mati growled.

"That may be so, but that doesn't mean we should cause unnecessary conflic-"

"Unnecessary?! This pebble attacked one of our leaders and is walking among us now!" Mite piped up from the trio, her nose scrunched in disgust.

Tam stood tall, steeling herself.

"It is out of line. And you know it. I know you don't care, but I do."

 _Even if I should have stepped in sooner than this._

–

Glancing gratefully at the taller Hematite, Ti gave her a soft smile before frowning and turning to Mati, Hemmi, and Mite.

"I just got back from a mission, so I'm not exactly sure what's going on, aside from what Mago told me. But from the sounds of it... I don't think Hematite here is going to try and cause anymore trouble, and neither should we." Turning slightly, the lithe service gem leaned her weapon against the wall, shooting Hema a sympathetic look. She turned again and held her hands up in front of her.

"Interfering here is out of line, and it's not necessary. White... White knows what she's doing. And, come on... There are already so few of us." Something in Ti's chest tightened, and she drew her lips tight, eyes almost pleading. "We all need to stick together. We're stronger as a group, not as a bunch of monsters out for their own good. If we can't look out for each other, who will?"

Hemmi furrowed her brows, scoffing softly. However, she didn't reply, and looked away, tapping her fingers along her hip.

–

Mite narrowed her eyes. Turning her head, she slowly looked over at Hemmi, unsure what to think. She _wanted_ to put these clods in their place. She wanted to... _but she couldn't._ Mati frowned, looking away. After a few tense seconds, her weapon fizzled away and she crossed her arms.

"Tch..." She sighed, looking up to Ti. "Fine, I guess you're right...but if he causes any trouble, I'll be the first to correct him!" Mati growled, pointing a finger past the two Hematites standing guard. Tam held up her hand, placing the other behind her back.

"You don't have that authority, Mati. Don't cause any unnecessary trouble, and don't get yourself hurt. Please. We need to be _careful_." She looked up slightly, looking into Hemmi's eyes now. **"All of us."**

–

"Tch, as you say, _Tam_." The pink-haired Hematite's tone was biting, but she did seem to take the taller gem's words into account. _Right. They all needed to be careful._ "C'mon Mite, let's go." Sneering, the pink-haired gem flipped her hair and turned, walking off toward the exit of the dead end. She didn't want to deal with Tam's know-it-all attitude anymore.

 _Tch, well that didn't go how she'd hoped. And now she'd probably hear about this later. Wonderful._ Hemmi glanced down as a Peridot ran past her, a holo-screen formed with their fingers. The tiny green gem was heading right for the other group.

Hema nervously peered from between the two guarding service gems and bit his lip, his hands wringing together.

Ti sighed quietly and dissipated her own weapon. She pursed her lips, frowning at Mati.

"Yes, please Mati. Do not be so reckless... we all need to take care of each other and ourselves. Nothing is worth putting yourself at risk..."

–

Mite was soon to follow, disappearing out of sight. She wasn't going to stick around for any of the aftermath, but she wasn't going to simply forget about this either. Mati glanced up at Ti again, her expression falling into something unreadable. She would have normally been indignant and rowdy, but this time she knew better. _They were right._ Even if she wasn't alright with what Hema had done, it wasn't worth the fight to her.

"...Alright."

–

Ti gave her a bright, happy smile and clasped her hands together in front of her, standing on her tip toes.

"Thank you, Mati! C'mon, could you come help me with a job in the west sector? I actually-"

"There you are! Get back to your job, Hematite 14! You can't just ditch like that!" shouted up the Peridot that had entered the area, holding up her holo screen in irritation.

"There it is. Hah... Sorry, I'm coming!" She shot Mati a pleading smile and held her hands in front of her lips, eyes gleaming hopefully.

–

Mati looked between Ti and Tam, sighing heavily.

"Yeah sure, not like I have anything better to do now. I'm bored anyway." Mati responded, turning her attention to the exit. She didn't say anything more.

–

Ti glanced back at Hema before she bounded off, Mati and the Peridot trailing soon after. The shorter Hematite tilted his head curiously, blinking as the three left. Swallowing, he clasped his hands together and glanced up at the black-haired service gem.

"..."

–

Tam turned finally, now that they were alone. But, she wasn't nearly as angry as she had been when she'd arrived originally. In fact, she looked apologetic.

"I'm...sincerely sorry for my brash actions. It won't happen again, by the Diamond Authority I swear it..." she said quietly, folding her arms idly behind her back.

–

Hematite rubbed the back of his head, finally moving away from the wall.

"I-It's fine. I. Don't blame you, honestly." Frowning, the smaller gem shrugged and looked to the side, not turning his head. "There's a reason I've been keeping quiet about why I'm here. I knew it wouldn't go over well... especially if anyone was envious of my job. It'd give _anyone_ an excuse to be angry. I guess I just.." Holding his arm, the service gem sighed and slouched his shoulders, his expression falling. "What I did was wrong, but Yellow had a hand in it too. That doesn't excuse my actions, but... I wanted things to go back to normal after what happened. I suppose that's wishful thinking."

–

Tam's eyes widened slightly. Horrible guilt washed over her, and she found herself unable to look in his eyes. _Were things really that hard for him?_ She guessed she couldn't have fathomed what it was like. There was probably a lot of pressure on him given his high standards and position. Maybe she was better off where she was. _After all... she probably couldn't meet White's standards anyway._ She finally looked to him, a sympathetic look in her eyes. She nodded quietly.

"I won't bring it up again. I apologize. If there's anything I can do..."

–

Looking up at the taller gem, Hema bit his lip.

"Thanks. And..." Looking away, he sighed and let go of his arm. "Could you maybe... help me diagnose some of these incubating gems? I have a hard time reading all the numbers in proper sequence to the Peridots." He glanced up and pointed at the impatient green gems who were now returning to their work. "I-if not, it's fine. I can do it myself! But you really seem to know what you're doing around here, so I thought I'd ask."

–

Tam's eyes widened further, looking to the wall adjacent to them. He wanted her help? And after all that? She saluted promptly, her professional demeanor returning.

"I-I'd be honored, Hema. I'll get right on that!" She said with a soft smile.

–

Hema gave a soft, weak chuckle and waved his hand.

"No need to salute, Tam. I'm still technically lower ranked than a Peridot right now, remember that." The service gem offered a smile and turned back to the wall, his eyepiece chirping to life. "C'mon, I finished with this section, but I still have this whole wall. It'll be faster if we both cover half of it."

–

Tam nodded, smiling warmly. Well, that was a relief, anyway. Turning to the wall, her own visor chirped to life, scanning the sheer cliff face.

"Hm... Yes, it's far easier with help. Alright then, let's get this done." At least the Peridots didn't seem to mind her joining in.

–

–

A week passed. Unfortunately for both Mago and Hema alike, they were unable to meet on the seventh rotation of the previous week, the Peridots keeping Hema busy all day. Hematite reported to White Diamond as he was required, as she'd returned from her mission by then, but he left out a few of the dicier details of the week. He'd tell her once his punishment at the kindergarten was up. With how some of the Hematites acted around him, he didn't want to stir up any drama while he was still stuck around them.

That being said, he did have to report that Mago hadn't made any progress yet. White hadn't shown much reaction to that, as Hema had quickly added that while she was still having 'troubles' with her shifting, her fighting skills were improving rapidly. That seemed to please her, at least! If only a little.

But he only had a few days left to figure out a solution to the real problem.

If he didn't... he wasn't sure what would become of Mago.

While Hema wasn't very fond of her... he also couldn't imagine being in her situation. A Hematite without their size shifting, what could they even do with that?

 _No, he wasn't going to find out._

He _had_ to help her.

Mago was annoying, a bully, and not exactly the kindest person... but oddly enough, Hematite still felt some sort of drive to figure out what was wrong with her. He wanted to see her back to her old self, as obnoxious as she may have been.

And perhaps, with some luck, this would make things better between the two of them.

 _But first, they had some talking to do._

Turning, Mago raised a brow with a frown and sat down on the ground, crossing her legs. Her arms soon followed suit, folding over her chest. Hema sat down across from her and sighed softly. Crossing his own legs, he grasped at his ankles and gazed at the slightly taller Hematite quietly.

"Alright. I told the Peridots to leave me be today and that I had to have the whole afternoon set aside. So... let's talk."

Mago puffed her bangs away from her face and looked away, drumming her fingers on her arm. Pursing her lips, she gazed around, as if thinking. At first, Hema waited patiently, but after a few solid minutes of silence, he groaned and sighed.

"Look, Mago. Why don't you just start with what you saw? I mean, I don't even know what all you witnessed." The ivory-haired gem tapped a single finger on his ankle, going quiet. Glancing to the side, Mago finally looked at Hema and turned to him, once again drumming her fingers on her arm.

"Well, I got there before Yellow showed up. I'd shrunken down to my smaller height so I could blend in." She shrugged. "Like I said before, I watched your first match with her cuz I was there to catch yours and Blue's fight... and I wanted to see the rematch between ya. I saw... everything." Stifling a shudder, the black-haired service gem frowned slightly. "Your weird behavior, all those skills you'd been honing, I guess... and then your little speech when you were shifting up..." Lifting a hand, Mago drummed her fingers on her upper lip. Hema quietly stared at the gem in front of him, but when she mentioned his 'speech', he turned away, unable to meet her gaze. Mago continued. "And then when you picked Yellow up... Mmm. I bolted. But... not before I saw White throw a pole arm at you. I'd hidden at first because I thought maybe if things got out of hand, I could stop you... but then when White showed up, I figured she could handle it. I saw her approaching you, and then I snuck off and used the warp pad to leave..." Sighing and closing her eyes, Mago stopped drumming her fingers along her lip. Slowly, she lowered her hand and folded it under her arm, crossing them again. "That's all I saw. I've been stuck like this since. But you already knew that, so." Shrugging, she looked away, expression unreadable.

Rubbing the back of his neck, Hema frowned and looked away. _Well, she really had been there almost the whole time then._ She'd seen everything. But, witnessing something like that, it shouldn't have broken her powers, right? _How was that even possible? Surely it was something else._

 _And yet, nobody could find anything wrong with her._

There was a long stretch of awkward silence before Mago finally turned with an odd, almost hesitantly curious expression.

"Pipsqueak?"

"Hm? Yeah?"

"... Is that what you really think being a Harvester is all about? That whole deal about eat or be eaten?"

"I-I. Uh." Hema cleared his throat and frowned, crossing his arms tightly. He didn't _really_ see it that way of course, but he wasn't entirely sure he wanted Mago to know that. After all, he was almost positive that was how _all the others of his kin_ saw things. "... Why does it matter?"

Mago frowned almost... sadly? She puffed her bangs away from her face.

"Dunno. I just thought you were different from some of us." Shrugging, she continued. "Obviously White picked you for some reason I can't fathom, so. For you to say something like that, it seemed..." She bit her lip, looking for the right words. "I can't see White keeping someone who truly believes that around. Especially after a stunt like what you pulled." There was a brief pause where Hema opened his mouth to say something, but Mago didn't notice, and scoffed, cutting him off. "Then again, what do I know about White, huh? Maybe she actually does like the ruthless type. Coulda fooled me. Still doesn't make her choosing you make anymore sense, though."

At first, Hema looked offended, but he bit his tongue, keeping his rather aggressive retort in White's defense to himself. Instead, he cocked a brow curiously.

"What do you mean by that?"

Frowning, Mago snorted and glanced at the smaller Hematite.

"If she wanted ruthless, you're not exactly the best choice." Scoffing, Mago tossed her hair behind her shoulder, suddenly looking rather irritated. "Meta is the biggest and the strongest, Ti is the fastest, Tiny is the most agile, I'm one of the fastest, and hell, I was the first one to pass that stupid test! So what the hell does White WANT?! Why did she pick you, the runt?!"

Hematite frowned and leaned back, sneering slightly. He didn't appreciate Mago's tone, and he felt the hair on the back of his neck stand on end a little.

"Well maybe she sees something in me that none of you do! Did you ever think that maybe I have something that you don't?" he pointed out rather gruffly, narrowing his eyes slightly. Mago curled her lip slightly, shooting Hema a nasty look.

"Well then, if you're so special, care to explain what that something is? Cuz hah! I'd looooove to know! I'd love to know what White sees in you, why she thinks you're so great! If you ask me, her judgment is terrible!"

Gritting his teeth, the smaller Hematite stood up, clenching his fists.

"What do you know about White Diamond?! You've hardly even spoken to her!"

Eyes widening in surprise, the ebony-haired Hematite turned sharply to Hema and growled, standing up on her own feet, glaring down at him.

"Yeah, thanks for reminding me, pipsqueak! What do I know about her? Oh, nothing at all, honestly! The only stuff I know about her I've heard from other people like you! EVERYTHING I know about her is from other sources! I would _love_ to get to know her, but guess what! I'M STUCK HERE! I'm lucky if I even get to speak to a Peridot through my day, much less my leader!"

Hema stood, stunned, his mouth slightly ajar. Mago was _seething_ , and pointed an accusing finger at him, her teeth grit.

"The highlight of my day is getting to tease a worker gem every once in a while. While you're sitting around and having tea and probably telling stories to White Diamond, I'm sitting around these rock walls, hoping someone will talk to me! Boulders don't make good conversationalists, pipsqueak."

Looking away sharply, the ebony-haired Hematite inhaled deeply, sharply.

"And now, to top it all off, I'm stuck like this. And you know what, it's ALL YOUR FAULT!" She glared daggers into the smaller gem, but there was a heavy hint of desperation and fear in her eyes. "Seeing you go nuts out there shook me so bad that it messed me up! I don't know why or how, but it did! So while you're still living high and mighty in the diamond towers after literally attacking and trying to harvest Yellow Diamond, I'm down here, eVEN MORE BROKEN AND DEFECTIVE THAN I WAS BEFORE!" Angrily, the ebony haired gem wiped at her face, masking it by pretending to swipe her bangs away from her eyes. "I've done my best... so I don't understand why this happened. How am I supposed to be any use to White like this? I can't harvest, I can't lift anything, I can't fight. What am I supposed to do if I get into a fight with anything bigger than _you_? I'd be taken out in minutes." Her expression fell. Hema frowned guiltily, rubbing the back of his neck. Her words sank in _**deep**_ , piercing into his very core. Guilt washed over him, forcing him to look away from Mago. _Stars, she was more upset than he could have imagined._

 _Seeing you go nuts out there shook me so bad that it messed me up! I don't know why or how, but it did!_

Slowly, Hema's expression shifted.

"... I'm sure we'll figure something out, Mago... It'll be okay. We'll." Blinking, Hema frowned and lowered his hand. His brows furrowed in concentration, and he was quiet for a moment. "... We'll. Figure something out. How about I come back and show you some more techniques later?"

Blinking, Mago frowned and turned to the smaller Hematite. When she spoke, her tone was laced with only half-disguised distress.

"Why later? Where are you going?"

"I just need to go ask someone about something, that's all. I'll come back in a little while, okay? Sorry, I just. Need some time to clear my head."

Mouth twitching at the corners into a frown, the ebony-haired Hematite sighed and looked away crossly. Her sour demeanor returned.

"Fine. Go ahead, I don't care," she said softly, still clearly upset.

Hema frowned slightly, but his eyes were still thoughtful.

He had an idea, but he needed a little time alone to think it over...

Walking off, the service gem spared Mago a small wave before he left the cove, covering his mouth with his hand. Mago's words echoed through his mind, making his heart heavy. He almost wondered if that talk did more harm than good, but if it led to him finally figuring out how to fix her... well. Perhaps it was worth it.

Pacing back and forth, Hema rubbed his chin, his eyes intensely focused on nothing in particular. He was muttering to himself. HUDs and gem speak flickered over his eyepiece. Hema was continuously attempting to piece bits of data together to formulate some sort of solution, but nothing was fitting together neatly.

But he knew he was onto something.

 _What am I supposed to do if I get into a fight with anything bigger than you?_

Nothing was physically wrong with Mago. It had to be something mental. It was spurred by seeing him act viciously in the arena, so perhaps... What if she'd felt personally threatened by his behavior?

Tiny's words echoed in his head.

 _All I remember is being in danger. Both missions got pretty out of hand. Physically? I don't remember what I did. It just kinda happened._

Frowning, Hema rubbed his forehead. Tam's comment flashed through his mind.

 _I suppose high stress situations could have some sort of effect on your abilities, be it involuntary or instinctual._

He could have sworn he felt a headache coming on. _C'mon, I know I'm on to something._

The image of Mago's glimmering gem flashed through his mind's eye. Hema's eyes opened wide, and he stared ahead, brows furrowing. Okay, what if he _hadn't_ been seeing things? What if Mago _wasn't_ faking anything? So, why had her gemstone...

 _High stress situations could have some sort of effect on your abilities, be it involuntary or instinctual._

 _ **Wait.**_

Standing straight, Hema suddenly froze, the hair standing up on the back of his neck. Mago had been shaken by him back in the arena, she'd felt threatened, perhaps. Maybe that had created some mental block she couldn't get past, some... some sort of fear that was keeping her from being able to feel big, to shift up.

So if that had disabled her abilities... could the same thing work again in reverse?

Had her gemstone almost broken through the block when she thought Mite was going to harvest her?

 _... Only one way to find out._

Powering down his visor, Hematite ran off to go find someone, his brows furrowed, a steely look of determination on his face. _Stars, he hoped this could work._

–

Not far across the way, two Hematites were stationed near a wall, inspecting holes in the cliff face. It was Tam and Mati, both apparently working together. Well, as best as they would allow each other to anyway. Occasionally Mati would slack off or lounge around and Tam would continue to bark orders at her to try and get her to work again. At the very least, she seemed to be working at the _moment_.

–

Hematite skidded around the corner before spotting the two. He very nearly slammed into one of the walls before he rushed over to Tam, waving to her. At this point, he had shifted up to his half harvester size, in preparation for his plan.

"TAAAAAM! Tam I need you for a moment it's very important." He came to a clumsy halt near her, fists balled up in front of him, eyes gleaming.

–

Turning quickly, Tam and Mati both faced Hema. A look of sheer confusion was plastered on Tam's face, raising a brow in curious concern.

"What is it, Hematite?"

–

The service gem was shifting his weight from foot to foot, a tiny smile on his face.

"I think I may have an idea on how to fix Mago, but I can't trust anyone else to test it out... Hemmi and Mite are out of the question, Meta is too big, the Hematite with the weird tooth... I don't know what his deal is, so." He shrugged before inhaling sharply through his nose. "So I'm going to test it myself, but I have to be in the right mindset! I need you to do something for me."

–

Mati looked up at Tam, wide eyed. Tam stood straighter, her eyepiece chirping to life.

"Really?! Yes, certainly! What can I do to help?!" She said quickly.

–

Hematite grinned, furrowing his brows. Without skipping a beat, he clenched his hands close to his chest, a determined light in his eyes.

"I need you to hit me."

–

Tam and Mati both fell silent, Tam's arms falling to her sides. They both stared blankly for a moment at Hematite in disbelief

"You want me to what?" Tam said, holding her hand up to her mouth. _Why on Homeworld did he want her to do that?_ Before Hema could even have a chance to respond however, Mati raised up her hands with a boisterous laugh and swung her arm back, delivering a quick _**whack**_ to the side of Hema's cheek.

"AW YEAHH!" She shouted, bouncing back in a fighting stance, making no further move. She seemed overly giddy, and Tam looked between the two in shock.

–

 _ **Regret.**_

For a long moment, Hema was left reeling, tightly gripping his face. A slow, deep hiss sounded through his teeth as he inhaled through them. Gradually, Hematite stood straight again and held the side of his face, a low hum in his throat.

"Mmm alright, I asked _Tam_ to hit me, Mati. _Not you._ " Hema opened his eyes, glaring at the gray-haired service gem. He made no other comment, and felt his anger steadily rising.

 _Good._

 _Alright, so it hadn't been Tam, but what Mati did was even more effective._ If he was going to do what he was about to do, he'd need to be in a sour mood so he didn't break his facade.

"... But it still worked." Bristling from the searing pain in his jaw, the service gem sharply turned with a deep frown and rushed off, toward the cove.

He had to do this quickly, before his fight or flight response wore out.

 _He just hoped this would work.._

–

Tam looked down at Mati again, this time not taking her eyes off of her. She was speechless. Mati, however, was grinning ear to ear. Chuckling to herself, she clenched her fists and held her arms akimbo.

"That was rad..." She froze suddenly, pursing her lips in acute confusion. "But er... why did he..." Narrowing her eyes towards where Hema had ran, Mati turned and gave Tam a nod. She was quick to bolt after him. She wanted to see what was up. Surprised, Tam watched as the gray haired Hematite followed after the shorter service gem. _Maybe she should see what was up as well. How would this help Mago?..._

Soon enough, Hema neared the cove. But instead of going in through the main entrance, he made his way up a small rise that lead up to the top of the cliff sides. Slowly, he crouched down on all fours, creeping forward to peer over the rock ledge without being seen. His form remained low to the ground, his chest practically touching the rock floor. Mago was a little distance away from the cliff that surrounded the cove. She was idly practicing firing off plasmic bolts, her hands alight with bright pink energy. From what Hema could hear, she was muttering something crossly to herself. She zapped a small rock, sending it flying a good ten or so feet.

Crouching to the ground, Hema narrowed his eyes, raising a hand to his face. He flicked on his hunting visor.

–

Mati gained good distance between her and Tam along the way back to the Cove, listening carefully to pinpoint where she should go. Thankfully, there weren't that many twists and turns along the route Hema took. She was quick to find the correct entrance. In due time, Tam rounded the last corner, approaching Mati as the two ran down the last hall leading to the huge clearing ahead of them.

–

There was an eerily long pause. Hema seemed unaware that Mati and Tam had followed him and were near the entrance to the cove, as he didn't take his eyes off of Mago. The ebony-haired Hematite frowned and blinked, the hair on the back of her neck standing on end. _Something felt wrong._

Before she had a chance to turn, something caught her attention and froze her in place.

 _Whirrrrr_

 _ **Click.**_

Spinning on her heel, the tiny harvester turned to face the giant gem looming on the cliff side. Her eyes widened, and she took a step back, the bright pink energy of her powers slowly dying out.

"Wh-what... Pipsqueak! What are you doing?!"

Slowly, the giant gem frowned and sat up, tilting his chin.

"Gem found: Hematite. Status: … Unavailable. Mission Objective: Harvest."

–

Mati stopped just shy of the entrance to the clearing, ducking back a few feet behind one of the sides of the walls. She didn't really want to be spotted... especially with the sight she was met with around the corner. Her brows raised in horrified confusion, staring up at the larger Hematite in the distance. Tam stumbled behind Mati, nearly running into her.

"Mati, what are you-"

"Shhh!"

Mati quickly cut Tam off, grabbing onto her arm and pulling her closer behind the side of the wall. She gestured her thumb towards the clearing with one hand, and with her other, motioned for Tam to keep quiet.

–

Mago's face paled, and a soft scoff escaped her as she stood straight. After a long pause, she gave a sharp laugh and clapped her hands together in mock applause.

"Oh man, good one pipsqueak! You had me going there for a second. Hoo, I can appreciate a good joke like that."

Hema didn't move.

"Nowww why don't you come down here and we'll get some more... training. Done..." Slowly, Mago's smile faded, only to be replaced with a fearful, nervous grimace. "Pipsqueak. The joke's over, ahaha, very funny. Now take off the visor and-"

Baring his teeth, the huge gem leapt down toward the tiny gem, landing with a shuddering THUD not twenty feet in front of her, on all fours. His clawed fingers scraped against the rock, giving off a horrid sound. Mago winced and stepped back quickly, her eyes wide.

 _He..._

 _He wasn't joking, was he?_

With a sneer, Hematite sat up slightly and focused his target's visor on the black-haired gem.

"If we can't fix you, then what's the point of having you around? You're too afraid to face what's bothering you, and you're too afraid to even face _me_. What kind of Harvester _are_ you?"

–

Mati gasped softly, moving forward. Tam, however, held out an arm and stopped her from progressing.

"Wait.." she whispered quietly, not taking her eyes off of the other two. "Let's see what he's up to..."

–

Frowning deeply, Mago gave an offended scoff and tossed her hair behind her shoulder, fists clenching.

"I'm not afraid of _you_! Who do you think you are, Pipsqueak?! I'll take you on anywhere- ... any. Time." Slowly, she took another step back. Hema was gradually leaning closer, hovering over the tiny gem.

"Then how about right here. Right now."

Baring his sharp teeth, the giant gem gripped at the ground, a low rumbling growl in his chest. "Who do I think I am? I'm the Hematite that's done wasting their time on you. Face me. And we'll see who's the superior harvester."

–

Tam wasn't sure if this was a part of Hema's plan or not... but regardless, she wanted to wait before she got involved. If it looked like he was truly going to hurt her, well... Mati seemed more willing to jump into the fray. For now, she held her back.

"Just be patient."

–

Stammering, the tiny gem shook her head and stepped back once more, tripping slightly over a small rock that laid in her path. She yelped slightly and stumbled, but never took her eyes off of the giant gem.

"C-cut it out, Hema! This is a stupid joke, it's not funny anymo-!"

Quickly, the harvester raised a clawed hand and swiped at his tiny target, very nearly striking her. However, he missed by a few feet and left deep score marks in the rock floor. With an unflattering squeak, the tiny gem scrambled away, now turning her back from the hunter. She looked to be heading for the exit, but before she could make it more than a few paces, Hema leapt out in front of her, blocking her path.

"You think it's gonna be that easy?~" He grinned deviously and lifted his hand again, bearing it down on the gem.

 **ZAP!**

Wincing, Hematite hissed through his teeth and reeled his hand back, looking at the new singe mark on his palm. His half-glove was smoking, colored black by a plasmic blast. Sharply, the giant gem turned his attention to Mago, who was now fleeing in the other direction. He chased after her, closing in fast.

–

Mati stepped back quickly upon Hematite's sudden movements, despite being some distance away. If he was going rogue again, she certainly didn't want to be anywhere near him. Tam grasped Mati's shoulder and narrowed her eyes. _What was he getting at?..._

–

Mago and Hema's little 'fight' went on for about a few minutes or so before the ebony haired gem started to slow up. She couldn't avoid him forever. During the chase, she implemented a few tactics that Hema had shown her, but they did little to nothing to slow down his pursuit. Soon enough, the giant gem caught up with his target once more and grit his teeth as she readied a plasmic bolt. Without missing a beat, he reeled his hand back and slapped her away, near a wall. He was careful not to hit her _too_ hard, as he didn't want to poof her, but it was certainly enough to hurt.

Mago sputtered as she sat up, and she held her side, grimacing. A low groan escaped her. Looking up sharply, the tiny gem gasped quietly as Hema closed in. She grit her teeth, a growl growing in her chest. Suddenly, she bolted upright and made a run for the huge gem, her entire arms alight with bright electric energy. Hema frowned and backed up a few paces before he chuckled and licked his teeth, his body tensing. He watched her arms carefully.

Mago reeled her hand back to let loose a rather powerful bolt, but Hema's visor served him well, and was able to quickly predict where she was aiming. As soon as the electric blast was shot, Hematite dodged quickly to the side and lunged forward, hands outstretched.

Within in instant, he had Mago pinned harshly to the ground.

Grunting in furious anger, the tiny gem wrenched her head to the side, her shoulders struggling to get her arms free.

–

Tam and Mati glanced at one another as Hema pinned Mago down. Mati bit her lip.

"Should we..." She whispered, looking in concern at Mago. She didn't really like her all that well, but if Hema was going to hurt her...

Tam winced, her grip tightening on Mati's shoulder.

"No..." She narrowed her eyes, tilting her head up slowly. With a soft chirp, her visor pulled up some stats for Hema. "I... I think I get it."

–

Tam's screen pulled up some information on the harvester's current condition. In a little box on the bottom left, there laid a small set of finer details about the gem. One of them read 'Emotional State'. And next to it read three words.

 _Nervous – Anxious - Apprehensive_

"You never stood a chance. This is where you belong, Mago." Leaning down, Hema sneered and gave a contemptuous snort. "Tiny. On the ground. Helpless. You never had the guts to beat me. You couldn't do it, even if you _did_ have your shifting right now."

Snarling, the tiny gem gnashed her teeth at the hunter, still struggling wildly to get free. She managed to pop one arm from underneath the massive hand holding her down. Clawing at Hema's fingers, she grimaced and hissed up at him, her look a mix of venomous spite and pure, undisguised terror.

Slowly, Hematite sat up, a small, condescending frown on his face.

"You're useless like this. I'll save White the trouble and take care of you myself."

Lifting his free hand, the giant gem went silent. Clenching his fingers into a fist, he held Mago firmly in place, glaring darkly down at her.

The tiny gem went still, her eyes wide as saucers. Her thrashing had stopped, only to be replaced with violent trembling as terror overtook her.

"No... H-hema! PLEASE!"

Grimacing, the giant gem steeled himself and growled lowly, suddenly lunging his fist down toward the tiny gem.

There was a sharp shriek of terror... before-

 **FLASH**

 _ **THUD!**_

The moment the bright flash of light faded, two giant gems were left on the cove floor. Hema laid on his back, eyes wide, his hands pinned by the wrists onto the rock below him. He stared up at the furious gem holding him down.

Furious... and _**huge.**_

Mago's chest heaved as she glared daggers down at the slightly shorter harvester below her. Her gemstone was glimmering brightly, her form still glowing faintly.

–

Tam and Mati's eyes went wide, staring in disbelief at the two. Silently, Mati placed a finger to her own visor, turning it on. _Scan_.

Tam found the corners of her mouth drifting into a subtle but sure smile.

 _He did it._

–

Both of the visors popped up the same stats.

Gem Found: Hematite. Aliases: Hema, Pipsqueak. Status: Gem Instability Detected. Mission: -

Gem Found: Hematite. Aliases: Mago. Status: Gem Instability Detected. Mission: -

The tiniest smile graced Hema's face, his eyes widening. Growling lowly, Mago grasped at the smaller service gem's shirt, suddenly pulling him close. Whatever smile Hema _did_ have quickly vanished, and he held his hands up defensively, his act from before dropping.

"Whoa whoa whoa, Mago it's alri-"

"I'LL SHOW YOU WHERE I _BELONG_ , PIPSQUEAK," she snarled, her sharp teeth bared. Her form suddenly glimmered brightly, the light quickly spreading through the ivory-haired gem's own form. His eyes widened, and he suddenly struggled to get loose from Mago's grip. It was a fruitless effort, however, and the two were enveloped in bright pink light in an instant.

And then slowly, but surely, the shorter Hematite began to shift even _smaller..._ while Mago appeared to near her full Harvester height.

Soon enough, Hema dangled from Mago's fingers, the front of his shirt still clutched in her hand. He yelped and grasped onto her thumb best he could, glancing down at the sizable drop below him. Looking up, he felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up. He'd been reduced to his civilian size involuntarily while Mago seemed to have reached her full potential in mere moments.

 _She'd used the size stealing ability..._

–

Tam's smile quickly faded. _Okay,_ _ **now**_ _was the time to step in._ Swiftly, she ran past Mati and waved her hand up at the giant gem across the way.

"HEY! Put him down, Mago!" she shouted, Mati scrambling up behind her. They were both significantly shorter than the angry gem right now, but Tam, at least, didn't seem to be swayed. "Relax! Please! _Look..."_ She stopped, just shy of the two Harvesters, quickly gaining a defensive stance.

–

Mago bared her teeth at the now tiny gem, her anger still not spent.

But slowly, her expression shifted, and she stopped growling, looking more confused than angry. She turned to look down at Tam and Mati, and gradually raised a brow.

"... Wait."

After a moment, the black-haired gem let out an exhale of disbelief, turning to the service gem clinging to her fingers. She turned her fist over, letting him rest _on_ her knuckles instead of dangling _from_ them. Hema let out a relieved sigh, resting his chin on the giant gem's finger.

"Phew... Just in time, Tam." He shot a tiny, nervous grin down at the two. Mago still seemed stunned, and didn't look as though everything had sunk in quite yet.

"... B-but. How did..."

–

Tam laughed with relieved joy, taking a few quick paces closer.

"Incredible! Hema, you did it! How did you know this would work?!" she said excitedly, looking over Mago's now huge form. Mati stood back, still in a bit of shock herself. She was baffled and confused as to what was even going _on_.

–

Hema waved a hand, giving an exhausted sounding laugh.

"Weeell it was the last idea I _had_... I figured if everything got broken by Mago being freaked out by me, maybe doing the same thing could fix everything. And I saw her gem glow when Mite was threatening her, so I tried the same thing... And heeeyyy it worrrked." Glancing up at Mago, the tiny gem chuckled and laid his head on her finger, groaning quietly. "Ooooh stars I'm tired. Whatever you just did really uh... it's not fun."

Mago scratched her head, looking around in confusion for a moment.

"... So you _were_ faking all of that, pipsqueak? Y. You weren't actually going to..."

Hema weakly gave the giant gem a thumbs up, a crooked smile on his face.

"Youuu got it. Sorry I had to do it that way... I don't think it would have worked if you knew what I was up to..."

–

Tam jotted a few quick notes down, a pleased smirk on her face.

"This is wonderful! Now, the question is... will you be able to shift back down at any given point, Mago? Not that you'd _want_ to, I imagine. But, just to be sure..." She walked over to Mago, holding out her palm. "You might want to test that out..."

–

Blinking, Mago stared at Tam's outstretched hand and cocked a brow, giving her a glance. It was hard to tell exactly what she was thinking. But at the very least, she seemed a tad confused.

"Uh. Yeah, sure."

Glancing at the gem on her hand, Mago lowered her fist to the ground and set Hema down carefully, drawing her hand back once he was settled. The ivory-haired gem stood straight and dusted himself off, glancing up at Mati who stood nearby. Slowly, he took a few steps to the side, away from her.

He didn't fancy getting punched again for any reason.

Or kicked.

Mago huffed her bangs from her face and rubbed her forehead.

"Right, right hold on." Pursing her lips, she looked down at the shorter harvester and lifted her hand. Hesitating, Mago brushed her fingers together before gently placing her palm down in Tam's hand. Closing her eyes, she tried to focus. She went quiet.

–

Tam stood perfectly still, her visor focusing on the larger Hematite before her. If anything went wrong, she'd take note on it. Mati glanced between the other three Hematites silently. She, too, wanted to see what would happen. Without turning her head, she gazed down at the ivory-haired gem.

 _At least Hematite had been acting this whole time. Stars, he was pretty convincing._

–

Hema sat down on the ground and sighed, watching the two ebony-haired Hematites. _Stars, that ability really took it out of you..._

Mago's gemstone laid dormant for a long moment, but after about ten seconds, it started to glimmer. On Tam's visor, the readings were a bit 'off' at first, but quickly evened out as Mago began to shift down to her half-height. The numbers showed that Mago's energy levels slightly decreased from the down-shift, but other than that... everything seemed normal. There were a few fluctuating numbers here and there, but that could have purely been from the odd ability she'd just used. Her form stopped glowing, and Mago drew her hand away, looking herself over.

 _Well... everything seemed fine._

 _Was... was she really fixed?_

–

Tam sighed quietly, giving Mago a reassuring nod.

"I think you'll be fine, Mago," she said, withdrawing her hand. Mati couldn't help but smile as well, but she wasn't a hundred percent sure why. Tam folded her arms behind her. "Just try and take it easy, alright? I'm glad to see you are back to your old self. As, hard as that is to believe..." the other ebony haired Hematite said, raising a brow in amusement.

–

Mago raised a brow back, shyly brushing her bangs back behind her left ear. Pursing her lips, she glanced away, pouting.

"Yeaaah well. I'm just glad I won't have to deal with slacker one and slacker two at such a small size anymore." She glanced at the two larger harvesters and shrugged, her palms facing up. "I meannn. Thanks and stuff. For putting up with these past few weeks." She coughed into her fist.

Hema smiled silently, giving a soft chuckle.

 _Right. Mago was still Mago, fixed or not._

"Glad to have you back."

–

Tam smiled warmly, turning to Mati.

"We should get back to work, then. I'm sure the Peridots will talk our ears off if we don't." She said softly. Mati scoffed and crossed her arms, but offered a quirky grin.

"Riiight, right. You two don't kill each other while we're gone okay?" Mati said, waving at them with a sharp turn of her heel. She was out of the clearing before they could respond. Tam rolled her eyes, glancing over her shoulder at Mago.

"She can never stay in one place for too long, I swear... Do let me know how you fare, later. I'll be around."

–

Blinking curiously, Mago nodded and rubbed the back of her head.

"Uh. Right. Sure. I mean, psh." She shrugged with a smile and looked away, her aloof air quickly returning to her. "I will if I remember, of course.~ No promises."

–

Tam nodded once more and looked down to Hematite.

"And good luck to you too. Thank you for helping her," she said, turning to head out. She was relieved to see that Mago wasn't stuck now, but more impressed than anything to see that Hema actually did it. _Maybe he wasn't so bad after all._

–

As soon as Tam left, Mago turned to the tiny gem on the ground and cocked a brow, her expression unreadable.

"... You know, I almost forgot what it was like to look down on ya, pipsqueak. I missed it.~"

Brows raising, the ivory haired gem frowned, crossing his arms. _Great, so they really were right back to the norm, huh?_ He stood up, dusting himself off. He decided not to acknowledge Mago's comment, and instead, fixed up his hair.

"Well, it's a good thing I don't have any work today. It's not like I'll be getting a nap around here anytime soon."

Crossing her arms, the giant gem pursed her lips thoughtfully, looking to the side.

"Well... If you'd like, I coulllld. Make sure Mite and Hemmi don't bug you for a while. Maybe. I might bug ya. I have to make up for lost time.~"

Hema blinked in surprise, his frown fading. He stared curiously up at the ebony-haired Hematite.

"... I'd certainly appreciate an undisturbed nap, if that's at all possible."

Mago grinned down at the tiny gem, reaching her hand for him. Tensing, Hema swallowed nervously, but relaxed when Mago gently scooped him into her palm instead of plucking him off the ground. She soon stood up and stretched, keeping the tiny gem steady.

"I'll see what I can work out, pipsqueak. You could stay in the little alcove I've been hanging out in for the past month. I'm sure you can get some kind of nap there."

Hematite leaned back against the giant gem's fingers, watching her carefully.

"Alright, sounds good to me."

"Mmmhm."

Mago walked toward the exit of the cove, her free hand on her hip. There was a long pause before the ebony haired gem glanced down, pursing her lips. "Hey. Pipsqueak."

"Hm?"

Turning her attention forward again, the giant gem smirked and shrugged her shoulders.

"Thanks for teaching me that trick."


	16. It's Who You Know

_Summary: Hematite is given a bodyguard._

Knocking on White's office door, the familiar ivory-haired service gem stood at attention and scuffed his foot on the ground. His arms were neatly folded behind him. As soon as the door opened, he stepped inside and saluted respectfully.

"Hematite reporting, White Diamond."

–

White sat behind her desk, her chair turned to look out the window behind her. Turning her head, she faced the service gem and beckoned him in with her hand.

"Hello Hematite. What news do you have for me today?" She said softly, the warm glow of the room filling the air with a welcoming atmosphere.

–

Hematite smiled softly, stepping further into the room. He stopped a little distance from White's desk and nodded politely.

"I've come to give you my final report from the kindergarten."

Tapping his eyepiece, the service gem flicked his wrist out, bringing up a few holograms from the gemtech screen. They projected into the air in front of him, collecting together into one screen-like image. Gem-speak and various diamond-shaped symbols laid here and there. Seemed he wanted to get more detail into this report than his others. "I have a few things to tell you about that may need your immediate action."

–

White raised a brow and leaned into her desk, placing her palms together idly.

"You have my attention. You may proceed." She said simply. Her Pearl was stationed somewhere in the corner of the room, watching the two quietly. While she normally remained motionless, today she seemed to be intrigued. Hema had been gone for a while, and she'd never seen the Hematite's kindergartens before. She wondered what it was like there...

–

Bringing up a few charts, Hematite swiped through a couple images of the kindergarten. The various jobs Hema was set on flickered past as the service gem flipped through the folders, muttering to himself. Finally, he stopped on a file collection of all the different Hematites. Frowning, the ivory-haired gem swiped his finger over the projected screen and zoomed in on Hemmi and Mite's profiles, setting the others aside. Since his time in the kindergarten, he'd fleshed out his database a bit more.

"These two Hematites caused me quite a bit of trouble during the later three weeks of my time in the Kindergarten. I apologize for not expressing these incidents in previous reports, but I did not want to disturb the punishment you had set out for me, the problems were dealt with promptly, and I did not want to cause any hostility among the harvesters while I was still stationed there."

–

Brows furrowing, White took note of the two Hematites that Hema brought up. With a smooth swipe of her hand, her gem flashed and she brought out a diamond pad, quickly turning it on.

"That's alright. What sort of trouble are we talking, here?..." White asked, looking down at the gemtech and thumbing through some folders.

–

"Well for starters, there was a day a few weeks ago where I was stuck at my civilian size after a rather arduous two days of work. I was training Mago, and these two approached us."

Frowning, the gem stood straight and rolled his shoulders, a grim look on his face. "They made a supposed attempt to harvest the both of us. It could have been a bluff to frighten us, but I digress. And this one," he motioned to Hemmi, "cut off any chance I had at communicating with you. If it weren't for Tam," he said promptly, bringing up another profile image of said gem, "we could have been in serious trouble."

–

White squared her shoulders, looking up with a disgusted scowl. There was an ominous pause.

"Thank you for your report... I'll see to it that they are punished accordingly for their actions." She growled, though she quickly regained her composure, still remaining professional. Tapping her finger onto the Diamond pad, it seemed as though she were taking down notes. She was doing her best to hide her rising fury, but it still showed through in her tense posture and deep scowl. "I'm glad to see you are alright..."

–

Hematite frowned and pursed his lips.

"Thank you, but... that's not all."

–

White glanced up at him, her eyes narrowing.

"Hm?..."

–

"There was another, arguably worse incident. _Unfortunately_ , it seems that news, or rather, gossip about what happened last month has already spread. One of the Hematites found out and began spreading it among our kind." He popped up Mati's picture. "All four of these gems cornered me and confronted me about what had happened. That wasn't too terrible, but then Hemmi here," he started, taking her picture aside along with Mite's. "started instigating Mati to attack me. To 'put me in my place' and take justice into their own hands. I unfortunately didn't record any of this so I don't remember all of what was said, but I believe these two may need some supervision aside from Peridots. I don't trust them," he said grimly, pulling Hemmi and Mite's pictures aside.

–

White's eye twitched, her lips curling into a fierce frown. She hesitated from her typing, glaring up at Hematite.

"They did... _what_..." She growled, pinching her brow. Pearl looked a little nervous, and took a step back, holding her hands together. White opened one eye momentarily. "I ought to have them decommissioned for such a thing." She sighed heavily, running her palm down her face. "No, I'll think of an appropriate punishment later... thank you for telling me. Did anything else happen?"

–

Admittedly, White's anger put him off for a moment, but he quickly recovered and nodded.

"These two," he said simply, bringing up a picture of Ti and putting it next to Tam, "stopped them. I was lucky that this gem stepped in." He motioned to Ti's profile image and nodded once. "She and Tam were able to convince Hemmi and Mite to back off. They also stopped Mati from getting violent."

He swiped away all the pictures as soon as White took note of them on her diamond pad.

"And now, just one last thing."

Tapping his eyepiece, the service gem brought up a large chart with some numbers and a graphic of Mago's gem.

–

White's expression softened slightly as she muttered something too quiet for Hematite to hear. She almost seemed to smirk, now.

"Interesting... Seems that one has stood up for you quite a bit. Tam, was it? I'll have to thank her properly someday," she said softly, swiping her finger over the Diamond pad with a mechanical beep. She listened intently to the rest of Hematite's report as he brought up the diagram of Mago's gem.

–

"Mago seems to be making progress. In fact, she seems completely back to normal. It turns out it was a... well, kind of a mental block she was dealing with after seeing something that shook her." Hematite purposely left out the details. He didn't want to throw her entirely to the dogs, so to speak. "But regardless, she seems to be good as new. She even learned a new skill in the process along with the melee skills I taught her." The service gem's eyepiece dimmed and chirped as it powered down, and Hematite once again stood at attention.

"And that is all I have to report."

–

White tapped the fingers of her right hand on her desk, writing on the diamond pad with her left. She nodded as Hematite recited his report, ending the notes with a tap of her finger.

"Thank you, Hematite. The first part of your punishment is complete. Now, as for the second part...we'll move right into it." she stated, placing the diamond pad into the drawer.

Taking a stand and walking away from her desk, she motioned to the door. It hissed open, and she gestured for him to follow behind her, walking down to the nearby warp pad.

"I believe I have found an appropriate guard for you. I also believe you two have met before, if my memory serves correctly. This will be a good opportunity for you both to perhaps, ahhhh... clear the air between the two of you. The less bad relationships you have with gems, the better. I expect you two to learn how to get along... but if that is not doable, I'll see to it that you are given another guard. _However_... you _don't_ want me to have to do that." she said sternly, giving him a warning glare.

"I've arranged for them to meet with us near the Blue Warp. Come."

–

Hematite tilted his head to the side just slightly, a confused look on his face. He didn't know too many gems... who could White be talking about? The service gem followed after his superior and mused quietly to himself. Who did he know that could be a guard? _Oh, stars, he hoped it wasn't one of his harvested targets. That would be awkward._

Stepping onto the warp pad with White, he nodded.

"I'll do my best, White Diamond."

–

With a quick flash, they were off. Instantly warped to the blue district, White and Hema stood on the pad. The streets were busy as ever down in the city below, gems walking to and from and idly chatting.

"This place always has a sociable charm to it... I wonder why I don't come here myself more often..." White muttered quietly to herself, looking around for a moment. Her gaze quickly came back around when she spotted a familiar gem standing nearby, right on time.

"Oh good, you're already here! Thank you for your help, Puff."

–

Hematite hadn't heard what White said to herself. He was too busy staring at the gem standing a little ways from the warp pad with a smug smile on her face.

 _Oh nooo, come_ _ **on**_ _._

The Jasper smiled, a bit more respectfully than she had been a moment before, at her superior. She made her way over to the warp pad, her footsteps noisy.

"Afternoon, White Diamond. It's a nice day, isn't it?" Puff gave Hematite a glance. "Afternoon, _Harvester_ ," she joked, heavy sarcasm in her voice.

–

White stepped closer to Puff, gesturing towards Hematite.

"Yes, it is very lovely. I appreciate your cooperation and willingness to help out with Hematite, here. I trust that you can keep him and everyone else in line while he's doing his work?" she said with a professional tone. She placed her palms together and tapped her fingers against one another.

"I'll expect you to monitor him and tell me his progression and temperament as this month goes by. Is this clear?"

–

Puff nodded and crossed her arms in front of her proudly.

"No worries, White Diamond. I'll make sure he doesn't cause trouble." With a slight sneer, she glanced out at the busy city. "And that nobody _else_ does." The Jasper's eyes narrowed, and she wondered how many jeering gems she'd have to keep away from the harvester. _Especially_ after that fiasco at the Sky Arena a month ago. The gems that witnessed what happened there definitely were gossiping about it in the weeks that followed. Nobody had seen Hematite since then, and they all figured he was shattered.

Boy were some residents going to be in for a _nasty_ surprise.

"I'll keep him in line and tell you when he's not. You're _crystal_ clear.~"

–

White nodded and gave Puff a rather warm smile.

"Very good, I'm glad to hear it. Very well then, you two behave! Hematite, your community service begins first thing tomorrow morning. I'll send you your daily jobs as they come. Take the rest of today to get used to being around Puff. Don't get into any trouble, now!" she said, walking to the warp pad and blipping away without another word. It was apparent that she had other important business to attend to. _Some important business concerning a few Hematites._

–

Puff saluted as White Diamond left, and after her superior warped away, she looked back at Hematite.

"Well. Looks like you and I are going to be around each other a _loooooot_ more." Her eyes narrowed, and she leaned closer to Hema's face, wearing a smug grin. "I trust you only eat gems when you're on the job, huh?"

Hematite blinked in surprise and frowned, pursing his lips. _Well this was going to go just_ _ **great**_ _now wasn't it?_

"Yes. Or when they get up in my face, even though they're only my temporary boss." He narrowed his eyes back at her, cheeks puffed out slightly.

Puff frowned at the shorter gem and arched a brow, but she said nothing at first. Soon, she stood back up and crossed her arms.

"I may be your _temporary_ guard, but for the next month, you listen to what _I_ say. And no terrorizing gems out there."

Hematite's fists clenched up at the Jasper's _loose_ understanding of how his job worked, but he forced himself to relax, and he sighed, blowing his bangs up away from his face.

"As you wish, _Puff_." The Jasper gave a coy smile and started heading down the stairs, away from the warp pad.

"C'mon, we're meeting somewhere for the afternoon to get you situated. There's someone I want you to... _properly_ meet."

–

The city was busy with chatty gems, going about their day and hanging out at their leisure The passerby didn't go unnoticed, the ivory haired one in particular. Some citizens seemed curious, others seemed far more suspicious..and some were outright disgusted. Most of them looked away quickly, but others walked or ran completely in the opposite direction. They weren't going to take any chances. _What was he doing there?! Surely he should have been killed for the stunt he pulled!_

–

Needless to say, Hematite started to rapidly notice the way gems were looking at him. Some of them even ran away, or made sure to walk completely around him. His hand eventually lifted to his arm, and he fidgeted with his sleeve. They had every right to be cautious... but that didn't stop it from stinging.

Puff noticed the behavior too, but much later on than the service gem strolling beside her did. When she _did_ notice it, though, she gave them warning looks or shooed them away if they looked like they might say something. Hematite was in no position to be dealing with hecklers, especially not when this was his only night off. Sure, she didn't trust this gem or appreciate what he'd done, but after his little rant in the Sky Arena and the brutal beating she'd seen him take in the Coliseum at Yellow Diamond's hand, she had a feeling there was something more to this gem than met the eye. On top of that, she _was_ going to be stuck with him a while, and, well... Puff didn't want this to start off badly.

"Alright, almost there." She continued ushering him down the different streets, nearing their destination.

–

As they turned around a few more corners, the area they entered suddenly seemed very familiar. Not long after, it became clear just _where_ they were headed. As they got closer, a familiar gem could be seen sitting on a bench on the sidewalk, talking with another gem. They looked like they were gossiping about something, the occasional chuckle drifting from the smallest of the two. Seemed it was a Sapphire. They were small, had a short hair style, and bore a left shoulder gem. They looked a bit scrappy for an aristocratic gem. The bigger, however, was far more... charming. Lithe, pink, and effeminate.

 _Wait... Morganite?_

After a few moments, the smaller gem got up, waved goodbye and left, his split tailcoat bobbing behind him as he walked away.

Morganite crossed one leg over the other, casually sitting back in the bench, now alone. Not for long, though. He peered over to one side and happened to notice two familiar faces headed towards him.

"Heeeey, I know you two! Heheheh. I had no idea you both knew each other." He waved casually, a cheerful grin on his face. He seemed in a pleasant mood, at least! Then again... Was he ever _not_ in a good mood?

–

The further they went, the more Hematite recognized the area. He quickly realized they were heading to Morganite's bar, and his down demeanor lifted. Well, if they were going here, maybe he'd run into-

 _Morgan!_

With a bright smile on his face, Hematite rushed ahead of Puff, who quickly objected, and stopped near the bench. Jasper followed more slowly, but soon came to a halt next to Hematite. She looked at Morganite.

"Heya Mor'." Glancing at the service gem next to her, she crossed her arms with a smirk. "Yeah I guess you could say we... know each other. He drug me back to the capital on a job, and I've tossed him around in the arena a few times." She tossed her head slightly, her long, fluffy hair moving with the gesture. "I guess you know Morganite too, huh harvester? He and I have sparred a few times as well.~ He's won most of them. Though he still owes me for our last one."

–

Morganite laughed and uncrossed his leg, taking a stand. He was... surprisingly tall. Was he always that tall? The only other times Hematite had really seen Morgan was when he waltzing around behind the bar. Now that he was out in the open, Hema noticed for the first time that the lithe pink gem was a head taller than Puff, and almost as tall as Blue Diamond.

"Hello to you too, Puff! No, I haven't forgotten about the drink I owe you for that last fight." He gave her a wink, stifling a small chuckle.

–

Puff chuckled and nodded at the taller gem.

"Good, I swear I'm still feeling that fight to this day. But no rush on the drink. Honestly, Rubes can have it if she wants, heh." She shrugged.

The flamboyant gem gave another soft grin, crossing his arms.

"No problem Fuzzball, I'll see if she'd like it!" He retorted, clicking his tongue to the roof of his mouth with a 'tk'. Glancing at Hematite, the warrior gem raised a brow slightly. "Aaaahh, so what brings you two here? 'Fraid we're not opening up for another hour or so. You're free to stick around though and chat if you'd like," he said, rubbing his palms together.

–

Puff blinked and tapped her arm again with an amused smile.

"Fuzzball huh? That's a new one. How long you been holding onto that one, Mor'?" she muttered quietly. The Jasper shook her head. "Sorry, we're not here for the bar! Rubes and I meet here in the afternoon sometimes, since we both know the area."

Hematite was staring up at Morganite, and muttered something akin to _'You're a lot taller than I thought you'd be_ ' before shaking his head and giving the pink-haired gem a small smile.

"Yeah, Jasper and I are going to be around each other for the next month. And then after that I'm gonna go back to fighting her at the training grounds." He gave his bodyguard a devious, but good-natured smile, and Puff narrowed her eyes at him, a brow raised. The service gem refrained from teasing her more and looked to Morganite curiously. "So, _you're_ a fighter? I had no idea..."

–

Glancing back to Hematite, Morgan raised his brow again. Tapping his fingers on his arms in a rhythmic motion, he gave the service gem a rather intent, curious look.

"Why yes, I do fight... On occasion! Buuuut since I work at the bar almost every night, my fights are often afternoon or morning based." He uncrossed his arms, cracking his knuckles in his fists. "Perhaps you'd like to spar sometime too?~ I'd be interested to have a go in the Coliseum with _the harvester_ himself." He furrowed his brow, a wide, unsettling grin crossing his face.

–

Puff chuckled and shook her head as she looked between Hema and Morganite. An interested gleam entered her eyes, and she wondered if she might get to see a rather... eventful fight in the future.

Hematite, however, was speechless. At Morgan's rather... 'out of character' smile and offer, the service gem began to fidget.

 _Well now that was just creepy..._

 _Was he normally like this outside the bar?_

His index finger and thumb brushed together nervously, and he glanced at Puff for a moment before his gaze drifted to Morgan again. Hematite attempted to make eye contact, but found he couldn't do it.

"... I'm afraid '''The Harvester''' might be.. decommissioned."

Puff's eyes widened slightly, a genuinely surprised look on her face. Hematite continued.

"I'll still have casual spars with people, maybe at the training grounds... but. I'm not sure I'd be comfortable fighting in the arenas anymore. Or that, you know. Anyone would _want_ to see me there." He gave Morganite a look as if to say _'do you know what happened?'_

–

The rather ominous look left the pink gem, replaced with one of disappointment... yet a small grin still stayed.

"Ah, that's what I'd figured unfortunately," he said, closing his eyes, placing his palms on his hips. Looking up and away, he stared off into space. "Can't say I blame ya though, I guess. However, anyone who took down a diamond so easily would have been quite the thrill to fight!" He shrugged, chuckling almost darkly.

–

The shorter gem watched Morganite quietly, and couldn't help but make a puzzled face. _Who on Homeworld had he been talking to? Was it really going around_ _ **that**_ _much? Sure he thought maybe it had gone around that he had gone rogue, but..._

"T... to be fair, I only won because I... wasn't. Really." Hematite rubbed his arm, looking away. "I wasn't _myself_ during that fight. And I wouldn't lose myself like that again. Especially not in a spar."

He opened his eyes, which now fixed on Hematite. His grin never left, and he raised a brow curiously.

"I'd still be interested. Regardless... I've gotta say, I am perplexed to see you still around after that stunt you pulled. I was a little worried you'd been shattered for that..."

–

The service gem looked up at Morgan and bit his lip.

"… It's complicated. I'm not at liberty to say what happened, or why I'm still around... but. Let's just say mistakes were made on both sides, and the choice was up to White Diamond." Hematite paused and sighed. "Besides all that, you really wouldn't wanna fight me when I get... mmm." Hematite twirled his hand around at the wrist, trying to look for the right word. " **Into** it."

–

Morganite gave a surprisingly understanding nod.

"I won't pry. I just hear what I need to from the common folk who come in and out of my Bar. Chatty little things, they are! Mmmmm that and Blue told me a _little_ bit. She didn't elaborate on much though." He said, placing a finger to his chin. "I'm sure I could manage in a spar, though. At the very least, it'd be a lot of fuuuun if you change your mind~!" He hummed out, chuckling towards the end. "Buuut that is for another day, another time. I assume you're serving out some form of punishment, then? Is that why you're with a Jasper?" He asked.

–

Hematite nodded, noting that Blue had talked to the taller gem about what happened. He didn't blame her, really, but he was curious how much she told Morgan. The smaller gem glanced at his bodyguard and pursed his lips for a moment.

"Yes. She's part of my punishment. I have to do community service around the districts for the next 30 rotations. She's my guard."

"Darn right I am." Puff chuckled, lifting her head proudly. "I get to boss around the _mighty_ harvester for a month.~ Keep him out of trouble. Should be fun."

–

He gave a quick chuckle, turning to the door of his shop.

"Well now, that sounds like it will be quite...eventful~ Hopefully you two will stay out of trouble, then. Keep your wits about you, Hematite. I'm sure that little incident hasn't boded well with many common folk" He stated, tapping his finger on the wall. "Buuuut if you find yourself stressed out and you're on a 'break', assuming you have those at the moment...feel free to stop by any time!"

–

The service gem swallowed nervously at Morgan's warning. He knew many gems were very leery of him, and some might even try to take justice into their own hands, if they saw fit. Regardless of the anxiety in the pit of his stomach, Hematite nodded.

"Right. I'll uh... keep that in mind, Morganite. Thanks."

"So what are you guys talking about."

Hematite jumped with a startled gasp, turning quickly on his heel to see Rubes standing directly behind him.

"When did you-!"

"Well I saw you guys standing here and you weren't paying attention so, about twenty seconds ago," she stated plainly, shrugging her shoulders. "Hey Morgan. This guy giving you trouble?" She smirked and thumbed at Hematite, who frowned defensively.

"H-hey!"

–

Morganite gave the much smaller gem a pleasant wave of his hand and smiled.

"No, no trouble Rubes! Personally, I'm just killing time before I have to open up shop." He said with a relaxed sigh. Looking up at the sky, then back to one of the devices near the door, he pursed his lips and looked curiously at it. There was a small timer on the device which displayed the time, but it also displayed a small lock. It was a security system that automatically unlocked and locked itself upon certain times of the day. "Whiiich will be in about another... 20 minutes or so. You here for a drink or are you just here to hang out?" He asked, looking back to the smallest gem of the group.

–

Rubes' hands balled into fists as she rested them on her hips, and she shook her head.

"No, no drinks today. Puff said she had a surprise for me, and that I'd be meeting someone new." She gave Hematite a long look. "I'm guessing she meant _you_."

The service gem blinked and nodded as he glanced around at the three gems before him. He'd never been around this many people before who all had their attention on him, besides the diamonds, and it was honestly a bit unnerving. _Especially_ after recent events.

"U-uh. Yeah, I guess? I mean, she's just supposed to be guarding me, so I don't understand why she'd..."

Rubes smiled faintly and shrugged, closing her eyes.

"Maybe she figures you and I could start over, try the whole... getting to know each other thing," she said in an overly-friendly manner. She paused before opening her eyes, giving Hematite a fierce stare. "Or maybe she'd like some help keeping you in your place."

Hematite's shoulders tensed, and he frowned slightly. Puff watched in silence, her arms still crossed. After an awkward moment of silence, Rubes looked away and chuckled lowly.

"I'm just messing with you, _tough guy_. I know you won't pull any funny business. If you're still around after that mess in the Sky Arena, that must mean White's got a strong enough hold on you that she trusts you're not gonna do anything... unsavory." She glanced at him. "Even if you did go a little nuts last month."

Hematite groaned and tilted his head back for a moment before looking at the three gems and motioning to them.

"Does _everyone_ know what happened last month, or am I crazy?!"

Puff snerked quietly before drumming her upper arm with her fingers.

"Both."

The service gem groaned again, ruffling his hair.

"Did you guys just bring me here to make me feel worse about what happened, or what?" he asked crossly, clearly flustered. Puff and Rubes glanced at each other, then Morgan. Puff chuckled and thumbed her nose with a sniff.

"I dunno, Morgan. Think we should let up on him?"

–

Morgan gave a shrug and a warm smile, glancing down at the service gem.

"Perhaps this time. I imagine he's had it rough the past few months. Besides, from what I can tell at least, from the brief exposure I've had... he seems fairly nice. Perhaps just, ah...talk to him?" He gestured to him simply. He hadn't spent too much time with Hematite, let along gotten to really get to know him, but from all the times he had come to the bar and from what he had heard from Blue, he had a strange amount of belief in him. Despite the fact that he was standing right there, Hematite didn't seem to object to being talked about.

Around this time, a very familiar voice came barreling through the streets.

"HEEEEYYYYY MORGAAAAN! WHIP UP THOSE DRINKS CUZ I AAAAM-"

"Early!" Morgan shouted back, following up with a laugh.

–

Hematite appreciated Morgan's more polite comments about him, and smiled thankfully at the taller gem. However, his attention was quickly pulled away when he heard a familiar voice.

 _Blue!_

–

Blue came rushing up on the scene, stopping a few feet away from the rest.

"Hey Hematite! What are you doing out here? White got ya doin' chores or somethin'?" She said jokingly, moving closer and giving Hema a strong pat on the back.

–

The shorter gem turned to see her heading straight for the group, and he smiled brightly. He'd barely seen Blue since his punishment began, and it was nice to run into her in familiar territory.

"Hey, Bl-UH," Hematite's greeting was cut short by Blue's rather enthusiastic 'pat' on the back, and he took a moment to catch his breath before smiling awkwardly at her. "Hey Blue. Nice to see you too." He stood straight and motioned to the two gems standing behind him. "Remember these guys? Well, they're uh. Gonna be watching me while I clean up stuff around the districts for the next month."

Puff was standing at attention as soon as Blue stopped near the group of gems, but Rubes seemed a bit more relaxed. The red gem saluted her superior and gave a polite sort of 'bow'.

"Blue Diamond." She looked up at her with an unreadable expression. "I never got to properly thank you for saving me from that gem monster."

Hematite suddenly tensed. Rubes took no notice and continued.

"So thanks for that. I owe ya one." The Ruby stood straight again, putting her hands back on her hips. "Or five."

–

Blue gave a wave to the other gems, placing her hands to her hips with a wide grin.

"No problem, kid!" She responded, standing next to Hematite. "Was just... doin' what I had to do. " A bit of awkwardness befell her, but she tried to mask it. She knew that subject on its own was a little... touchy with her service gem friend. Morganite gave Blue a wink and sat down on the bench. Leaning back, he closed his eyes and quietly hummed a rather alluring tune.

Rubes arched a brow at Blue, but didn't say anything.

 _Kid?_

She noticed the moment of awkwardness between Hematite and the Diamond, but didn't think much of it. The red gem shrugged and stood aside as Blue walked over to Puff, and she moved to sit down beside Morganite, crossing one leg over the other. She quietly listened to his humming.

Morganite opened one of his eyes, still humming, swaying slowly side to side. He looked at Rubes.

"Do you know this one?" he whispered, stopping for a moment. He continued to hum, closing his eye once more.

Rubes glanced at the pink-haired gem and nodded her head just slightly, muttering back to him,

"Of course." She went back to listening quietly, her foot bobbing idly. The faintest sad smile found its way to her face before her expression returned to its usual neutral state.

Blue soon stepped forward, looking over Puff.

"I don't believe we've met officially yet, or if we have I'm not sure I remember. Forgive me, heheh... I'm 'familiar' with too many gems." Blue gave a grin to the Jasper, crossing her arms. "You're gonna be watching out for my lil' bud here, hm? Well make sure ya do a good job, I don't wanna have to come picking up the slack if you get too comfortable!" she said, almost in a teasing, sarcastic manner.

–

Puff nodded, and looked like she was going to say something, but abruptly stopped when Blue called Hematite her 'bud'.

 _Oh._

 _Wait, so she tried to put an ax into the back of Blue Diamond's_ _ **personal**_ _friend?_

 _ **Oops.**_

Puff smiled awkwardly and tapped her upper arm again.

"Yup, I'll be uh. Keeping an eye on him. You shouldn't have to step in, if all goes well." The Jasper gave a hearty laugh, masking her tension. "So you two are pals, then?"

–

Blue wrapped her arm around Hema and pulled him close, chuckling heartily.

"Yep! I've known this gem since he popped out of the ground, basically! Knew he was somethin' special since the first time I met 'em up close. He makes a pretty good drinkin' buddy too!"

–

Hematite let out a soft 'ooph' as Blue pulled him over, and he chuckled, playfully putting an arm around her in return. Though, he did glance around to see if anyone was watching. He wasn't sure just anyone would respond well to him hugging a Diamond in public. Thankfully, nobody seemed to notice at the moment. Puff glanced between the two of them with a curious look, but didn't say much while Blue was talking.

"You don't say. Huh. And here I thought this guy was the type to wanna be alone," she said thoughtfully, raising a brow.

Blue smiled warmly down at Hema, unwrapping herself from the smaller gem.

"Yeah, well! I'd at least like to think we're pals, anyway!" She nudged her elbow into him. "Then again, hehe... I'm pals with a lot of gems! Buuuut this one's special! Gotta keep your eyes peeled around him, he's full of surprises."

–

The service gem looked up at Blue with a warm smile as she nudged him, and he rubbed his arm shyly.

"Yeaaah. Full of surprises, alright." A nervous chuckle escaped him. Puff smiled lopsidedly and crossed her arms.

"Well don't pull too much while you're on the job, I wouldn't wanna have to report anything! I don't know too much about ya, so I don't want any nasty shocks, alright? Both figuratively and literally." She shrugged and gave a thoughtful sounding hum. When she spoke again, her tone was a bit friendlier. "Regardless, guess I've got a lot to learn about you while we're... Working together."

Hematite looked up at Puff with an almost hopeful stare, but he quickly shrugged it off. _Why would he make friends with a_ _ **rebel**_ _he had to harvest? Why would she_ _ **want**_ _to get to know him? After this job was done, she'd move on and have nothing to do with him. At least, that's what he wanted to tell himself._

 _... Still. It never hurt to have more allies than enemies._

"I'll _try_ to keep the surprises to a minimum," he chuckled, crossing his arms.


	17. My Domain

_Summary: Yellow Diamond finds herself unable to use her powers._

 **Dark.**

 **Cold.**

 **Alone...**

 _Here I am again, this place... What is this? Why is this nothingness so familiar? Where am I?_

The yellow gem wandered throughout the inky blackness aimlessly. A chill ran up her spine... but she couldn't figure out why. Sure, it was cold here, but it wasn't too terrible. No, it felt vaguely as though she'd been here before... but how could she have? It was an endless horizon of nothingness.

 _Wait._

Squinting, the diamond faltered in her tracks. Something was up ahead. Desperate for any change of scenery, she hurried forward to see what it was. It took her what felt like an eternity, but also seemed to only take a few moments. Strangely, there seemed to be pillars, rubble, and rocks strewn to and fro. They were pitch black like the void around them, except they had a kind of stark white 'outline'. Curiously, she placed her palm on one of the broken pillars. It was tangible and cold. _Freezing_ cold. Her hand quickly retracted from the icy surface, and she clutched her palm close to her. She looked up at the vast expanse of darkness that engulfed the entirety of the realm around her.

 _What is all this?..._

–

At first, the darkness left Yellow Diamond alone. It waited, watched, seeing what she would do this time. Slowly, it followed after her, always out of sight.

As the wandering gem approached the pillars, it closed in, still staying hidden. The area all around her changed as she walked, replacing the blank expanse that had stretched out behind her moments ago. As far as the eye could see, there were pillars and stones strewn about.

But there were also bits of color. Just out of Yellow Diamond's immediate view were the smallest flecks of color on the ground. Were they rocks? They seemed to be different hues. A few red, a few green, some an orangeish color.

 _What were they?_

The subtlest of tremors shook the 'room'. It was so quiet, one could swear they were hearing things.

–

Yellow kept on as steady of a path as she could. She didn't want to end up getting even more lost than she already was. Her eyes scanned over the ground, catching glimpses of the small colors flickering as she passed by. What were they? She let out a short gasp as a second, more noticeable tremor shook the ground. Eyes widening, she ducked quickly behind a pillar, clenching her fists. For what felt like a few minutes, she didn't move, the ground beneath her feet trembling subtly.

It stopped.

Nothing.

Sighing to herself, she walked back to her path and continued on. _Be brave..._

–

A low thrum sounded over the horizon.

 _It was closing in._

Slowly but surely, whatever was watching her, following her, _tracking_ her, was getting closer. The tremors gradually became more frequent and powerful.

As Yellow Diamond continued on, the flecks of color became more noticeable, more numerous. Until...

 _Crick_

The path in front of her was suddenly riddled with scattered gem shards of all different colors. There weren't _too_ many, but it was enough to be... unsettling.

–

A sudden wave of distress hit the Diamond like a ton of carbonite. A sharp chill rang up her spine as soon as she realized what it was littering the floor. She looked below her foot, staring in mild horror at the shards laying on the path. Her anxiety started rising steadily, and the tremors weren't helping matters. She began to walk faster. _There must be some way out of this place... no, no maybe I'm going the wrong way._ She stopped, looking around nervously for any other route. There didn't appear to be a very clear way to go. Reluctantly, she decided she didn't want to go much further. She didn't want to know what she'd find if she kept going in the direction she was headed. Surely, if she hadn't run into anything yet in this direction, she wasn't going to run into anything anytime soon.

Yellow turned around to head back the other way, sighing to herself.

–

The darkness had been inching closer, and closer, until it was practically grabbing at her heels. But it always remained a few feet away, so as to not alert her. As the Diamond slowed, so too did the shadows that were on her trail. It watched as she began to turn back the way she came.

 **And there he was.**

Body low to the ground, his face mere inches away, the nightmarish harvester was lying in wait for Yellow Diamond to turn around. His visor glowed bright white, and the diamond-shaped target was trained directly onto the tiny gem before him.

 **"Evening, Yellow Diamond.~"**

 **"UuAAAH!"**

 _NO... BE BRAVE!_

Yellow Diamond scrambled away from the huge gem, the shock knocking her back. She put her fists up in front of her. Hunkered down as if she were going to fight him, she locked herself in place, staring at the ominous target fixated on her.

"HEMATITE! What on Homeworld are you doing?!" she snarled, sweat forming on her brow. Her legs felt heavy, the temperature dropping to an even colder state. She felt... weak. What was this? Why was Hematite here? What was he doing?! Why did this give her such a terrible feeling? She glared up at him, trying to mask her more than obvious nervousness.

–

At the Diamond's startled reaction, the monstrous figure let out a bone-chilling laugh that shook the whole room, causing a rather aggressive tremor.

"Aaaah, well now. Isn't this a pleasant surprise. The great Yellow Diamond is visiting me? What an **honor**." Hematite's voice was _dripping_ with sarcasm. He leaned closer as Yellow backed up, baring his teeth at her.

"Oh, were you planning on using those?" he asked in a condescending tone, lifting a hand and twirling a finger at the tiny gem's fists. "That should be entertaining. C'mon, I'll give you the first hit."

–

Yellow furrowed her brows, baring her teeth. _How_ _ **dare**_ _he speak to her this way._ She gave a short grunt, clenching her fists tighter.

 _But nothing happened._

Her eyes widened, glancing briefly at her hands. Her lightning... it didn't work?! Slowly, she looked back up at the huge gem in front of her. There was no way she was going to fight that without her powers, even if the lightning would have done little. _Oh well, no matter._ With another growl, she took a step back and placed her palm to her gem.

 _But nothing happened._

"W-Wha-?..." she stuttered, the reality sinking in that she couldn't even draw her own weapon. _She was powerless._ As she turned her face back up to her pursuer, she looked... shocked. Angry. Baffled. _Nervous_.

"Uhm... well..."

Yellow felt her feet lock in place. She was frozen, left staring up at him, unable to look away. She started to feel almost dizzy. The faint sweat on her brow slowly ran down her face as a pit of dread started to form in her stomach. _This was_ _ **bad**_ _._

–

Tilting his head, the monstrous figure lifted a finger to his chin, smirking coyly.

"Is that your move? Looking like an idiot? Well then..."

Hematite chuckled and lowered himself fully to the floor as he stared right through Yellow Diamond, teeth bared.

 **" n."**

Quickly swiping his hand toward the tiny gem, Hematite smacked Yellow Diamond away like a troublesome fly, sending her straight into one of the stone pillars that surrounded the two of them. He slowly crawled closer after she 'landed', chuckling to himself.

–

Yellow winced in pain as she smacked heavily into the pillar, the wind knocked completely out of her. She grabbed her head, brought back into 'reality'. Staring at the ground below her, she panted quietly, fingers gripping her hair. Her body ran cold, the tremors of the approaching harvester shaking her very form. Eyes widening, she snapped her attention up, catching sight of the massive gem.

 _ **RUN.**_

She got quickly to her feet and bolted in the other direction, weaving around the pillar she'd crashed into. Whatever she did, she had to get as far away from him as possible. She cursed under her breath, weaving through different pillars and between piles of rubble. _Get away from this thing... that isn't Hematite... is it? It can't be. But... he_ _ **is**_ _?_

Her mind raced, and laced with a new found fear, it didn't allow her to focus. _No, think clearly, form a plan, do something! He's coming for me, I can't run forever..._ She ducked quickly behind one of the pillars, breathing heavily.

 _No, no... be brave. You have to be brave... Don't let him see you like this._

–

At first, it sounded like Hematite hadn't followed after her. There was no tremor, no laughing, no whirring of his visor.

A deathly silence filled the realm.

The only sound that echoed through the pillars was Yellow Diamond's breathing. For a long moment, all was still, until...

 _Click._

To the right of the pillar the Diamond was hiding behind came the soft electronic whir of a hunting visor. Hematite leaned around the huge stone structure, just out of Yellow's view. Quietly, he looked around.

 **"Wheeeere aaaare youuu?"**

The hair-raising sound of grating stone filled the air as the nightmarish giant drug his claws down the pillar, sending pieces of broken rock to the floor beside Yellow Diamond.

 **"It's not polite to hide from your host."**

–

She clutched at the pillar, holding her breath.

Her face went pale, eyes widening. Slowly looking over, she found she couldn't see anything... but she could _feel_ his presence. She had to think fast... either stay and risk him catching her, or run... and _still_ risk him catching her.

Everything in her mind screamed at her to be brave. She wanted to face him directly.

But she couldn't. She couldn't find the courage.

Quickly, she pushed herself away from the pillar, running as fast as she could in the other direction.

Panting heavily, she continued weaving through a countless number of pillars. They started to become more and more frequent, breaking up the black void with their outlines. Soon, she found herself running through dense rows of them. In her disorientation, she started to get confused on where one pillar started and another one ended. The white outlines all seemed to merge together, creating optical illusions... messing with her head. Unfortunately, this made it near impossible to dodge all of them, and she kept nicking her arm or foot on them in her attempt to flee.

Soon enough, she slammed into one head-on, thudding onto the floor a moment after.

Grunting, she grabbed her arm and tried to get up as fast as she could. Managing to sit up, she started getting to her feet. She couldn't stop now. She couldn't stop ever.

–

"Oooh, that looked like it hurt."

The voice sounded _directly_ behind her again, and something suddenly hooked onto her shirt, violently tugging her to the floor, on her back. Directly above, Hematite's grinning face hovered. His mussed hair hung in his face, partially obstructing the bright white visor.

"You seem to be lost. Allow me to show you the way out of here."

Slowly, the claw that had speared Yellow Diamond's shirt to the floor scraped against the stone before lifting her up. It was painfully slow, and the whirring of the giant gem's mask grew louder the closer she got to his face.

–

Yellow gasped in horror, clutching desperately at the 'ground' with no avail.

"N-NO! LET ME GO, UNHAND ME!" she snarled, her voice cracking.

She wanted to be angry.

Every part of her wanted to be strong.

 _But she couldn't be._

Her very core was drowning in horrific fear as she watched the darkness below her get further away.

She didn't want to look above...let alone in front of her. She writhed and thrashed about, throwing feeble punches at the air in front of her. It did nothing, of course, but perhaps her shirt would break under the tension.

 _To her dismay...it didn't._

Her heart skipped a beat upon hearing the dark, mechanical whir.

 _A deadly, familiar sound._

It struck like a bell. A death toll. A harbinger of something horrible to come.

Why did she feel like there was something missing, like a piece she wasn't putting together?

Why did she have a steady growing sinking feeling? Almost as if...

 _She had seen this before..._

–

Grinning eerily, the nightmarish gem held Yellow Diamond close to his face as she dangled from his claw.

"So now you decide to throw punches, hmmm?" Hematite turned the tiny gem around, as if looking her over. "Mmm you don't seem like too much of a threat. I doubt it'd hurt much."

Suddenly, he flicked his wrist up, tossing Yellow Diamond up into the air, leaving her to plummet down into his open hand. His fingers instantly curled around the tiny gem, completely trapping her in darkness. He chuckled.

"I'm surprised you can run so fast for such a little thing.~" Turning his hand over, Hematite released Yellow Diamond from his grasp before quickly snatching her up again, this time holding her shirt between two claws. "But I'm afraid running will do you no good here.~ You see..."

He held her up close to his mouth, an unsettling grin on his face.

 **"This is my domain."**

–

Yellow was hardly able to focus on his words through her panic, though they still hit their marks.

She tried to cling to anything, whimpering and grasping onto thin air. With every impact, every toss, every sharp movement, what little courage she had left dwindled away alarmingly quickly. She was helpless, here, completely at his mercy... and she **hated** it. Every ounce of her being told her to fight back as much as she could, but the most she could do it seemed was flail around and hope to hit something. Even if she did, it still did nothing to him.

"Put me down or I-" She tried to muster up any lick of strength she could to speak back, but it quickly vanished as she now faced something far more terrifying than his hand.

 **His teeth.**

–

"Or you'll what?~" His grin widened as Yellow went silent, and the giant gem slowly began to tilt his head back, lifting her over his face. "Oh, I'll put you down, alright.~" He let her shirt slip from his claws a few inches before he grabbed it again. "But I'm not sure you'll like where 'down' is.~"

–

Another sharp whimper escaped her, suddenly holding her arms closer to her.

It started to sink in. The realization, the fear, the everything.

"Wh-wha- Why are you doing this?!" she managed to speak out, trying to buy herself more time. _Surely she could think a way out of this... right?_ A quick reflection of herself glinted in the visor, catching her off guard. She hadn't even realized just how terrified she really looked. If there was a mask before, it was certainly gone now.

–

Hematite's grin faded into a cocky smirk. Lifting Yellow Diamond a little further from his face, the giant gem tapped a clawed finger to his chin as he looked away.

"Mmmmm. Why am I doing this, you ask? Well, my dear dear Diamond. You see, it's very simple."

The nightmarish figure lowered his hand again to bring Yellow close to his visor, mere inches away. When he spoke, his voice was warped, glitchy, and sounded almost... familiar. Eerily familiar. It sounded like _**her own**_ voice.

"҉B̢ę̢c͝aųse ̴I ̧do̧n̕'t̢ ̵f͢u͢l̛l͡y̵ ͘b͠é͢lie̷ve ҉y̢o̧ù̸ ̨u͞n͞d̶e͟rs̡t͝ànd thè̷ p͟o̷śi̴tioǹ́ you͏ h̡o͏ļd ͠h҉ére҉."

–

Horrified, her eyes widened, unable to look away from the visor.

"… No..."

The fear finally overtook her. What little bit of courage she desperately clung to left her, rendering her a shivering, anxious wreck. The warped tone of her own voice scraped her like stinging daggers, each word driving more and more fear into her very core. She stared down, terrified, unable to look away from the massive gem.

–

A sinister, warped chuckle echoed around the cavernous room, making the pillars creak and make horrible cracking sounds. But then the sound died down, and Hematite gave an unnervingly 'friendly' smile.

"And besides."

The giant gem slowly tilted his head back again, once more lifting Yellow Diamond's feet over his mouth.

 _"I hear Diamonds are_ _ **wonderful**_ _for your diet."_

The huge mouth slowly opened under her, Hematite's teeth glinting in the unseen light. His claws began to loosen. Her shirt began to slip.

–

Yellow let out a terrified gasp, scrambling to grab onto the huge gem's finger.

"NO! You can't!" She yelled desperately, trying to keep herself from slipping.

 _No no no no this was bad this was really bad..._ She tried to look away, but it was useless. _Anything but this, this can't be it!_ No matter how much she thrashed, nothing she did made any difference. Now, to make matters far worse, if she continued to squirm about, she would only slip faster.

"Y-you WILL be shattered for this!"

–

The corners of the giant gem's mouth turned up into a 'smile'.

"Not if you're shattered first."

 _Slip._

Hematite's claws completely let go, leaving Yellow Diamond to fall into his mouth. It was deathly cold to the touch, and to make matters worse, whatever light Yellow Diamond could see for a moment after she landed, it was quickly cut off, leaving her in complete darkness.

–

 **CRASH!**

"RrrRRAAAGH!"

Yellow jerked awake suddenly, her forehead meeting the shelf over her bed once more. In a small fit of rage, she grabbed the shelf and ripped it from the wall, throwing it violently across the room. Her breathing was shallow, heavy, and erratic. She was sweating.

Once she calmed down from her brief outburst, she found herself sitting on the edge of her bed once more, just as she had done the last time she slept and had one of these nightmares.

She ran her fingers through her hair, moving it down to wipe some of the sweat from her brow.

 _Again?..._ She stood up and moved to her window, sighing as she leaned against the sill. Grimacing, she looked up to the stars that flickered above.

She didn't _need_ to sleep, but the rest helped her keep her focus and stay alert. It even aided in the progression of her work. It felt nice, and it helped her recover from periods where she pushed herself too hard.

But these dreams weren't nice. They left her with a faint chill on her skin and a prickle of anxiety in her core. She narrowed her eyes, looking down into the city that her tower overlooked.

 _Glad that's over..._


	18. No Trouble at All

_Summary: Hematite gets recognized at Morganite's Club._

 _Extended rules of community service punishment for Hematite eleven, in effect for thirty rotations._

 _-Do not shift up above thirty feet._

 _-Do not cause conflict with civilians._

 _-Do not leave the capital city._

 _-Do not try to avoid your body guard._

 _Failure to abide by these rules will result in severe punishment._

100 miles and 15 hours later, Hematite's daily work was finally done. He'd been sent deep into the Blue district to help with some construction that was mostly being handled by Peridots. They needed the extra muscle because one of their bigger maintenance ships was down for repair. Hematite was able to help, but not being able to shift to more than 30 or so feet was... limiting. He covered far less ground and it took more energy and effort to lift things. However, through frequent breaks and lots of encouragement and heckling from Puff, he got it done.

After such a long, stressful day, it was time for a well-deserved bit of peace and quiet at Morgan's. Hematite had taken to walking beside Puff whenever they traveled, as it made both of them more comfortable than falling in line behind or in front of one another. Though, to be fair, after spending some time around each other, they were slowly getting more acquainted with each other's presence. At the moment, the service gem was his normal size of about five and a half feet, and was walking at a comfortable pace down the street. The sun set some time ago, and the cloudless sky was not shy about its dazzling display of stars.

Beside him, Puff stretched and let out a satisfied sigh. She crossed her arms behind her head and looked up just enough to gaze at the sky between the city buildings.

"This is what I love about the Blue district," she said softly, almost to herself. Hema perked up and glanced over at the taller gem.

"Hm? Oh, the stars?"

"Yeah." The Jasper smiled and glanced at Hematite before returning to her stargazing. "The Yellow District's great and all, but you don't get views like this. So much of it is just... construction yards, ships, lots of open space. I dunno. I think it's nice" She shrugged. "I guess you'd probably prefer the fancy White district, huh?"

Hematite blinked in surprise at the question before he rubbed the back of his head, glancing to the side.

"Actually, I spend most of my free time here."

Puff looked at him curiously.

"Really? How come? You're a White Diamond gem."

"Yeeaah, but I don't actually _live_ there. I live in the White Tower."

The Jasper smiled and raised a brow with a soft scoff.

"Oooo, fancy."

"Not really? Sometimes I wonder what it'd be like to. You know, have my own place. It feels like I'm always on the job." The service gem put his palms out defensively. "NOT that I'm complaining." He gave a nervous chuckle. "It's just that, gems like you and Rubes have your own places to hang out and be with other gems and I guess it gets kinda..." He trailed off, not sure what the word was.

Puff gave him a surprised, thoughtful stare. She uncrossed her arms.

"... Lonely?"

As if physically wounded by the word, Hema flinched and looked away. After a long pause, he shrugged.

"I mean, I've always got the Diamonds around. When they're not on missions or too busy with work, anyways."

 _Or avoiding me at all costs because they hate everything about me._

"Yeah but, Hematite, they're the Diamonds, you gotta have someone else to talk to. I mean, Rubes and I have each other and some other gems we know. Don't you ever hang out with anyone but Blue or White?"

After another long pause, Hematite awkwardly grinned up at Puff, the look on his face speaking a thousand words. Puff's brows raised slowly, realization clear as day on her face.

"… _Oh_." The Jasper went quiet for a few minutes as they continued to walk, and Hematite was glad for the silence. He didn't like thinking about this stuff. It made him feel strange. He didn't need anyone but the Diamonds. He was White's Hematite, and Blue's friend, that was enough.

 _ **... Right?**_

After turning down a few streets, nearing Morganite's bar, Puff suddenly spoke up again.

"You need to learn to live a little more, _harvester_. I mean with your gem abilities and all, I'd think you'd have all kinds of gems wanting to get to know you better." She gave a hearty laugh, but Hematite seemed less than enthused.

"Not after what's happened recently."

Puff's laugh died off, and she cleared her throat.

"Aaah, gems will get over it like I have. It's not like you're the first to try and kill Yellow Diamond."

Stiffening with a quick, soft inhale, Hematite turned his head, giving her the grumpiest glare he could manage. Puff put her hands up for a moment, smiling awkwardly.

"I-I mean. Ohh, quit it you know what I meant. I know, I know, you didn't try to kill her."

The service gem looked away again and rubbed his arm quietly.

"Mmm. Maybe you're right."

"I'm always right, Scrap."

Hematite straightened up and gave Puff a look, his eyes narrowed.

"You're never going to let go of what happened today, are you?" he muttered, pursing his lips. The Jasper snickered and snubbed her nose with her thumb, tilting her head with a smug smirk.

"Nope."

Hema rolled his eyes with the faintest smile, looking forward again.

"Thought not."

Turning the corner, Hematite and Puff approached Morgan's bar and walked inside. The small service gem headed straight for the counter and plopped down in his usual seat, crossing his arms on the bar. He looked exhausted.

–

At first, no-one was behind the bar. A few gems sat at the other side, chatting the night away. There were a few empty glasses laying around them, so it looked and sounded like they were already a bit tipsy. The lounge to the right of them was bustling with gems, all talking and dancing around, having themselves a rather fine time. The music was thumping around that area, just enough to create some background noise. As was the usual, the dance floor was thumping with electronic music and teeming with gems. Thankfully, the music wasn't too invasive to whoever sat at the main bar.

"Phew! Sorry about the wait, ladies!" A charming voice came from behind one of the doors that lead to the back. Morganite waltzed out with a rather flashy spin, holding two drinks in his hand. Setting them down, he picked up the empty glasses from the in front of him. Thanking him promptly, they picked up their drinks and clinked them together, giggling.

It didn't take long for the familiar bartender to notice the newcomers. "Heeeey! Friendly faceees!" he called, walking up to the two gems that sat near the front. "What can I do for you two this evenin'? You look like you've had a rough day, pal," he stated, putting the glasses away in a sink behind the counter.

–

Hematite spared the gems on the other end of the bar a glance, but turned back to Morganite as soon as he walked over. He gave him a tired smile and shrugged.

"Not really rough, but definitely longer than I'm used to, when it comes to the job I had today."

Puff walked over and gave Morgan a friendly smile before she sat down next to the service gem.

–

Morgan shot them a rather amused smile.

"I see! So it was more of a long day. I've had a fair share of those, let me tell you." He chuckled quietly, picking up another glass and wiping it down with a cloth.

–

The Jasper smiled and leaned back in her seat.

"We aren't here to get too much, Mor'. Though I did tell scrap here about that new drink you started serving up a few weeks ago. You know, the sweet non-alcoholic one with all the colors."

–

Morgan smiled brightly.

"Would you like me to get you a glass of that? Its a reaaaal hit!" The gem winked casually, flipping the glass skillfully in his hand before clicking it down onto the hardwood counter top. Occasionally, the two gems at the other end of the bar would glance over to Hematite and Puff, whispering something to each other. One would nod, and the other would giggle. Back and forth. However, they spoke too quietly to make themselves heard.

–

The shorter gem shyly rubbed the back of his head and glanced away.

"I-I mean. If it's not any trouble. I really just, you know. Came here because it's pretty relaxing." He gave Morgan a slightly embarrassed smile, as if to say 'sorry I come in here so often but rarely tip'.

The gems at the end of the bar didn't go unnoticed, and Hematite couldn't help but try to hear what they were discussing. He took note of the glances they kept giving him, but tried his best, after realizing he couldn't make out their words, to ignore them.

–

Turning back to his guests, Morganite leaned once more on the counter, waving his hand.

"Hey, no worries, kid! I enjoy your company. That's what this place is for anyway, just come and relax! I certainly don't mind! Whether ya buy anything or not. Mmmmm you're not like the common riff raff I get around her sometimes. It's nice to have some gems to talk to. Customers are customers, and surely I won't complain buuuut..." He grinned, pausing for a moment and glancing at the ceiling.

"Not many are really talkative Well, unless they get drunk, of course. But that's not the same... or the point. The point is, even if we don't know much about each other, I like having you around. You're good company. Plus, from what interaction I have had, you're a nice gem. And, of course, Blue seems to really trust ya, and I know Blue very well. So remember, if there's anything ya need, just let me know! Any friend of Blue's a friend of mine!" he said in a cheerful tone, standing back up straight. He started for one of the cubbies, grabbing a few colorful bottles.

–

He turned back to Morgan and went quiet as the pink-haired gem went on about his job and the customers he saw. As soon as the topic switched to him, however, his face turned a subtle shade darker and he looked away.

"Glad to know I'm not a bother." He gave Morgan a shy smile and watched as the lithe pink gem mixed his drink. "If I'd known that, I would have visited more often to chat." The service gem fidgeted with a lock of his bangs, twirling his hair around his finger. "I'll uh. Be sure to keep that in mind, Morgan."

–

With a flick of his wrist, Morgan slid down a rather colorful looking drink in Hematite's direction.

"On the house. No tips expected~" He gave him another wink, turning to grab something off of the shelf. It appeared to be a rather large container of alcohol, wrapped in a fancy foil. Moving over to one of the counters, he popped the cork off and poured a glass. "You're free to stop by any time for a chat." He continued, taking a small sip from the glass he just poured. He swished the biting liquid around in his mouth for a moment, relishing its flavor. With a smirk, he put the cork back on the bottle and set it to the side.

The music in this part of the bar was far more peaceful. Quieter than the bumping music in the club, it provided more of a laid back atmosphere. It was no wonder Blue liked to hang out at this place. There was a long pause before Morgan spoke up again.

"So, by the way... If I may ask," he started, picking up his glass and swirling it casually in his hand. "Why did you go berserk?" he inquired, raising a brow. The look on his face suggested that he already had some idea, but he still seemed curious.

–

At the question, Puff stood up and tapped her hands on the bar.

"Wwwell, I'm gonna go check out the dance floor. Morgan, I trust I can leave him in your capable hands. Thanks babe." She winked at him before giving Hematite a slightly concerned glance, which he didn't catch. Without another word, she walked off to the noisier part of the bar. Within a few moments, she went past the bouncer guarding the dance floor, and was soon lost to the crowd of partying, dancing gems.

Slowly, Hematite tapped his finger on his upper arm, not looking at Morgan.

"... I can't really. Share all the details. But."

A long sigh escaped him. The service gem tried to look Morganite in the eye, but ended up looking at the diamond insignia on his chest. He tapped his arm again. _Now if he could just be tactful about this, with other gems in earshot._

"When I first started working for White, it was made very clear that Yellow Diamond didn't, and still doesn't, trust me." He picked at the cloth of his sleeve. "She did some things that were... really questionable. When White found out, she was furious. I should have told someone flat out what was going on, but." Hematite glanced at the gems down at the end of the bar. Both of them were Yellow District gems, if the insignia on their outfits were anything to go by. "Well. I didn't think that one Diamond's methods of keeping a service gem in line was the business of another Diamond," he fibbed, glancing away.

–

Morganite continued to swirl his drink in his hand, placing his free palm onto his hip. With another sip of his drink, he let his expression relax, returning to its usual calm look. He slowly glanced over his shoulder at the two gems that were on the other side of the bar without turning his head.

"I see. I think I understand now."

He placed his glass on the counter and sighed heavily, crossing his arms. Still, with a soft smile, he looked back to the service gem. _Yes, all the pieces were coming together._ Up till now, he'd been working off of his own assumptions as well as the local gossip, but having experienced Hematite's personality all those nights that he did visit before his blow up, he knew there was more to it than just 'going rogue'.

"To be fair, it isn't the other's business, usually. Now, I'm certainly in no position myself to say what goes in the Diamond Authority, but from what I understand, the primary faction that said gem belongs to has priority over what happens to that gem. What they do, where they go, what their punishments are." He stopped for a moment, placing a finger curiously to his chin. "I suppose Yellow Diamond decided to take things into her own hands when it was really White's responsibility, hmmm?"

–

Hematite scoffed at Morgan's question.

"Take things into her own hands?" _Understatement of the decade._ The service gem fidgeted with his bangs again. "That's the thing that was getting to me." His voice was a bit more hushed now. He could feel the other gems looking at him. "There wasn't anything she _needed_ to take responsibility on. I... behaved well enough." Shrugging, he pursed his lips. "I mean, sure. I slacked off on work once or twice to come here, but I knew I could get those jobs done in less time than I was given. I don't know." Hematite sighed heavily, letting go of his hair. "I got fed up with her waiting for me to slip up. So. I guess maybe in some small way, I wanted to beat her to the punch... And. Maybe." Realization spread across Hematite's face as he put two and two together.

"Maybe that was my way of letting people know what was going on." He picked at his sleeve again. "Hah. What a way to make your problem known, huh?" A tired chuckle escaped him, though it died in his throat a moment later.

–

The taller gem leaned up against the counter, propping an elbow up on the side.

"Heh... I see. Well, when you get fed up like that, it's easy to become lost in a sea of your own rage." He shrugged, closing his eyes for a moment. "I know the feeling, believe it or not... Not sayin' ya did it the right way, but I'm not saying I blame ya either... Still, you ought to be more careful. If you deal with that stuff again, don't let your emotions bottle up. There are lots of gems you can talk to. I'm sure White will let you speak your mind, given the circumstances... And I'm sure Blue would be more than willing to hear you out too." He tapped his fingers on the smooth counter surface, glancing down at it.

"Heck, come talk to me if you need to. I'd be happy to help in any way I can." he backed up from the counter, raising his arms in an almost showy, shrugging motion. "If you'd like."

–

Hematite finally grabbed his drink and twisted it in place on the counter as he listened intently to Morgan's advice. It was true, things were certainly better now that White and Blue were fully aware of his and Yellow Diamond's 'working relationship', or _lack_ thereof. He certainly felt more comfortable bringing up problems to White, and with Blue, well. Hematite felt that at the very least, she could tell when something was bothering him even more than she could before.

"I'll try to be smarter about it from now on, yeah." He smiled awkwardly and looked down at his drink. "Thanks, Morgan." His tone was quiet but sincere. The service gem looked back up, more of his upbeat self returning. "I just hope you don't mind hearing about my weird missions, hah." A soft chuckle escaped him.

One of the gems at the end of the bar sneered and whispered something to her friend, glancing Hematite's way.

–

"Anytime baby." Morganite said with charismatic charm, his grin widening. He flicked his hair away from the side of his face, catching a small drift of the conversation at the end of the bar. His eyes sharpened, glancing quickly off to the side, but he cleared his throat and continued smiling.

"I find your tales to be quite refreshing, actually! Interesting? Ah, _adventurous_ , even!" He took a step forward, placing his hands on the front of his shirt, straightening it a bit. "Aaaah, reminds me of the days I used to have more adventures. Nowadays it seems the most excitement I get is the occasional spar at the coliseum. However, considering I run this fine establishment now, I don't have a lot of time to do even that." He shrugged, looking a little envious. "I have every seventh rotation off, though, and I don't work until the evenings, so I do still have some time. Just, not a lot."

–

The service gem also caught a little of the conversation down the bar, but he tried his best to pretend he hadn't. He was getting 'used' to gems gossiping about him. Not that it didn't bother him...

Hematite sipped his drink, his eyes widening for a moment. _Huh. This actually_ _ **was**_ _pretty good!_ Listening to Morgan reminisce, the service gem nodded and took another sip of his drink. At the mention of the Coliseum, Hematite blinked and glanced around.

"... You know," he started. "I know I said that my days at the arena were done, but..." Giving Morgan a small smile, Hematite finally met the pink-haired gem's eyes. "If you ever got the chance, and wanted that spar... I'd be up for it. At least you and Blue, and maybe Puff and Rubes still trust me enough to fight in the arena." Hematite hid his mouth behind his glass and once again glanced to the side. "I mean, if you want. You said you'd like to spar some time, so. If we went there when there weren't many gems..."

–

Morgan raised a brow and placed his palms together.

"I think that'd be a blast!" he answered with a hint of enthusiasm. "Blue says that you are full of surprises, and well... I'm always up for a new bit of excitement. Not much surprises ya when you own a bar and you've been around as long as I have, ya know. Besides, I think it would be rather... fun!" He picked his drink back up, giving it another sip as well. "I'd love to see what you can do!"

–

 _Everyone always says that... Am I really_ _ **that**_ _surprising?_

Hematite nodded and took a last sip of his drink, twirling the cup idly in his hands when he finished.

"I'll try to make it interesting. Maybe some time next month? Once my community service is done with."

At the words 'community service', the gems at the end of the bar scoffed again and began talking in hushed tones. Seemed knowing that Hematite's punishment was mere community hours was... displeasing.

–

Morgan's eyes narrowed at the condescending noise that came from the other end of the bar, but he kept smiling, acting as if he hadn't heard it.

"Sounds like a deal, doll. You're on!" He winked, motioning his cup forward, gesturing as though he wanted to clink against Hematite's glass. "But for now, you should take it easy. If you've got an entire month of community service ahead of you, then you should at least enjoy what peace and quiet you do get between now and the end." He nodded curtly.

–

The service gem subtly twitched at the word 'doll', but otherwise didn't say anything. Nodding, Hematite smiled and held his glass up, lightly clinking it against Morgan's before he set it down.

"Right, one day at a time. Thanks, Morgan." Hematite looked at the time and frowned slightly. "And while I'd love to stay and chat some more, I should go find Puff.. I have to report back in an hour." Giving Morganite another smile, the service gem hopped down from his seat and started heading to the dance floor, giving the bartender a wave. "I'll see you around."

The gems at the end of the bar ignored Hematite as he left and remained at their seats.

For now.

Squeezing into the crowd, Hema looked around for his guard in the mass of dancing gems. _How could anyone deal with this sort of atmosphere? It was suffocating!_ Not to mention every step he took, someone was bumping into him, giving him a look, or trying to get him to dance with them.

Morganite gave Hematite a wave and said his farewell, grabbing the service gem's glass and rinsing it in the sink. For a minute or so he hummed to himself, but as soon as he turned around, he stopped, noticing that the two gems at the other end of the bar disappeared.

"Hm..." His eyes narrowed again, his casual grin pursing into a more suspicious, curious smirk.

"Puuuuff! Jasperr!" The service gem's voice was drowned out by the music, and he struggled to find her in the crowd. He was shorter than most of the gems on the dance floor, which made it difficult to see anything.

Suddenly, someone bumped rather roughly into his side, nearly knocking him over. The gems from the bar had waited a minute or so before sneaking onto the dance floor to follow Hematite. They sneered at him, though they were masking their approach with some rather half-baked dancing.

"What's the matter, can't find your friend?~"

Standing up straight, Hematite frowned and tried to walk off, but was bumped back by the other gem that had been at the bar.

"Where ya goin? Don't you like to dance?" scoffed the first gem. "Or do you just like to terrorize gems and try to shatter their leaders?"

At that point, a few of the people on the dance floor started giving the trio suspicious looks. Hematite noticed, and glanced around, looking for Puff. The hair on the back of his neck slowly stood on end, anxiety rising in his chest.

"N-no. Hey, just. Leave me alone, alright?" He backed up, not taking his eyes off the two in front of him. The first gem grabbed his arm and smirked. By the way she was wobbling on her feet, Hema could tell she was tipsy, at the very least.

"Did I _say_ you could leave?"

–

After a few more minutes, the main part of the bar was empty, leaving Morganite alone to his thoughts. He was wiping a glass clean, still humming the same tune as before, but stopped suddenly. Looking down in the reflection of the glass, he bit his lip and sat it down. For a moment, he didn't take his hand off of the cup... as if he was contemplating something.

Then, after what seemed like an eternity, he turned around and decided to check on the club. He often did so when the bar wasn't quite as busy. He'd make his rounds and see if everyone was minding the rules. Every once in a while, he'd get a complaint and need to take care of it, but usually nothing too hectic happened. Sometimes he even found a gem passed out here or there, likely from too much drinking.

But there was something in the back of his mind that drove him to check on the lounge and dance hall. Something gave him a strange feeling, and was nagging at his core.

He slipped in quietly, nodding to one of the bouncers that stood near the door. They kept their arms crossed, leaned up against the wall. They nodded back. Glancing over the rowdy crowd, Morganite stood near the door and watched casually, scanning over the room just as he had done thousands of times before. But this time, he was looking for someone in particular.

–

Hematite tried to pull his arm away from the other gem, but her grip was tight, and he didn't want to cause a scene by forcing her off of him. He grit his teeth.

"Let. Go. I don't want any trouble."

"Says the freak who tried to trap everyone in the sky arena," she sneered, tugging him closer. "You shouldn't even be around after what you did. You probably have some secret plan to control the Diamonds, don't you."

Hematite stared at her, utterly bewildered. _How drunk_ _ **was**_ _this gem?_

"You're being ridiculous, back off. I'm about to leave anyways."

"No, you're not."

With that, the tipsy gem reeled back and kicked Hematite in the stomach, forcing him painfully to the ground. The crowd around him parted, making a circle around the three gems. Hematite sat up on his elbows and held his stomach, grimacing. He was bristling, and stared dangerously at the two in front of him. Slowly, he got back up to his feet.

–

The other drunk gem stepped closer, her arms crossed, a wide, venomous frown on her face.

"Looks like the Diamonds didn't give you a very fair punishment. We'll make sure you know your place." She growled lowly, reeling her arm back and swiftly punching the Hematite square in the head, knocking him back onto the floor. Some of the crowd gasped, but none of them made any attempt to interfere.

This act didn't go unnoticed.

The tall, pink gem standing near the door clenched his fists, his knuckles cracking as he did so. The guard that stood next to him unfolded her arms and went to make a move, but Morganite beat her to the punch, walking quickly into the fray. Weaving his way through a wave of the party goers, he found himself just outside of the ring. There were a few gems standing in the way of him and the 'pit' that was made, so he tapped politely on one of their shoulders. Whispering something with a soft smile, he got the other gem to step out of the way.

Morganite took one single step into the open space, staring down at the three smaller gems.

"Hello there! I hope everyone here is enjoying the party! Though, if I may ask... Is there a problem here, ladies?~" he asked in a sing-song tone, placing his palms together with a genuine _smile_.

–

At this point, Puff made her way over to the commotion, but when she spotted Morgan among the fray, she stopped outside the ring of on watching gems and waited to see what he'd do.

The first of the two gems turned with a winsome smile and put her arms behind her back.

"No no, Morgan.~ This gem here just thought he could try to get us to leave the club with him."

"I did not!" Hematite was holding his head where he'd been punched, and glared daggers into the gem that had landed the blow.

"Yes he did, grabbed my arm and said we were leaving. I don't even know him!" She pretended to look distressed, and grabbed her friend's sleeve, her lip stuck out in a pout. "Thank you for coming over. I don't know what would have happened if he got us outside alone."

Hematite narrowed his eyes and rubbed his face in frustration.

"Like I'd ever go somewhere with _you_."

–

Morgan stifled the smallest of laughs; though a single, quiet chuckle did escape him.

"Oh really? I see." His smile grew unsettlingly wide, and his eyes narrowed. He tapped his fingers together patiently.

"So you come into my club, get yourselves wasted, gossip about a gem you've never met, strike said gem unprovoked, and you _**lie**_ to me?..." He smiled, standing tall. A few of the gems standing near him backed away, and the crowd fell silent.

"... I think it's time for you to leave." He said quietly, but loudly enough for the duo to hear. He kept on smiling, staring daggers into them.

The other gem spoke up, looking outraged.

"WHAT?! LIE?! He TOTALLY tried to get us alone! Look, Morganite! You don't understand! You weren't here, y-you didn't see what this THING did!" she hissed, directing her anger towards the smaller service gem.

–

Eyes widening, Hema grit his teeth together, the hair on the back of his neck standing on end. His clawed fingers slowly scraped at the floor.

 _Remember your rules._

 _ **Remember your rules.**_

Standing slowly to his feet, Hematite fixed his hair and took a deep breath as he stared at the two gems in front of him. The first of the two squealed and hid behind her friend.

"See, Morgan! Get this thing out of your club! He's the problem!"

He wanted to tell them off. He wanted to do something to get back at these two gems. But he had rules in place, he couldn't cause any conflict.

 _Remember what White said._

"You know what, Morgan." Hematite gave the taller gem an unsettlingly 'friendly' smile, his eyes nearly shut. "I'm just gonna leave with my guard. I'll let you decide what to do with these two." He looked back at the two gems and gave them a 'polite' bow. "So sorry to bother you two. Thank you for knocking some sense into me. I'll be sure to... properly _thank_ you, should we ever meet again."

Oh it was _absolutely_ a threat. Subtle, _empty_. But a threat all the same.

–

The enraged shorter gem was the first to advance, using her masked anger to grab onto the service gem's arm quickly.

"Where do you think you're going, you _defective_ _**pebble**_?!" she slurred out, baring her teeth. She went to reel back for another punch, ready to snap. "How dare you talk to us like th-"

Her heckling was quickly interrupted by a loud **shrik** , and with blinding speed, Morganite rushed between the two and shoved the other gem off of Hematite. On one of his arms, there laid a huge blade with a cuff that wrapped around his sleeve. His entire forearm and the weapon itself were engulfed in flames. His smile had faded, leaving a rather dark, angry scowl in its wake.

"Enough!" he shouted, pointing the blade to the other gem. "Get. Out. Of my club. Lest I remove you by _**force,**_ " he said coldly, sending a wave of terror through the smaller gem's very being. She took a step back, holding her hands out to her sides.

"Y-you wouldn't hit a lady, Morgan!" she stuttered, half from the alcohol, half from the intimidation from the bigger gem's threat.

Morgan's eyes narrowed, his smile returning.

"I am a retired war veteran, I have cracked and even shattered hundreds in my days. If you think I won't take action to keep the peace in my establishment, you are **dead wrong**. You're breaking my rules and attacking gems that did nothing to you. If you think you won't be punished for that by _me_ , I'm sure your law-heavy leader would love to hear about all the rules you are breaking right now." He tilted his head a little, his neck cracking. "So go ahead. Try me. Or, you can leave, and never come back. I'll be sure to 'forget' this ever happened. Do I make myself clear?"

–

The first of the two gems was smart enough to know when she was in over her head. Between Hematite's threat and Morganite's fury, she was more than ready to leave.

"C-c'mon let's go." She tugged on her friend's sleeve and began to pull her away, her eyes never leaving Morgan. "Sorry, we'll just uh. We're gonna go."

Behind Morgan, Hematite was staring up at the warrior gem with wide eyes.

 _War veteran. Check._

 _Don't ever make him angry. Double check._

Suddenly the lack of security in such a busy part of the Blue District made more sense. Morgan didn't _need_ many guards.

–

After Morganite was sure the two gems had left, the flames snuffed out and the blade disappeared into a sparkling light. His peppy demeanor was quick to return, and he tossed one hand in the air.

"Carry on, folks! Nothing to see here, just taking out some trash." He smirked, glancing over to Hematite. The gems of the crowd started to talk and carry on with their dancing as if nothing had happened. Morganite, however, turned to fully face the service gem now. "So sorry about that, hun. I'll make sure they never bother you again. Now, did you need any help finding Puff? Perhaps I can be of assistance with that as well." He smiled warmly down at the gem and offered his hand.

–

Hematite watched Morgan a few moments longer, his eyepiece jotting a few things down. However, as soon as the taller gem turned to him, the gem tech chirped as it powered down, and he smiled awkwardly, taking the taller gem's hand as he stood up.

"S-sorry... about that. I didn't think they'd be so aggressive." He scratched his cheek and glanced away. "Thanks, Morgan. But uh..."

Puff came up behind Morganite and chuckled.

"It's been a while since I saw you kick someone out." She playfully 'punched' Morgan in the shoulder with a smirk. "Morganite taking out trash and taking down naaames." Her smile fading, Puff looked down at Hema, who was back to rubbing his forehead where he'd been punched.

"Hey, scrap. Sorry I didn't get over here in time... I didn't know you were done in the bar. You okay?" Hema frowned and sighed, but shrugged a shoulder casually.

"A little sore but I've taken worse beatings. She hits like a Peridot."

–

Morgan crossed his arms and chuckled.

"Well, I don't like for things to get to that point, really. Buuuut I can't say I didn't give them the option to leave peacefully." He shrugged, placing a palm on Hematite's shoulder for a moment. "You should probably be getting back to White, now," he said, withdrawing his hand. "Aaaand I should be getting back to the bar, who knows who's shown up by now."

–

Looking at the time, Hematite nodded and sighed.

"Yeahh, we should be heading back. Puff, you ready?" The Jasper crossed her arms and nodded in reply.

"Whenever you are, Hematite." She looked at Morgan as Hema began to make his way out of the dance room. "Hey. Thanks, Mor'." With another friendly nudge to his arm, she followed after the service gem, her arms crossed behind her head. "Waaait up little guy~"

–

The bouncer standing guard gave the two gems a nod, opening the door for them. They too saw the entire ordeal, but knew not to interfere if Morganite wanted to step in. The pink gem stood still in the middle of the dance floor for a moment, waving to the two as they left. He figured it was about time to get back to work himself, and with that little fiasco solved, he wasn't going to dwell on it for much longer. A soft chuckle escaped him, and he cupped his hand near his mouth, calling after the two as they left.

"Stay safe, you two!"


	19. Peace of Mind

_Summary: An old friend visits Yellow Diamond._

 _Seven ships in the docking station._

 _No, wait..._ _ **Eight**_ _. Yes, eight._

Sighing heavily, Yellow pinched her fingers between her brow and placed the diamond pad that she held onto the desk. Leaning over and propping her elbows up on the table, she rubbed her temples. _Come on Yellow, it's a simple task, why are you so scatterbrained today? Focus._

Without warning, her Pearl came through the door, stepping swiftly in front of the desk and saluting. Tilting her chin up, she gazed up at her leader, eyes half lidded.

"Greetings, my Diamond. You have an important guest visiting. General Topaz would like to have a word with you, assuming you have time," she stated in a snooty, nasally voice.

The Diamond's brows shot up in surprise. Curiously biting one of her nails for a moment, she blinked, humming a soft note to herself. She looked uncharacteristically intrigued.

"General Topaz? Hm... Well, alright, I suppose I have time. Send her in," she ordered.

–

The smaller yellow gem nodded and scampered out of the room again. Soon after the Pearl left the office, the door hissed open once more. A huge, bulky figure stood in the doorway, silhouetted against the blinding light of the setting sun. They wore a half suit of armor on their torso. The suit bore a yellow diamond insignia and metallic 'pads' on the figure's hips and shoulders. It appeared to be made of gold, though the darker hues showed it was made of some sort of gem material. The gem's face was hidden by a rather impressive looking battle helmet of the same color. Before she entered the room completely, the huge figure removed said helmet, holding it under her arm as her long golden hair draped behind her shoulders. Her right eye was completely covered by her hair, leaving one piercing amber eye peeking out from her bangs. She tilted her head slightly, lifting her free hand in a subtle gesture of greetings.

"Evening, Yellow Diamond."

As she stepped inside, the massive gem poofed away her helmet in a brilliant show of yellow and white sparkles. She was far taller than any Jasper, despite being built much like one, and stood at least a head and a half taller than Yellow Diamond. The General stopped a respectful distance from her leader's desk and crouched down on one knee, saluting her respectfully as a warrior.

"Apologies..." Topaz smiled up at Yellow in a friendly, apologetic manner. She almost looked _embarrassed_. "For such late notice on my visit."

–

Yellow gave a brief nod to the warrior that entered her office. She clasped her hands together and got back to her senses quickly, trying to push away her frustration from earlier. With a short breath, she huffed, deciding to cut to the chase.

"What brings you to my tower, General Topaz?" She'd be quick and formal as ever, if she had a choice. The less time she spent chatting, the more time she could spend being productive with her work.

–

Topaz remained in her knelt position.

"Straight to business, as per usual." Her tone was good-natured. "But yes, you're a busy Diamond." Clearing her throat, the General dropped her friendly demeanor, her face serious. "I hear you had some trouble with a rogue service gem."

–

Yellow's eyes widened, but she kept her stony frown.

"So you've heard, hm?..." she stated under her breath, almost sounding annoyed. Rolling her eyes, she couldn't help but feel a small spark of anxiety rush through her, if even for a short moment. She averted her gaze past the taller gem, staring at a fixed spot on the wall.

"What makes you come all this way to bring that up?"

–

"I haven't come to question you, for one. I mean no disrespect, Yellow Diamond. I know you are _fully_ capable of controlling your subjects. Even those in other districts that think they are above your law." Topaz shook her head sadly. "No, I come here as a friend. An old ally." She looked up at her superior and brushed her hair back, revealing the other side of her face. "I merely wished to see if you were unharmed, myself. I do not trust the words of the common gem." Her face was dark with concern for her leader, and she quietly waited for a reply.

–

Yellow sat up straight, looking back to the gem knelt before her.

"I see... well... Relatively speaking, I am fine." She narrowed her eyes, looking down and off center. "Mmn... though if it were me, that gem would have gotten a more serious sentence than what he received in the end," she grumbled crossly. "Buuut when it comes down to it... he is still White's gem, and White has the final say." She shrugged, noticeably still bothered. Her eyes betrayed the mix of different thoughts that ran through her head. Even speaking about Hematite spurred much unwanted inner turmoil. The whole situation was still fresh, despite it happening over a month ago.

The other Diamonds were frustrated and disappointed in her. She was having nightmares. She felt like there should have been more of a punishment for Hematite, and yet, she couldn't change White's mind.

 _How_ _ **dare**_ _he make me look like a fool... How dare he, a petty service gem, attack me and practically get away with it?!_

–

Nodding slowly, Topaz hummed thoughtfully.

"White Diamond sure has created quite the _unique_ set of service gems, hasn't she? I've seen them carrying out missions back on my planet. Their methods are... interesting." She shrugged her shoulders dismissively. "I am not questioning White Diamond's authority in her choice. But it just doesn't make any sense to me," she said thoughtfully, looking up at her superior. "Why she would make such a niche gem so... _big_. They have no business being so huge. We Harvesters have gotten on just fine as normal gems. It's a shame White Diamond has created such an... _unstable_ class."

–

Yellow's eyes darted back to the Topaz, and her brows furrowed.

"… I agree completely. I just... wish they would understand where my position is right now. What was I supposed to do? How could I trust something that could easily overpower us when we least expect it? A gem that can tear apart towers, terrorize and even kill hundreds if not thousands of gems if they got out of hand! If they so much as..." She paused, narrowing her eyes in remembrance. "If they begin to realize just **how much power** they have." She almost shuddered at the thought, an mistrusting anger returning back to her ten fold. "I told White these gems were a bad idea. I'm just doing what's best for gemkind. What's best for the Diamond Authority. How can I trust these... these monstrosities?!" she snarled, slamming her fists on her desk in a fit of anger.

–

Nodding solemnly, Topaz sighed. She seemed completely unfazed by Yellow's rage.

"White always was one for her experiments and her research, wasn't she? Even at the expense of safety, order... Your approach to Harvesters was far more sensible. The red-eyes and tracking vessels are effective, efficient. You can trust gem tech. It does what it's told."

Yellow nodded in agreement, looking up formally to the warrior.

"Agreed. Gem tech doesn't argue. Gem tech doesn't betray you. **Gem tech doesn't try to kill you...** " she growled spitefully, looking away for a moment.

Shaking her head again, the General began to stand up. She crossed her arms in front of her chest, tilting her head up slightly.

"Indeed." Standing straight, the warrior gem gazed down at her leader. "I came here to make an offer, Yellow Diamond."

–

Raising a brow, Yellow crossed her arms and pursed her lips, the faintest trace of curiosity in her eyes.

"… You have my attention."

–

Topaz gave a friendly smile before going back to her stoic demeanor.

"In light of these recent events, I would like to offer my best warriors to assist in keeping things in order. Specifically at the Sky Arena and Coliseum, and wherever else you see fit. They would be yours for a time until they are needed back on my planet. They are fully armed to deal with _any_ out of control gems."

–

Yellow placed a finger to her lip, thinking for a moment. With narrowed eyes, she looked around the room, silent. She closed her eyes for a few seconds before opening them back up again to stare right into Topaz's gaze.

"What's in it for you?..."

–

Meeting her superior's gaze evenly, Topaz paused for a moment, as if surprised by the question.

"... Peace of mind. To make sure that something like what happened to you _never_ takes place again. Homeworld can't lose another leader, Yellow."

–

 _Peace of mind._

She looked down, thinking for a moment. She remembered the horror she felt that day, in the Sky Arena. She remembered how incompetent her own guards had been. A cold prickle of dread rose in her core. She thought about the fear that still lingered within her, and the the nightmares that now haunted her.

 _ **Peace of mind...**_

Yellow looked up, and after a long pause, she smirked almost ominously.

"Deal."

–

Topaz smiled and nodded, giving another respectful salute.

"They will be stationed at your command by the end of the month." As she looked up, the General's hair fell over her right eye again. "It's been a long time. It'll be a pleasure working with you again, Yellow Diamond."


	20. Whom Do I Serve

_Summary: Someone denies their loyalty to the Diamond Authority._

 **Darkness.**

 **Cold, dreadfully familiar darkness.**

Here she was again, walking tirelessly into the black abyss. She could tell that she had been here before, but she couldn't figure out _why_ she was here. No matter how hard she pried at her memory, couldn't recall what significance it held. The temperature was significantly lower than the 'last' time she was here... it felt colder than she remembered. Watching her feet as she walked, she crossed her arms to her, holding them close. With every breath, mist appeared in front of her face, what little warmth she still had fading away quickly.

–

This time, there were no shadows on her heels. There was no pressure in the air. Nothing was bearing down on her, watching her, tracking her. No, this time, there was an unbearable _emptiness_.

Far in the distance stood faded white outlines of the different districts. If one squinted, they could see the faintest outline of gems walking to and fro on their daily routines.

But they were far, far in the distance, never getting any closer. The immediate area around Yellow Diamond was empty, devoid of life or the comfort of familiar landmarks.

It was cold.

 _So cold._

–

Yellow Diamond gasped quietly, recognizing the familiar landmark. She picked up pace, running as fast as she could to reach her destination. But no matter how much she ran, it seemed that the district was getting... farther? After few long minutes of solid running, she stumbled to a stop, looking hopelessly into the distance.

She wasn't any closer.

The cold was unbearable, and to make things worse, there didn't seem to be anything but the district for miles; Though even the district seemed unreachable. If anything, the horizon was an empty promise, a figment of her imagination. There was no reaching it...

She turned to look for anything else, but she was only met with the same empty void that she had been so familiar with since she started wandering the area.

–

As Yellow Diamond came to a stop, a freezing wind blew past her, carrying the faintest of whispers. It wasn't the voice she was accustomed to hearing in these nightmares, nor was it her own. No, this one was different.

 _ **Peace of mind.**_

Quickly as it came, the voice faded away, along with the district that loomed in the distance. The lights flickered for a moment before dimming, though the buildings were still faintly visible.

–

Yellow looked up at the inky sky upon hearing the faint sound. Frantically turning around, she looked about, checking for someone behind her. She didn't see anything. No, no one was there... _Where did that come from... was that in her head?_ Turning back to the direction that the district was in, she sighed heavily and continued to run for it. _No, surely you must be able to reach it. It's just very far away._

–

The silence continued. There were no more breezes; the air was still, biting, _eerily_ quiet. Soon, something began to replace the district on the horizon.

Pillars.

Rows and rows of pillars. The cityscape was gone, and the area around Yellow Diamond began filling with the familiar landscape of her last nightmare.

–

Yellow continued running, but her pace slowed down. Her eyes widened in horror upon the sudden change of scenery. _No, where did it go?!_ She bared her teeth, making her way towards the rows of pillars. At the very least, _they_ seemed to be getting closer. She should have known the district was a false hope.

–

Soon, Yellow Diamond was surrounded by the stark white outlines of the tall stone columns. They stretched on as far as the eye could see, creating a dizzying optical illusion. There appeared to be a 'path' through them, which the Diamond was running along, but as she continued on, the path became cracked, worn, _wrong_. As if her dream were a corrupted piece of data, some of the pillars and stones in the path had jagged, uneven outlines that flickered in and out of place.

There was a subtle tremor, and the outlines fixed themselves. Everything appeared to be back to normal.

Until...

 _Crick_

Underfoot laid a small pile of gem shards, one having broken into smaller pieces under Yellow Diamond's weight.

–

This entire plane of existence unsettled her. The jagged pillars phasing back into a more 'stable' form didn't help her psyche. She slowed down at times, then walked quicker... until she jumped slightly at the sound.

She winced, gasping quietly as she was greeted with the shards that she had stepped on. _Did she do that?... or were they like that before?_

"Wh-what is this place?..." she whispered, paling in anxious horror.

–

 _Another tremor._

The pile at Yellow Diamond's feet only consisted of about five or so gems worth of shards, but right outside of the Diamond's immediate view there seemed to be... more.

 _ **Many**_ _more._

As Yellow Diamond raised her head to look around, she was greeted by a sea of gems and gem shards of all different colors, stretching on as far as the eye could see. They piled up between the pillars, some of them spilling over into the path Yellow was walking along.

There was the whisper again, but this time, the voice was far more familiar.

 _ **A gem that can tear apart towers, terrorize and even kill hundreds if not thousands of gems if they got out of hand!**_

–

Her eyes widened, a pang of sharp fear stabbing through her like a fiery blade. She clutched her own gem instinctively and stumbled backwards. Panting in a frantic panic, she held herself in a defensive stance, never taking her palm off of her gem.

 _This is terrible... this is monstrous. What... what kind of horrible creature would do such a thing?_ _ **Could**_ _do such a thing?_ She wanted to turn and run, to try and get out of here as quickly as possible.

 _But she decided against it._ Something in the back of her mind suddenly sharpened, telling her it wasn't a good idea to turn around. There was nothing back where she came from, and something was keeping her from looking over her shoulder. Her gut urged her to move forward, even if she dreaded the thought. She took a deep breath and continued to walk ahead, trying her best not to step on any of the broken gems.

–

Slowly, the air became denser. _Heavier_. The cold became stale and suffocating. As Yellow Diamond continued forward, the shards became more numerous, until she couldn't help but step on some. Soon enough, the piles took over the path completely, making it impossible to continue without climbing over the myriad of shattered and poofed gems.

–

Stepping on the shards was unavoidable. She mostly tried to evade them to avoid making noise, but now, she had no choice. She looked around, holding her arms over her chest and clutching them again. _Cold. Horrible, dense cold._ This place was the stuff of nightmares. She shuddered upon the realization of just _how_ many shards there were. It probably wouldn't have been so bad if she weren't in her current mindset... _Or maybe if she even knew what did this._ Slowly, she reached forward, grimacing in dread as she started climbing over the pile of gems to try and continue on her path. They slid out from under her feet, clattering to the ground as she slipped back to the floor. Gritting her teeth, she reached up again, but stopped, her body running stiff.

–

An eerie sound suddenly filled the room, piercing the silence. It sounded like broken glass being spilled out of a container, only to land on more glass.

It was the shards.

And they were being moved by _something_.

No, not something. **Someone**. Just behind Yellow Diamond, something was moving on the sea of gems, knocking them around, shattering them into smaller pieces as it moved.

 **"Do you like what I've done with the place?~"**

–

Yellow inhaled sharply as soon as she heard the gems falling out of place. She went quiet, eyes widening as she glanced around without turning her head. She wasn't alone... _but she suddenly wished she was._ Slowly, she turned her head to look behind her, despite every part of her telling herself not to do that since she entered the room.

–

There was the visor. No more than twenty feet away, the huge, dark form of the nightmarish Hematite was slowly crawling down a massive pile of gems toward Yellow Diamond. He certainly looked the same, but this time there was something more animalistic in the way he moved. His head was low, his movements careful and measured, like a creature on the hunt.

"I thought you might be more comfortable surrounded by your comrades."

–

She turned fully to face him now, her palm still held defensively over her gem. Unsteadily, she moved back, using her free hand to feel the air behind her so she could make sure she didn't walk into anything and corner herself. Her eyes drifted over the looming figure who seemed cast in an unseen light and yet... he still looked dark. The faintest gray tones colored his suit, and yet as he stalked over the colored outlines of the gem shards, he looked more like a gem-shaped void than an actual figure.

"Hematite?..."

–

A soft chuckle escaped the dark form, and as he neared Yellow Diamond, he slowed.

"Hmm.~ So we're skipping the yelling and the threats this time, are we?" Instead of reaching for the tiny gem, as he would normally, Hematite slowly stretched and chuckled as he laid down on the gems in a rather leisurely manner, resting on his front.

"Wise choice."

–

She stopped moving as soon as he did, but never took her eyes off of him. To her horror and surprise, she didn't feel anger... she didn't feel disbelief... she felt nothing but **fear**. No matter how hard she tried to reach deep inside for it, no courage came. Nothing rose within her but a cold, biting chill. A dark, dreadful hollowness. _Why wasn't she angry? Why could she feel nothing but..._ _ **this?**_ She didn't understand it herself, but she knew one thing was for sure.

 _She felt weak._

Every part of her wanted to question him, to ask what he was doing here, what the meaning of this was, what this whole place's _purpose_ was. But she thought better of it. _No, something about him was... dreadfully familiar._

She could feel it.

Something, she didn't know what, but something was crawling up her spine, nipping at the base of her neck and making her hair stand on end. Her memories felt as though they were cast in shadow, invisible to even her own mind. She couldn't figure out what was so terrible about this situation, but something deep within her was screaming at her to run, to get away, to escape what was about to happen, despite her not knowing what that 'thing' was. She only knew one thing.

Something dreadful was going to befall her.

–

Lazily, the huge gem picked up a few gemstones between his fingers, letting them fall from his grasp a few feet above the pile.

"Speechless, are we?~ That's unusual for you, Yellow Diamond." Hematite's face twisted into a cruel grin. "But I can hardly blame you." He lifted his other hand to the side of his face and propped his head on his palm. Lifting a few gems again, he looked them over before once more letting them fall back onto the pile with sharp, pitiful 'clinks'. Pausing for a long moment, he pursed his lips, running a single clawed tip of his finger through the sea of gems.

"Useless things, aren't they?"

–

She dared not turn. She dared not run. She dared not look away.

No matter how much her instincts screamed at her to get away, to run... she felt like it would lead to something terrible. Besides, she was stuck between a massive pile of gem shards, and a massive gem. There wasn't really anywhere she could go. Looking up at him, she shivered slightly, clutching at her gem a little tighter. She narrowed her eyes, but her lips parted, not in an expression of anger... but one of hurt confusion. Her features twisted in dark, horrified curiosity.

"… What do you mean?"

–

The target insignia on Hematite's visor flicked over to stare at Yellow Diamond, but the giant gem made no moves toward her. Instead, a cruel smile spread across his face.

"They think they lead such significant lives. As if their time in this world really matters."

Another shower of clinks filled the room as the giant gem picked up and dropped the gems. "When in truth alllll of them are so small, and no matter how much they think they're changing things... they truly mean nothing."

The insignia on the visor narrowed.

 **"Even a Diamond such as yourself."**

–

Another horrified shudder shot through her body. She found herself trembling now, caught staring at the target on his visor. _That wasn't good._ Nervously, she took another slow step backwards, daring to look down at the pile of shards that Hematite was perched upon... but her eyes widened, brows furrowing if even a little at his last statement. Her attention shot back up to his face, the smallest spark of indignant anger rising within her.

"Y-You're wrong!... The Diamonds have been around for over 15,000 years! We've built up Homeworld and all of its glory, we've brought _meaning_ to gemkind, we've helped our empire grow! The Diamonds mean more to the world than you ever will! If not... why would we be leaders? Why would we be so widely renown? Respected? F-feared?! We are the _rulers_ of gemkind... and you're... y-you're just a service gem! You've not even been alive for a hundred years!" she shouted up, pointing an incredulous finger at the giant gem. She mustered up what little courage she could to try and stand up to the shadowy harvester, but as the second ticked by, and the giant gem went silent, Yellow cringed, somewhat regretting what she had said.

–

Hematite drearily listened to Yellow Diamond go on her little rant, and at the end of it, he paused, staring her down. After what felt like an eternity, he finally cracked a smirk, chuckling eerily.

"A _service_ gem? Whom do I _serve_ , Yellow Diamond?"

He slowly turned to her, his smirk widening into a cruel grin.

"I am _**the Harvester.**_ I serve no-one but **myself**." The visor's target narrowed again, no more than a slit at this point. A hair-raising series of clicks filled the air, a high-pitched, mechanical whir following.

"All are forfeit. Not even the great Diamond Authority is safe from me. _And you_ _ **will**_ _learn to respect that."_

Crushing the gems he held between his clawed fingers, Hematite flicked his hand, tossing the pieces into his mouth without a second thought.  
 _CRICK._

–

Her stomach dropping, Yellow backed up, eyes widening in horror. Whatever anger-driven courage she _did_ have a moment ago, which wasn't much, vanished in an instant. _How could he say that? How could he do this?_ At this point, the realization started to sink in and she was not going to stick around for the inevitable. Nervously, she smiled and started to turn away, her gaze never leaving the massive visor.

"Well it has... been a lovely chat, but IIIII really need to goooo..." Quickly, she turned away completely, stumbling forward a few steps to try and clamber over the gem pile in front of her.

–

 **SHINK**.

Within an instant, Yellow Diamond was surrounded on all sides by long, stark-black claws forming a cage around her. Hematite's palm loomed above, his fingers dug deep into the ground, through the pile of gems that laid below Yellow.

 **"Did I** _ **say**_ **you could leave?"**

Slowly, the claws began to close in, sending dozens of shattered gems tumbling to the diamond's feet.

–

Yellow cried out in horror, hunkering down low, jerking her head side to side to look for any escape. She kept her hand over her gem, trembling. Quickly, made a break for one of the openings between his fingers, just barely managing to squeeze through before his hand closed completely around her. Scurrying away in a panic, she tried her best to scramble up the ever-shifting hill of gems, but made little to no progress.

–

With a flick of his wrist, Hematite caught a claw on Yellow Diamond's shirt and quickly lifted her into the air, holding her above the pile of gem shards.

"Now now, Yellow Diamond. We were just getting to know each other.~" His voice slowly became louder as he brought her closer to his face.

–

The diamond thrashed about, swinging her arms and kicking her legs in a horrified frustration. She dared not answer him, or even acknowledge that he even spoke to her. Looking down at the shards below her, she felt her breath catch in her throat, realizing they were getting further away, and _quickly_. Slowly, she looked back up to the huge gem, her gaze drifting to the target on his visor.

–

Hematite chuckled grimly as he brought Yellow Diamond close to his visor, the target mere feet away from her. The insignia twisted and morphed into a more detailed diamond shape, perfectly mirroring her gemstone. The insignia was huge, this time, along with the rest of his nightmarish form. He'd at least tripled in size since she turned her back on him.

"Enough of the pleasantries. Let's move on to the fun part, shall we?" The huge gem slowly licked his teeth, the black and white void of his mouth a stark contrast to his light gray face.

–

Yellow's empty swings and kicks suddenly stopped, the hair on the back of her neck standing on end. Baring her teeth, she looked down at the lower part of his face, a sharp cry of panic escaping her. Quickly, she re-covered her gemstone with her hands, sweat forming on her brow.

"W-wait, what are you doing?!" she cried out, eyes wide.

–

"Just settling a little unfinished business.~" A grin crossed the giant gem's face. "Covering that won't do you any good. But... do try not to die. It makes it more interesting for me."

Slowly, Hematite tilted his head back, dangling the tiny gem over his mouth, much like he'd done the last time he caught her. But this time, there was no build up, no slow letting go of her shirt.

He immediately let go.

Though the fall seemed to take forever, it wasn't long until Yellow Diamond landed on the giant gem's tongue. It was freezing to the touch, somehow even **colder** than the air outside.

–

She cried out in a panic, cut off abruptly as she landed on the frigid, deathly icy surface. Gasping in both shock and horror, she tried desperately to regain what footing she could, slipping around on the slick surface below her. Her limbs were shaking, fear biting down at her very core.

"NO! YOU CAN'T!" She yelled, flipping herself around and struggling to climb back out of his mouth. She crawled her way to the tip of his tongue, gripping at it. _Get out of here, let me out!_

–

Snap.

The area around Yellow Diamond was plunged into darkness, though the white outlines of the teeth around her were still very visible. Hematite had snapped his teeth shut, cutting off the gem's means of escape. Humming to himself, he reclined against the pile of shards behind him. He chuckled as he pressed his tongue to the front of his mouth, pinning Yellow Diamond against the back of his teeth. A chilling whisper filled Yellow's head, despite Hematite's mouth being closed.

 _"It's not going to be that easy, Yellow Diamond.~"_

–

She let out a terrified squeak, pulling her arms in closer as the fangs snapped shut. She started to sweat harder, whimpering as the world around her shifted. Now pressed against his teeth, she shoved her arms into them, desperately trying to get away. _No, no no it can't end like this. Not THIS!_ She reluctantly grabbed for the roof of his mouth, finding some sort of footing and trying to pry his jaws open.

–

Chuckling, Hematite knocked Yellow Diamond's feet from under her, sending her onto his tongue again.

 _"Stop whining. You sound pathetic,"_ he growled in a low, familiar voice.

Just slightly, the giant gem parted his teeth, letting it the smallest bit of light. He rested his chin in his palm, laying down once more on his front. A cruel chuckle escaped him as he parted his teeth further, teasingly offering her a means of 'escape'.

–

The gem's all-too-familiar words send a heavy pang of nausea through her abdomen, filling her chest with an odd, gnawing emotion that she couldn't describe. Tears stung her eyes, forming at the corners despite her attempts to hold herself together. It was fear, remembrance, regret... but it was something else as well. Something she couldn't put a finger on. But, she didn't have much time to dwell on it.

Grunting pitifully, the diamond pushed herself up off of the giant gem's tongue again, eyes widening when she saw a way out. Quickly, she lurched forward best she could, getting a hold on both the top and bottom rows of his teeth, trying to part them further while also attempting to get out. She knew getting between his teeth like this was a huge risk, but it was the only option she had!

–

As soon as the tiny gem tried to make her escape, Hematite's teeth suddenly began to close. She was trapped between them, and her only option was to try and hold them open.

 _Try._

"What did I just finish saying, Yellow Diamond?~"

His teeth slowly bore down on her with more force, his mouth closing painfully slowly.

–

Panic rushed through her making her gasp sharply. Her eyes shut tightly. Baring her teeth, she quickly placed her palms on the upper row of his fangs, her feet keeping the lower row down. She tried her best to keep his jaws held open, grunting weakly.

"Stop, STOP! NO, STOP!" she cried out, her strength slowly failing on her. _No, you can't give up now... you can't let this happen... if you do, you'll-!_ She opened her eyes, still filled with tears, looking out to the void of a world beyond her reach. In the distance, she could swear she saw the district again... but the lights were beginning to dim. The faint figures of the gems flickered out, the outlines of the buildings fading away.

–

"Say goodbye to everything you've worked for."

The district in the distance looked glitched, corrupted. Soon enough, all the lights went out. "It too will follow your destruction. Not even you can protect it." His teeth were nearly shut, Yellow's form caught between them.

"Not from me."

 _ **SNAP**_

–

Gasping sharply, Yellow awoke to find herself in a cold sweat, alone in her dark room. The faint light of her gem that filled the room not moments ago flickered out as she woke up, the projection of her nightmare vanishing. She breathed heavily, staring at nothing on the wall in front of her.

An eerie silence filled the room. She didn't move for a few minutes, sitting, grasping the reality of what happened.

It was... _another_ nightmare.

She narrowed her eyes, her lips parting slightly. Every time she went to sleep, she had a nightmare. They were all the same thing, but every time... they got worse. Were these ever going to stop? She decided not to dwell on it. A little frustrated and shaken, she stood up, stretched, and made her way to her office. Her eyes were dark with thought and exhaustion, and as she walked through the silent tower, she mulled over what bits of the nightmare she could remember. It was fading fast, despite having just happened. She knew she shouldn't have slept, with two other nightmares having plagued her already, but work lately had been especially taxing, and there was little she could do in the later hours of the day. Sleeping every once in a while wasn't usually a problem. Or rather, it hadn't ever been before this incident with Hematite. Before, taking a rest now and then was the only time she truly took a break from work. When she wasn't asleep, she was always doing something. Maybe she should just stick to working until she absolutely _needed_ a rest. Surely she could find something to work on in the later hours. Paperwork, perhaps, or making sure old archives were in order.

 _Stars, I really need to stop taking naps until these go away... Perhaps some tea will help wake me up instead._


	21. The Recording

_Summary: Hematite's bodyguard catches wind of a concerning conversation._

At last, the two months of punishment were up. Hematite walked briskly alongside Puff as they headed down the Skybridge toward White's tower. It was a rather clear day, and Hema was enjoying the sunshine. The two of them hadn't said much to each other on their way back from the blue district. However, after some time, the taller orange gem looked over to her soon-to-be ex-assignment with a small smile. After a long, silent walk, she finally broke the quiet.

"You glad to almost be rid of me, scrap?" Puff chuckled, her arms crossed behind her head. "Not long now, and you won't have me breathing down your neck anymore." She was looking straight ahead, a smile on her face. The shorter gem looked up at his bodyguard with a curious stare. He frowned slightly.

"I wouldn't say 'glad', exactly. It's..." Hematite paused for a long moment, mulling over his words. He lifted a hand, twirling it at the wrist as he looked for the right thing to say. "It's at least been nice not to have to do these jobs by myself. After this I'll be right back to going solo. If nothing else, I could have had _worse_ bodyguards."

Puff's brows raised, and she looked at Hematite with an angry glare before she noticed that he was smiling at her. Her scowl vanished, only to be replaced by a slightly embarrassed look of surprise. Looking away, she blew her bangs away from her face with a 'huff' and crossed her arms. There was a smile on her lips.

"Yeah, well. I could have had worse people to guard, _Harvester_." With a coy grin, she uncrossed her arms and reached over to Hematite, ruffling his hair. "You're a lot more fun to be around when you're not wearing that creepy visor! We should hang out more often after this. I mean. If you waaant.~" She thumbed her nose with a chuckle. Hematite was busy fixing his hair back into place but still managed to give her a smile.

"So long as you're not too busy, sure."

"Aaah, I'm never really busy." Puff shrugged. "You've got my address, and Rubes'. If you ever want to crash after one of your crazy missions, come by," she offered in a friendly manner. Looking up at the taller gem, Hematite finally finished fixing his bangs and stood straight again.

"You sure? I don't want to be any trouble."

"We've got nothing going on, aside from Rubes' guarding missions. Besides, if anything, stop by to hit us up for a spar or something." She playfully clasped her fist in her hand. "We're always up for that.~"

Hematite gave a soft, good-natured laugh and nodded.

"Alright, will do."

Finally stopping at the office doors, Hematite knocked, waited for the office to open, and stepped inside. He saluted promptly, Puff following suit.

"Hematite reporting, White Diamond."

"Jasper reporting, White Diamond."

–

White was sitting behind her desk with a cup of tea in hand. Looking up upon hearing the knock, she placed it down next to her and slid it to the side a little. As they entered the room at last, she stood.

"Good to see you both on time." She gave a slight nod, glancing over at Hematite in particular. "I trust there were no complications this past week? What is your final status?" she asked promptly, placing her fingertips together with a curious frown. It was around this time for the past eight rotations that Hematite had to report back to her since the start of his punishment, and today would be the final one. That was, assuming everything was in order.

–

Puff smiled, looking to her side as she rummaged through a subtle pocket on her suit. After a moment, she pulled out a small diamond pad. It wasn't nearly as advanced as the ones the Diamonds had on their person, and it seemed rather dated, but it did its job. Clearing her throat once, the Jasper flicked on the screen and began reading out the week's report. The first few days were uneventful, the usual. It wasn't until the second to last day that something went... awry.

"And then two rotations ago, Hematite broke his shifting limit," she said professionally, though she couldn't hide the slightly apprehensive glance she gave the service gem beside her.

Hematite's foot began to nervously scuff the ground. He didn't take his eyes off the wall directly behind White.

–

White's attention seemed to perk up as the report progressed, but _not_ in a good way. Her eyes narrowed, gaze flicking between the two gems. She slowly looked back over to Hematite at Puff's last statement, holding up a finger to stop the Jasper from continuing.

"Is this so? And why, might I ask, did you do that?" she asked in a low tone, her eyes fixed sternly on the service gem.

–

Awkwardly, Puff looked at Hematite, whose hands were busy fidgeting behind his back. He was looking for the right words, but was trying to no avail to keep his eyes averted from White's gaze.

"I-I. It was unwilling. Mostly," he stammered, the faintest bit of sweat forming on his brow. "I-I thought this would be a special circumstance, and-"

Quickly, Puff kept reading her report. If Hematite continued like that, he'd be poofed in minutes.

"There was an accident at one of the construction sites. A Peridot lost control of her pod and knocked into an unstable beam. This knocked into a deteriorating part of the wall that Hematite was trying to tear down, and it nearly crushed a group of worker gems. Hematite shifted to half his harvester size to push the wall back and collapse it safely in the other direction. Seven service gems were spared, and Hematite _immediately_ returned to his normal height. The service gems at the location can confirm this."

–

White placed a finger to her chin, biting her fingertip slightly. Her expression didn't change for the majority of the explanation, but near the end she raised a brow.

"Hm...Well then, assuming you're reporting truthfully, I suppose I can let that slide... this time. However, Hematite, please try to refrain from breaking my rules in the future. I've been incredibly lenient with you, you know..." she said sternly. After a long moment, she shrugged, sighing softly. Her tension seemed to fade away gradually. She turned her gaze over to Puff, eyeing the diamond pad.

"Anything else to report, other than that, then?"

–

Hematite nodded in earnest, still not looking White directly in the eyes.

"Yes, I understand. It won't happen again, White. I swear it." His shoulders were tense, and only relaxed when White's own tension began to fade. Puff looked through her pad and read off a few other things that weren't of incredible importance, but stopped at the end. She seemed hesitant to read the last log. Giving a glance to Hematite, she sighed and nodded.

"There is one last thing."

–

White straightened her back and rolled her shoulders slowly, folding her arms behind her back. She glared down at Puff, pursing her lips. She didn't say anything in response.

–

Puff's poised stature faltered for a moment, but she recovered and continued to read.

"Yesterday at 13:50, while Hematite was on his final clean-up job, I was watching from a nearby building. At 13:55, I heard voices nearby mention 'the harvester'." Puff cast Hematite a quick glance, guilt apparent on her face.

"I was unable to find the source of the voices, but I did manage to catch a quick recording."

Quietly, Puff flicked the screen and held out the small diamond pad. There was a single voice on it, faint, muffled, and low. It was nearly impossible to make out the words. The voice sounded _odd_.

 _"Harvester-traito-alone-weak-mission-when he's-find-take him dow-size-nst him-shatter"_

The recording fizzled out.

The Jasper sighed and looked back at White. She wanted to state her opinion on the exchange, but she kept it to herself.

"They made a break for it before I spotted them. That is all there is to report."

–

White's calmed anger turned into something of complete bafflement. She looked away for a minute, biting her nail once more.

"MMmmnnn. That is... peculiar." She turned, facing the service gem and sighing. "What do you two suppose this means then?..." she asked, half concerned and half deep in thought already.

–

Puff flicked the pad off and turned it over in her hand, idly. She seemed hesitant to say what was on her mind. Sparing Hematite a glance, she crossed her arms.

The service gem was no longer standing at attention. His hands were back in front of him, and his thumb and index finger were busy rubbing together. Though he was hiding it rather well, there was a stunned air about him. Frowning with concern, Puff looked back to White Diamond. She might as well say it.

"I believe someone may be looking to harm Hematite. Take 'justice' into their own hands. There were many gems in the districts that heard what happened two months ago that gave him dirty looks or avoided him, or heckled him in public places. But this sounded different. I've only heard bitter grumbling up to this point." She rubbed her cheek. "Whoever this gem was, I think they're serious."

–

White's brows furrowed. The air became oddly thick around her. She was silently seething for a moment, not really even looking at either of them. Without a word, she turned quickly, pacing to her desk. Looking in her drawer, she pulled out her own diamond pad, writing something down. A quiet, dense tension followed, filling the entire office. All the two gems standing by could hear was the sound of White furiously taking notes on something. Suddenly, she stopped, placing the diamond pad back onto the desk.

She inhaled deeply through her teeth for about ten seconds, and then...

 **SLAM!**

Her hands came down on her desk violently, shaking the dish that the cup of tea had rested upon. Her eyes were widened, furious. She took another swift breath, pinching her fingers between her eyes and clenching her free hand.

"No one is taking any of these matters into their own hands. I will see to it myself that Hematite is not harmed by some spiteful, pitiful hoodlums!" she hissed, lifting her face to glare up at them. She fortunately didn't seemed angry _at_ them, but she _was_ angry nonetheless.

She growled lowly to herself, trying to keep herself calm. "I'll see to it that whoever is responsible for this is taken care of. In the mean time, Hematite, if you feel unsafe at any given point... we can discuss possible escorts on your future missions," she stated promptly, glancing back over to Puff.

–

White's anger certainly made Hematite nervous, but he knew that it wasn't directed at him, and tried to keep his composure. Shakily, he nodded.

"Y-yes ma'am, White. Thank you..." The service gem looked at Puff, who was giving him a rather sympathetic frown. Pursing her lips, the Jasper looked back to White and cleared her throat.

"If I may, White Diamond. Would it be terribly inappropriate for me to suggest that I remain his unofficial guard? I understand his punishment is done, but if he so wishes, and if you would allow it, I wouldn't mind looking out for him in public places, when I have the time."

–

White sighed again, placing her palms against the back of her head, running her fingers through her hair in exasperation.

"Oooh, I don't see why not..." She groaned, looking down at her tea. Grabbing hold of the cup's handle, she brought it to her lips but held it there for a moment. Looking back up quickly, she lowered the cup slightly and frowned.

"If that's all then, I've got a lot to mull over now. Hematite, starting now, your punishment, aside from your restriction from tea, is complete. You may go on about your business as per usual." She took a quick sip, placing the cup on the saucer. "But remember, there is still work to be done. I shall give you the rest of the day to rest up, but tomorrow you're back on the job. Understood?"

–

Nodding, Hematite sighed and forced a smile.

"Understood, White Diamond. Thank you. I will report here tomorrow in the morning."

Puff crossed her arms again with a satisfied though cautious smile as she looked between him and White.

–

White nodded simply, gesturing her hand towards the door.

"Thank you both. You are dismissed. Just, stay out of trouble, alright?" she grumbled, closing her eyes and placing her hands together once more.

–

Hematite gave a respectful bow and walked out of the office with Puff. The door hissed closed behind them, and the service gem let out a huge sigh, leaning back against the entrance.

"Why didn't you tell me about that recording?"

The Jasper winced slightly and looked at the smaller gem, her expression guilty.

"I wanted to talk to White about it first. I didn't want you getting nervous."

Hematite was staring ahead of himself, lost in thought. His fingers rubbed together quietly.

"Tell me first, next time. Or at least tell me it happened. I need to know these things."

Puff looked away for a moment and scratched at her cheek. After an awkward pause, she nodded.

"Right. But hopefully it won't happen again." She paused again. "... Are you okay, scrap?"

"Yeah I'm fine that voice just sounded... weird."

"Well it is a rather low quality recording."

"No no. I don't know how to explain it." With a frustrated sigh, Hematite rubbed the back of his head and puffed his bangs away from his face. "Ah well, maybe it's just my imagination. Thanks for getting it on an audio file. Think you can give that to the Peridot down at the archives before you leave? I'd like to analyze it."

"Oh! Sure, kiddo." Puff pocketed the pad and crossed her arms. "So what are your plans for tonight?"

"Honestly? I think I'm going to lay down for a while. Catch up on some rest... I have a spar with Morgan in a couple weeks, I need to be caught up on sleep for that, and with the work I'll be doing in the next few days, hah. I'm going to need the rest while I can get it."

"Aaah, gotcha." Puff winked and gave Hema a smile. "Mind if I tag along around then? I'd love to see you and Mor' duke it out!" She smiled brightly, a hopeful gleam in her eyes. Hematite blinked and rubbed the back of his head.

"Oh, uh. Sure! If you want..."

"I do! That'll be an interesting fight, heheh. You get some rest, scrap!" Puff headed off, toward the archives. "You're gonna need it~"


	22. Unprovoked

_Summary: Morganite and Hematite have a spar._

Back at the coliseum again... It'd been a while.

The huge structure loomed ahead, and Hematite had to crane his neck up to look toward the top of the stone walls. However, he didn't have to look quite as far as usual.

As Hematite passed by oncoming gems, he was given dirty or confused glances. He wasn't standing at his usual 5 or so feet today, no. The news a few weeks back that someone was planning to try and attack him had shaken the service gem, and since that day, he'd taken to walking around in public in a slightly larger form. It was only around 15 or so feet, give or take. Not huge, but it was certainly enough height to make average sized gems nervous or avoidant. The dirty looks he'd gotten bothered him at first, considering he was only doing this for his own safety! Over time, however, he came to value the comfort being taller provided him over the animosity some people looked at him with.

Approaching the gates to the arena, Hematite stopped in front of the two guards standing watch. One of them he knew to be a Jasper, but the other looked unfamiliar. He couldn't tell what kind of gem she was, but by the huge build and serious expression, he guessed she was a war-class. Her entire form was an odd, faded greenish color, and she wore a near full-suit of armor. She looked up at him with a nasty glare, but without saying a word, she and the other guard moved out of his way. The first guard, the one Hema recognized, mumbled a 'Don't cause any trouble' as he walked in. Hematite nodded in response and made his way into the entrance tunnel. He soon emerged from the other side, into the light of the arena, and gave a long stretch. While there _was_ a sense of tension being back in either of the sparring arenas, he was glad to be there. A few gems were scattered here and there in the stands, much like they had been the very first time Blue brought him there. He was glad for it, he didn't exactly want an audience these days. Hopefully nobody would make a fuss...

Hematite spotted Puff near one of the tunnels, speaking with another Jasper, by the looks of it, and he made his way over. He hadn't seen her since the afternoon she was discharged from being his guard.

Puff quickly noticed Hematite approaching, and stopped mid sentence, double taking.

"Whoaa, scrap! You're just walking around like that now?' A wide grin crossed her face, and she gave a little wave to the Jasper before she started to walk off. Seemed their conversation was already ending before Hematite spotted them. She looked back at the service gem and crossed her arms as he crouched down, his arms resting on his knees. "Or are you just like that for the spar, huh?" Hema gave a bashful smile and rubbed the back of his head.

"I've... started walking around like this in public. Feels a bit, you know. Safer."

Puff pursed her lips, but gave a nod.

"Fair enough. It's cool though, you seem more comfortable like that!"

Hematite blinked in surprise at the Jasper, tilting his head.

"W-what? ... Really?"

"Yeah, the way you walked in and such. It's hard to explain." She waved a hand dismissively. "You always seem to be less jumpy when you're not down at this level." Puff gestured a hand at her shoulder level, where Hema's head usually reached. "So I think you've got the right idea. If anything, should make this spar more even.~"

The service gem tilted his head slightly, taking Puff's words into consideration. He did feel less vulnerable at this size... But it wasn't so big that he was worried about hurting people.

"Well, we'll see if Morganite agrees with you, hahah." Hematite gave a bright smile and stood back up. He walked closer to the center of the arena to stretch and get warmed up. It'd been two months since he even properly used his skills, and he wasn't sure he'd be able to use them in this spar. Not correctly, anyways.

–

The guards at the gate carefully watched the service gem from afar. They stayed stoic, unmoving, the greenish gem especially. As the minutes ticked by, they parted to the side to allow the occasional gem to walk through. The stands weren't quite as bustling about as they used to be, but there was still a few folks here and there that craved excitement. Upon hearing of Hematite's reappearance in the Coliseum, they had to come see what it was all about. Some were nervous, some were distrustful, but others were eager to see the turnout. Most of the gems currently scattered along the Coliseum were in the stands, staying out of the way of the giant gem. Some didn't want to be close to Hematite, but some simply didn't have business on the field. There weren't too many around, perhaps a small handful of fifteen to twenty. It was few enough that the guards in front of the west entrance could keep an eye on everyone, easily.

Not long after Hematite's arrival, a familiar face showed up in the entrance way of the Coliseum. They were tall, svelte, and carried themselves well. He walked with his hand on his hip, eyes drifting upwards to meet with the much taller service gem that he had seen many times before. He was still some distance away, his back turned to him. Soon enough, he closed the distance between himself and Hema, standing a little ways from him. Seemed the service gem hadn't noticed his arrival.

Morganite smirked, raising a brow. With a stifled chuckle, he dug his heel into the dirt, lost in thought. He didn't say anything for a few long moments, curious if Hema would notice him on his own. Seemed he was too invested in his warmup. With a soft chuckle, he flicked his hair to the side, finally breaking his silence.

"Saaaaay shorty, did you get taller? Hmhmhm~!"

–

With a short, surprised gasp, Hematite turned on his heel to see Morganite standing behind him.

"Ah, Morgan- sorry, didn't see you come in!" Rolling his shoulder, Hema blinked and gave the pink-haired gem a slightly awkward smile. Though it changed to a genuine one a moment later. Now that his 'opponent' was here, his mood was already starting to pick up with the excitement of the match. "Oh yeah, I guess you haven't seen me like this before, huh?"

–

"Not at all! I mean I've heard from Blue you got huge during your missions, but, hah! I didn't think she meant literally. Partially I thought it was her drinks talkin'!" He smiled, crossing his arms. Looking to the Jasper that stood near the much taller gem, Morganite pointed charmingly and gave her a nod of greetings. "Hey fuzzball, here to watch the match? I'm sure it'll be a blaaaast!" He swayed his hand through his hair, winking to the side at Hematite.

–

Puff chuckled and grinned back at the pink-haired gem.

"You know it! Think I'd miss you two fighting? No way! This is gonna be an interesting one."

 _The veteran vs the harvester, this would be something._

Hematite smiled and rubbed the back of his head.

"It's not gonna be that great, I'm pretty rusty. Forgive me, Morgan..." He turned to the smaller gem and gave an awkward grin. "If this is a rather boring fight."

–

Morganite shot Hematite an amused glance, his lips curled into a confident, yet encouraging smile.

"I'm sure you'll do juuuust fine. If you fight Diamonds, surely you can take on a simple warrior gem like me. That being said, now..."

Morganite's eyes narrowed, his smile growing wider. He placed both of his arms out, clenching his fists. With a swift motion, he swayed his arms out, a pink glow forming over them and morphing into the long, silver blades that Hematite had seen once before.

Taking a proud stand, he placed one of his hands on his hips and motioned the other blade simply in a beckoning motion.

"Let's see what you've got!~"

–

At this point, Puff ran back to the stands with a wave to the both of them.

"Good luck you twooo~!" And with that, she was up the stairs and into the small 'crowd' of gems to watch.

 _Right, okay. Blades and fire powers, those he knew about. Everything else?_

 _ **No clue.**_

Hematite stood at the ready as his eyepiece chirped to life. If he was going to stand a chance, he'd need to study how Morgan fought.

 _Or_ _ **attempt**_ _to study, anyways._

Sparks lit up the service gem's fists as he summoned his own weapons, and he took a defensive stance, staring Morgan down.

"Bring it on."

–

Morgan swiped his arm to the side quickly, darting back. He was seemingly bouncing up and down, antsy to get started... but he wasn't rushing right in immediately. He clenched his fists and laughed, beckoning Hematite to come forward. Oddly enough, Morgan seemed unphased by the fact that Hematite was significantly taller than him at the moment. He watched carefully, his eyes darting around Hematite's form. His arms, his legs, even his very stance. By the look in his eyes, he seemed to be picking him apart from afar. _He, too, was studying._

–

Frowning slightly, Hematite took a pace back as well. Seemed neither of them were too eager to start the fight. Narrowing his eyes, the service gem sighed and sprinted forward, his fists aglow with bright pink electricity. He'd go for a direct hit, then see what Morgan would do. If his luck was good, this would work out how he wanted.

–

Morganite's eyes widened, as did his smile. Instead of bolting to the side, or darting forwards, he widened his stance suddenly and, just as Hematite got within a few feet and went in for a direct punch, he crossed his blades together, the wide ends meeting the knuckledusters with an alarmingly loud _CLANG!_ The blunt strike forced him back, his heels digging into the dirt. Electricity surged through the blade, fizzling up his arms. He winced, but otherwise kept a straight gaze, glaring up into Hematite's eyes.

While the electricity stung, the abrupt stop gave him the chance to kick his leg up and whack Hematite's hand away with his foot. Bouncing back again, he smirked and darted forward, swiping a bladed arm towards the giant gem.

–

Hematite's eyes widened in surprise when Morgan took the hit, his blades taking the largest of the brunt, and he yelped in surprise as Morgan kicked his hand back. He winced and held his wrist, but barely had time to react as the pink-haired warrior came charging at him, blade readied. Quickly, Hema tried something he'd gotten good at with Yellow. Deflecting. Hematite's knuckle duster glanced off the weapon, but the service gem miscalculated, and the blade nicked his hand, earning another wince. The larger gem gritted his teeth and made a wild kick at Morgan's feet, hoping to knock him off balance while the warrior's attention was focused on his upper half.

–

The warrior took a surprising turn, his face never changing as he jumped up into the air as Hematite kicked. However, he timed it as best as he could, actually jumping onto Hematite's side and latching onto his suit. Quickly maneuvering himself around him, clinging to his outfit, he climbed up onto his back and grabbed hold. With a swift movement, he launched himself off with enough force to kick him away and send the service gem forward.

–

With an embarrassing yelp, Hematite attempted to pry Morgan off of his back, but soon found himself launched forward. Within a moment, he was face down on the dirt.

 _Well. This isn't going to work._

Not a second later, Hematite's form began to glow, and he rolled quickly onto his side at the same moment, hopping up as his body took on its usual size. He now stood a few feet shorter than Morgan, but that was the plan. Skipping back, Hematite took a defensive stance, his steps much more agile at his smaller size. Once again, his fists began to glow with sparkling light.

–

Morgan bounced in place again, flicking his bangs away from his eyes with a charming wink. He shot him a confident grin, curling and uncurling his fingers rhythmically.

"Interestiiiiiing! Hahaha, So you can transform on a whim? That'll make for some exciting battles!" He chortled heartily, snapping one of his fingers.

He advanced forward quickly, blades out like he were going for a quick jab.

–

Hematite smiled in acknowledgment of Morgan's observation and gave a quick nod as he continued to pace back. It seemed he was trying to make more distance between the two of them, but as the warrior gem closed in, Hematite used his quick advancing as a mask to slow his own steps backwards. Morgan got to him far quicker than he should have.

In a flash, Hematite stopped hopping backwards and used his slowed retreat to shoot forward, darting to the side to avoid a possible strike. He looked like he was going in for a punch, his fists brightly glowing. However, the second he was within striking distance, there was a bright flash, and he seemed to 'vanish'. Within seconds, Hema shifted back up, now behind Morgan, and delivered a powerful blow between the shoulder blades, quickly stepping back afterward.

–

The force was enough to knock the wind out of him, mixed with both power and the element of surprise. He whirled around, skidding back as he was sent stumbling. He kept his footing however, and looked back at his opponent with a respectful, beaming smile.

"Very nice!~" He hummed out, swiping his arm up in the air. With a clenched fist, the blade suddenly ignited, bursting into a tower of red hot flames. Bringing it back down, he swayed the blade in front of him in a mesmerizing pattern.

"Time to turn up the heat."

–

Hematite's eyepiece surface was dancing with activity, notes being taken down during the whole fight. Morgan's fighting style, moves, his attack and retreat patterns, hell, even his banter. Underneath a little box that read 'Personality' in gemspeak, a new bullet point flickered onto the screen, only visible to Hematite.

 _-Encouraging_

Hematite's eyes widened as Morgan's blades were sent ablaze. Sweat formed on his brow, and he swallowed hard as he paced back further.

 _Alright, now things were going to get a bit dicier._

Hematite was worried Morgan would bring out the fire soon, and he honestly wasn't prepared for it, aside from _one_ defense he had.

 _Alright, he's all melee with those blades on. I don't know if he can use that fire at range, but let's see how this pans out._

–

The lithe gem started to hum, swirling his flaming hand around, the blaze trailing behind his arm. Morganite took another bold move forward, this time reeling his flaming arm back. He shot Hematite a rather ominous glare, bolting forward and going in for a side hit. He seemed unphased, unwavering, and untiring. Things really _were_ just warming up.

–

The service gem gritted his teeth in surprise and stumbled backwards before he tried to dodge to the side. The blade tip caught his side, and he winced, making more of an effort to create some distance between them.

Those arm blades were not something that he wanted to tangle with right now.

Hematite's arms began to spark again, this time with more focus between the prongs of his knuckledusters.

–

Morganite cocked a brow, noticing the sparks beginning to charge up between the prongs. Shooting another quick glance to his opponent, he kept running forward, turning to joust towards him again; this time however, as he neared, he swung the blades up once more in a defensive position, the flames overtaking both of the blades now. His entire front, at least where his arms were, was now a flaming shield.

–

For once, Hematite had an opening. The service gem grinned widely as he swung his arms out, the sparks seeming to radiate away from his fists. But instead of the lightning striking the warrior gem, they snapped into two long electrical whips. In an instant, Hematite snapped his wrist toward his opponent, the whip quickly wrapping around his ankle. The service gem's form began to glow, and he pulled sharply on the whip, shifting back to the height he'd been at the start of the fight. With a loud yell of effort, the service gem yanked the warrior gem towards and over him, swinging him away and into the wall.

–

The flames dissipated quickly upon being grabbed by the whip. His smile, for a split moment, faded into a frown of regret, his body sent flying. With a resounding SLAM, he made a harsh contact with the wall, crumbling pieces of it where he had made impact. Shrapnel from the wall and dust came jutting out, the warrior staggering to his feet after a few long, agonizing moments. The crowd fell silent momentarily.

–

At first, Hematite let out a hearty laugh upon seeing that his attack hit its mark. But at the sudden cloud of dust, his confident smile vanished, replaced with a look of fear and regret.

 _Oh no._

The service gem stood, frozen, staring at the wall where he'd launched the warrior gem. Flicking on his hunting visor, he stared hard into the dustclouds. _Please don't be cracked..._

"… Mhm. Mhahaaaaaha~"

From the cloud of dirt that was kicked up, Morganite walked forward, a noticeable singe mark on his leg. He straightened his back with a few subtle cricks. Coughing, he waved his still-bladed arm to shake the dust cloud away, shooting Hematite a very dark grin.

Hema finally let out his held breath when he heard Morganite's rather eerie chuckle from the still-settling dust. As the pink-haired gem walked forward, Hematite stared at him, still noticeably stuck in place, his eyes darting over his opponent with concern.

 _Gem Located: Morganite. Status: No gem faults detected._

The whips at Hematite's hands fizzled out, and his hands stopped glowing, his visor vanishing from his face. _He didn't like that look Morgan was giving him._

–

Morganite motioned his fingers gradually, noticeably stricken by the massive blow he just took. However, despite all that, he kept moving forward... smiling. Laughing. And now... he had a glazed over, distant smile. Balling up his fists, his knuckles cracked, and he started to hum again. Emerging completely out of the cloud of dust, he summoned more blazing fire around both of his arms.

His gaze never averted from Hematite. He had an eerie calm about him, humming smoothly as if the fight were just a fun game to him.

Moving forward quickly, he seemed to 'trot' around, bounding from place to place swiftly and looking for an opening to land a solid hit on his opponent. However, the way his body moved had changed completely since the spar started. Now he spun around, gracefully lunging, almost as if _dancing_.

And then, from no-where, his humming turned into actual _singing_.

 _"Come to me, oh dearest one! Together we shall see the sun! You and me, lets sail away; live to see another day!~"_

–

Still shaken by his moment of shock, Hematite took a few heavy paces back as Morganite approached. The humming and calm demeanor was putting him off. And now he was _singing_? Nervously, Hematite held up his hands in a defensive manner, but quickly balled them back up into fists when he saw that Morgan wasn't done yet.

Quickly, he advanced backwards, keeping his eyes on the warrior gem. He could tell he was looking for an opening, but this time, he wasn't giving him one. Hema met his moves one for one, always keeping him in front of him.

"M-morganite?" he stuttered, still not recovered from earlier. He didn't like this. This wasn't 'right', something about the warrior was _off_. And Hematite didn't like it one bit.

–

Morganite twisted around, seemingly putting on his own show as he advanced forward. The flames licked up his arms slowly, engulfing them with a bright pyre.

 _"So take my hand, be not afraid! This beast before you shall be slayed, and when we're through, I'll say to you..."_

Skidding to a halt, Morganite turned on his heel to run directly towards Hema, closing some space between them.

 _"... do not look so dismayed!~"_

He shot towards the service gem, his entire body now engulfed in a raging inferno. He was closing in quickly. His arms struck forward, blades pointed right for the larger gem.

–

He couldn't avoid him forever.

Hematite continued to try and keep Morgan in front and away from him, but as the warrior suddenly lunged forward, blades outstretched, the service gem knew he was out of options.

Moments before Morganite's weapons closed in, Hematite's entire form began to spark with bright pink electricity, his eyes wide.

 _Flash_

 _ **WHAM!**_

In a split second, Hematite's now giant foot made heavy contact with the pink-haired warrior, sending him flying into the opposite wall, leaving another impressive crack. The now giant gem's form slowly stopped glowing, and he was left crouched close to the ground, his leg extended with a sweeping divet scooped out of the dirt behind it. It'd been a clean hit. Hematite's breathing was heavy, irregular, and his eyes were staring ahead of him at nothing in particular. Electricity was coursing through his whole body, sparking into the ground below him.

"AW YEAH THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT!" shouted Puff from the audience, her fists high in the air. She gave a hearty laugh, her eyes bright. Most of the audience around her did not share her enthusiasm. Puff looked around, confused why no-one else was cheering. However, the moment she saw Hematite's face clearly, she understood why, and her demeanor fell. _"Scrap?"_  
Images of Puff's first encounter with the giant gem flashed through her mind, and sweat began to form on her brow. She didn't like that distant look Hematite had.

–

With a heavy slam, Morganite's made contact with the wall, his weapons disappearing upon impact. However, his entire body remained coated in flames. Falling into the dirt below the crack, he found himself hunkered over, propped up by one of his arms. He coughed, but shakily got himself off of the ground.

 _"T.. Together...we can wait this out..."_ He was looking down, his face hidden by a messy arrangement of pink hair. _"You and me, without a doubt..."_ Another cough escaped him, and he slowly looked up, the grin still plastered across his face. _"They'll try and try to tear us down..."_

The flames licked further up his form, and he looked up at the huge gem before him, eyes widened in both excitement and minor surprise. He met Hematite's gaze, unwavering. Every lyric he sang grew quieter, until it was almost too quiet to be heard by anyone but Hema himself. He seemed to be, more than anything, singing it to _himself_.

 _"But in the end we'll take the crown..."_

–

The giant gem stared at Morganite, his breathing still irregular. He didn't seem to be listening to the pink-haired warrior's song, though he was still _hearing_ it. He opened his mouth, as if about to say something.

But then a cry of agony escaped him instead. With a flash, Hematite suddenly shrank down ever so slightly. He hunched over, holding the back of his neck, inhaling sharply through his teeth.

The collected gems gasped in surprise, some gems pointing and standing up to see what had happened. A huge warrior class gem was standing some distance behind Hematite. It was the new guard from the gate. A huge spear, seemingly made of light energy, was currently clasped in her fist.

Another identical spear stuck out of the back of Hematite's neck, between his fingers. He was panting heavily, trying not to lose control of his form as electricity started to course through him and the ground below him.

–

Morganite stopped abruptly, clenching his fists, his smile fading.

 _What?..._

Noticing what had happened, the flames from his body quickly died out. Concerned, he stepped forward slightly to try and see what was going on around Hematite. As soon as he noticed the guard, his brows furrowed.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?!" he shouted just loud enough for them to hear, crossing his arms. He started to walk a little quicker towards them, slowly glancing over at the distressed crowd. _This wasn't supposed to happen._

–

The guard, upon seeing that Morgan wasn't poofed or shattered, pointed her spear at the warrior class gem, glaring down at him. Her light yellow eyes bore straight through Morganite, a cruel sneer on her lips.

 _ **Stay. Out of this.**_

Morganite growled at the guards offending glare, his fists bursting into flames. _Like hell I'm gonna let you get away with this if I have anything to say about -_

The spear she was pointing at him flashed, now far longer and deadlier looking, and a smirk crossed her face. The smile quickly vanished, however, when the giant gem some distance from the two of them suddenly jerked, letting out another cry of pain. She looked over just in time to see Hematite yanking the spear out of his neck. He looked at it before promptly shattering it in his fist. His attention snapped to the two gems in the arena, his eyes wide, teeth bared. A low growl rumbled in his chest, and a few gems in the audience suddenly began to scramble from their seats, heading for the stairs. Puff was frozen in place, her hands tightly gripping the back of the seat in front of her.

–

Within an instant, Morganite backed up quickly, startled by the sudden change of demeanor. On one hand, he was glad to see Hema intact... on the other, he couldn't tell if the giant gem's anger was directed at them both, the guard, or if he was pissed off in general.

Without warning, Hematite launched forward with a feral battle cry. He landed on all fours near the gems with a ground-shuddering **thud** , one of his hands only feet away from Morgan. His other fist shot out toward the guard, violently knocking her away, across the arena floor.

–

He took another few steps away from Hematite's massive hand, watching in a surprised amusement as the other gem was sent flying. He shrugged with a dry, almost amused chuckle and the flames disappeared once more from his hands.

"Er, looks like ya got that covered then, big guy..." he whispered, smirking.

Still, he shot the other guard a condescending sneer.

–

At the pink-haired warriors words, Hematite's attention suddenly snapped down to him, his teeth still bared. The low growl was still in his chest, now even louder since he was so close.

The warrior landed heavily across the field, her spear vanishing into a show of sparks as she sat up, coughing up dust. She quickly sat up, glaring at the giant gem.

–

Morganite blinked, giving another heavy shrug. His expression faltered for an instant.

"Alright alright, sorry! Hah..." He chuckled softly, taking _quite a few_ steps back. "I'll just stay out of your way for the moment..." He bit his lip awkwardly, crossing his arms. There was _no_ way he was getting between Hema and the other gem with him in _this_ state.

–

As soon as Morganite backed off, the slightest bit of 'sense' returned to Hematite's expression, and he closed his mouth, quickly turning to the warrior across the arena. She drew a spear from a small, dark opening in the right side of her armor, which supposedly was where her gemstone was.

Quickly, Hematite barreled toward the armored gem, his clawed fingers outstretched, lightning coursing between them. The huge warrior took his moment of advancing to summon another, much larger spear. She chucked it powerfully at his neck, though Hematite caught the movement and was able to dodge it, getting nicked in the shoulder, tearing his suit. Snarling, the giant gem lashed out at the guard, leaving deep scratch marks in the dirt as she dodged back out of the way. She launched another spear at him, this time it hit him directly in the eye piece, making Hematite wince and recoil back, holding his face.

The Jasper in the audience stared in horror and appalled shock as the guard landed blow after blow on the giant gem. Why was she even attacking him in the first place?! And for that matter, why couldn't Hema land a hit on her?!

Leaping down from her seat, Puff grit her teeth and rushed over to Morganite, grabbing his sleeve as she rushed towards the two.

"Mor', we gotta do something! Who is this gem?!"

–

Morganite watched in disgust, clenching his fists together. His brows furrowed, ran alongside Puff, . Sweat formed on his brow, realization setting in the more he watched. At first, he thought Hema could handle this on his own, but now...

"Puff, that guard is aiming right for his gem. She's trying to KILL him!" He snarled, the sharp blades forming over his forearms yet again. "We have to stop her, Hematite didn't warrant this! This is illegal interference, and whatever reason she's attacking him for, it sure as hell doesn't warrant shattering!" he continued, shooting a determined glare back at the Jasper.

–

Puff's eyes widened at the mention of 'shattering', and she felt a cold chill shoot up her spine.

 _The recording..._

The Jasper turned her attention quickly to the fight as she summoned her battle ax. She stopped, eyes wide at the sight that welcomed her. She hadn't looked away for ten seconds, but now...

Hematite had shrunken again, only half of the size he'd been when he landed the 'final' hit on Morganite. He was still big, but not unmanageable now at only thirty or so feet tall. The warrior was relentlessly swiping a rather impressive spear at him as he retreated back, attempting to stand on his feet. But he failed as the guard shot another light spear at his neck, and he fell backwards, landing flat on his back. Without wasting a moment, the warrior ran along Hematite's leg, up to his knee, ready to use it as a vantage point to go in for her final strike.

Puff was already running toward the two, letting out a rather panicked, but fierce battle cry.

"HEMATITE!"

Eyes widening, the guard faltered at Puff's outburst, her steps uneven for a moment.

–

Morganite rushed forward. The world around him fell silent. The screams, Puff's yelling, the warriors cry... he heard _nothing_. He fell silent. His face was blank, glazed over, even. He wasn't all _there_ , suddenly. He sent himself barreling towards the guard, taking a mighty leap onto Hematite's chest. Without having much time to think, he stepped in front of Hema's gemstone and swung his arms into his X-shaped shield position and braced for impact.

–

Upon seeing Morganite jump in the way, the warrior stumbled just enough to throw off her leap. Instead of jumping for Hematite's neck, she landed clumsily onto his chest, in front of the pink haired gem. The impact knocked the wind out of Hematite, and he winced, still too out of it to process what was going on. Puff made it to Hematite's side and stared up at Morgan and the warrior, wondering if she should interfere or not. It wasn't wise to get between Morgan and his opponent, and she wasn't sure she could hop up there anyways. She looked at the giant gem on the floor, quickly checking his neck over for damage.

–

Morganite took the opportunity to jerk forward, grabbing onto the warrior's shoulders with flaming hands, gripping tightly. He met her gaze evenly with a deadpan, cold stare.

 **WHAM!**

He jerked his knee upwards, spinning around and kicking them in the chest. He watched her land on the field, knocked completely off of Hematite's chest.

 _"GET AWAY FROM HIM._ You are interfering with a match you had no part in! This is the Coliseum, and Hematite did NOTHING wrong!" he roared down at her, holding up his arm which burst into a spiraling pyre of flames.

–

The blow to her chest caught her off guard, as did the powerful kick. She ungracefully stumbled back to the coliseum floor, and Hematite took the chance to scoot back a bit, sitting up just slightly. His hand reached up, cupping close to Morgan so he wouldn't slip off as he sat up. The giant gem stared down at the guard, all the anger gone from his face. There was nothing there now but numb fear and shock.

–

Morganite fell back into the gem's hand upon Hematite's sudden shifting. He was a little taken aback at first, but soon realized what was happening, and relaxed. He looked up at him quickly and nodded in a subtle thanks. Hopping back down onto the dirt, he snuffed out the flames around his blades, but kept them summoned. He wasn't going to take a chance with _this_ one.

–

The huge warrior gem slowly sat up, shaking her head. Puff walked over, her ax in her hand. She glared evenly at the gem and grit her teeth. The larger guard looked as if she'd reach for another spear, but she stopped when Puff growled at her. Instead, she flicked her hand over the small opening in her armor, closing it off with a soft click. Frowning deeply, the Jasper motioned subtly with her ax.

"Get up. We're taking this to Blue Diamond. You had no right attacking this gem."

Scoffing, the guard looked up and cracked her neck with a smirk. Puff grasped her weapon tighter, ready to strike, but the guard dropped her head again. She was quiet a long moment, but then sighed. A dark green battle helmet appeared on her head in a flash of light. Hematite thought for a moment she was going to get up and fight again, but the warrior made no move to do so. Instead, she slowly looked up, staring at nothing in particular.

"Let's go, then."

Hematite's eyes widened, his look of shock slowly being replaced by one of deep thought and slight confusion.

–

Morganite narrowed his eyes, staring daggers into the guard. He said nothing, slowly looking over to Puff and giving her a look that could only mean 'get on with it'.

–

Puff met Morgan's gaze and nodded in response. She turned to the warrior gem and snorted at her in disgust.

"C'mon then, get up."

Slowly, the guard stood to her feet and put her hands up in front of her in defeat. Her face was hidden by her helmet, her expression unknowable.

As Puff began to lead her away, Hematite finally spoke.

"Wait."

The Jasper turned in surprise, her eyes widening when she saw Hema's expression.

He was staring hard at the armored guard, his jaw set, his eyes wide.

"We're not taking her to Blue Diamond."

"What?! Hematite, did you see what she just did?!" The giant gem slowly looked at her, his brows furrowing.

"Yes. I did."

"Then-"

 _"We're taking her to White."_


	23. Relieved

_Summary: Hematite gains a new escort for his next mission._

It was a long, silent walk to the warp pad, and then the White tower. Hematite was deep in thought. The guard said nothing on the way back, and kept her stoic demeanor even as the group of four gems approached White's office door. Hematite knocked, waiting as the entrance opened up, and walked inside. He saluted stiffly.

"Hematite reporting, White Diamond."

–

White took a stand from her seat and gave the group a mildly suspicious look. It was brief, however. While she didn't appreciate Hematite bringing uninvited gems to her office, especially one she didn't recognize, she knew it was best not to jump to any negative conclusions. With that stiff demeanor and serious look... something was definitely up.

"Hello, Hematite. Is there something you need? Why do you bring this warrior to me, did something happen?" she asked, narrowing her eyes curiously.

–

The small service gem frowned deeply, his expression dark; not exactly something that White was used to seeing from him. He stepped out of the way as Puff ushered the warrior into the office. Standing beside Hematite, the guard kept her chin high and stared at White Diamond, her face obscured by her helmet.

"White Diamond," she said flatly, her arms held stiffly at her sides.

Hematite's scowl deepened, and he crossed his arms tightly. Raising his head, the cuts along his neck and shoulders were revealed to his leader.

"This gem attacked me in the arena in the midst of a spar with Morganite."

Quickly, the warrior scoffed and interrupted him.

"I was given direct orders by my General, under the order of Yellow Diamond, to guard the arena and subdue any gems that got out of hand. This gem has a record of causing trouble in his giant form AND directly attacking a Diamond in broad daylight, and I thought it prudent to stop him before anyone got hurt or _killed_. I was aiming to destabilize him, not shatter."

Puff rolled her eyes and stood back, standing beside Morganite in the doorway.

–

White widened her eyes, her lips parted in a confused horror at the sight of Hematite's scrapes and torn suit. She listened to both sides, occasionally looking back down at Hematite's gem. Before she could respond, Morganite stepped forward.

"I can attest against that, White Diamond." he stepped next to Hematite, placing a hand on his shoulder. His smile was completely gone, and he looked far angrier than most gems were used to seeing him. White crossed her arms and stood up straight, glancing gradually between the two and the huge warrior that stood behind Hematite. Morganite continued.

"Hematite and I were sparring in the Coliseum, he wasn't disobeying any rules or anything. When he size shifted up, this guard attacked him unprovoked. Hematite did land a few strong hits on me, but it was all in sport. I knew he wasn't going to kill me, and even if he _was_ serious..." Morganite looked back, shooting the guard a rather nasty glare. "I could have handled it myself. Now..."

He looked back at White and bowed his head respectively.

"The guard here says that she aimed to poof him, not shatter. However that's not what I saw. On multiple occasions, she aimed right for his gem." Looking down, he looped one of his fingers into a rather sizable rip near Hema's gem, making sure not to make contact with the silvery stone. He gave a small tug against the collar of Hematite's shirt by the tear.

"I'm sure I don't need to provide any more evidence than this to prove that..."

–

White stood wide eyed, speechless for a moment. Her brows furrowed, and slowly, she looked up to the guard behind the two gems. She said nothing, for the moment...

–

The service gem was silent as Morganite backed him up, and he thanked his lucky stars that the pink-haired warrior had his back, both in the arena and now. Hematite looked up at White, a scowl still on his face. The guard behind him spoke up defensively.

"I knew a Harvester could be a danger if he were to turn against the gems in the arena. I stand by the fact that I was not trying to shatter him."

 _Harvester._

 _ **Harvester.** _

Hematite's attention snapped up to the warrior, realization and anger in his eyes.

 _ **"YOU!"** _

The huge gem took her eyes off of White and stared down at the small service gem, confused. Hematite's fists clenched, and he bared his teeth. A slow, deep inhale of breath hissed through his teeth as he pointed an accusatory finger up at the massive war-class gem.

"I knew I recognized your voice! You're the one on that recording!"

"Recording?" The warrior's shoulders tensed, and she shifted back half a pace.

"' _Shattered_ ', ' _ **Harvester**_ '! I knew there was something weird about the gem in that audio file, that something didn't sound right!" He took a step closer. "You were wearing your helmet then too, weren't you?!"

The guard stared, her eyes wide, though it was hidden by her helmet. She went dead silent, the hair on the back of her neck standing on end.

–

White's gaze shot up to the guard, eyes narrowing fiercely. She rolled her shoulders and took a deep breath. Without taking her eyes off of the guard, she spoke.

"Puff. Do you still have that, by any chance?"

–

The Jasper walked forward, shouldering her way past the warrior. Rummaging through her pocket, she pulled out the same diamond pad she had weeks ago.

"I do, White." She gave the warrior an incredibly dirty look as she flicked on the screen.

The voice played.

"Harvester-traito-alone-weak-mission-when he's-find-take him dow-size-nst him-shatter"

While the rest of the message was harder to make out, 'Harvester' and 'shatter' especially were distinct.

It was hard to make out, but it _was_ the same voice.

The service gem roughly grasped at the cloth on his sleeve, his arms tightly crossed as he glared daggers up into the warrior's dumbstruck face.

"Maybe you should learn to keep your mouth _shut,"_ he hissed with spite, the hair on the back of his neck standing up in horrified anger.

–

As soon as white heard ' _Harvester',_ she heard nothing else.

That was all she needed.

The Diamond's face was hard with rage, her teeth baring ever so slightly. The hair on the back of her neck bristled much like Hematite's, and she glared daggers into the guard.

With venom in her words, she hissed loudly.

"Remove your helmet and state your name."

–

A chill ran up the warrior's spine, a sense of dread washing through her chest. Slowly, she took off her helmet, which vanished in a flash of light. She cracked her neck and glared right back at White, her eyes narrowed.

"Diaspore."

–

White had an odd composure about her, a rageful calm filling the air. There it was again, the density of the air thickened, making the pressure in the room increase. She was breathing heavily, but slowly. Her eyes never faltered from the guard's.

"Morganite." White said sternly, but quietly.

A chill went up the pink-haired warrior's spine. _He knew what was coming next._ Silently, he grabbed Hematite's arm and took him to the side, getting him away from the seething diamond. He glanced over at Puff, urging her to do the same.

White placed her fingertips together, her form still stiff and poised. Slowly, her fingers interlocked, and she motioned her hand forward, cracking her knuckles. A series of chilling cricks filled the air.

"State your mission and remove the rest of your armor."

–

The service gem's anger dissolved as the air in the office grew denser. He glanced at White, pale, and looked at Morgan as he lead him away. Puff backed out of the office and stood to the side, along the wall outside the door. She wasn't getting anywhere _near_ this.

Diaspore snorted contemptuously and clapped her hands, her armor vanishing.

 _So this is it._

She cracked her neck again, moving her arms to reveal an oval-shaped gem on the right side of her chest.

"Mission: Keep the peace at the Coliseum under orders of General Topaz."

–

Just as Dia finished her statement, White took a step forward, shifting into a rather eerie stance. She didn't even hear what Dia said, she was so engulfed with fury that pounded through her head. In all honesty, she didn't _care_ what this gem's mission was.

Within the blink of an eye, she swiped her hand over her face, pulling out a massive pole arm from her gem and slamming it onto the ground. The resounding CLACK echoed through the room, and the air thickened again with an almost worrying pressure. White heaved again, taking in another massive breath of air, gripping the pole arm even tighter. When she opened her mouth again, she spoke loudly, in a commanding tone that shook everyone in the room.

 **"You have BROKEN your code of conduct, stepped out of line, and attempted to take the life of a gem that was not yours to take! Meddled in the affairs of business that was NOT YOUR OWN, and took things into your own hands when you SHOULDN'T HAVE!"**

 _ **CRICK!** _

It was over, fast. Without so much as blinking, White swiped her pole arm and thrust it forward with an alarming force, sending the metallic tip straight through Diaspore's gem and out through her back. Before anyone had time to even comprehend what happened, the warrior gem exploded into a cloud of light green vapor, her shards splintering out onto the cold floor beneath where she once stood.

White held her spear still in the same place as the gem literally fell to pieces around it. Her anger subsided at least a little, now leaving the same calm rage as before. She took one last shuddering breath, teeth grit.

"You are relieved of duty."

–

Hematite's eyes were wide, his hands tightly grasping Morganite's shirt. He was trembling, though he tried to control it.

 _He knew she'd be shattered for what she did, but he didn't think..._

 _That he would have to watch it happen right in front of him._

Looking away, the service gem focused on Morgan's arm. He tried to get control of his breathing, but was having a hard time with it.

 _She deserved it. She tried to kill me. It was justified._

Still, seeing it first hand was... _there wasn't a word for it._ Terrifying, bone-chilling, hair raising, _nothing_ did it justice.

The service gem finally dared to look at the shattered pieces on the floor after a long, tense moment.

"..."

–

Morganite managed to stay stoic throughout the entire ordeal, placing his hand as comfortingly as he could on Hema's shoulder. Still, he couldn't look away from the shards himself, an odd look in his eyes. White leaned over, placing a bubble around the pieces and blipping them away quickly with a tap of her finger. Her pole arm dissipated, and she took another sharp breath. For a few moments, everyone was silent... The dense air faded away gradually, too slowly for anyone to notice right away. White stood tall again, looking over to the group that had stepped away from her. She didn't say a word, at first.

She placed her palms together, her calm returning. There may have still been some anger there, but at the very least it _significantly_ subsided.

"… Are you alright, Hematite?..." she spoke, concern filling her tone. It seemed now that the problem was taken care of, at least in the short run, she was far more worried about him. After all... he didn't look well.

–

The service gem managed to look up at his leader, his eyes wide. Lifting his hand, he touched his gemstone, his gaze dropping. He was silent a long moment, almost as if he didn't hear her. His small form was still visibly shaking.

–

White's face now completely dropped into a look of sheer _worry_. As if all of her anger, all of what had happened suddenly didn't shake her. She clutched her hand tightly, lips parting slightly as she gazed down at the service gem.

"Hematite..." she said softly, walking towards him and the pink-haired warrior. Morganite's grip for a split second tightened, but he let go of Hema's shoulder and backed away from him.

When she was just a few feet away from Hematite, the diamond stopped and leaned down to get a little more eye level with him. She looked almost _pained_.

"Please say something, Hematite. I need to know if you are okay. _I'm not going to hurt you..."_

–

The shorter gem didn't flinch away from her as she neared, but he did tense up. He finally looked up at her again, his hand still over his gemstone. Looking at White's face, his shock and fear was replaced by mild surprise. She looked so... _concerned_.

"I-I'm... fine." Taking a deep breath, he shook his head. "Just. Shaken, is all. She-" Frowning, Hematite exhaled slowly, his trembling calming down. "She did a real number on me, I guess." Hema's fingers found their way to his torn collar, and he fidgeted with the fabric. _Stars, she'd really torn into him..._

"I think I'm okay..."

–

White sighed in relief, standing up straight once more.

"Good, I'm glad to hear it." Her brows furrowed, her serious demeanor returning. She turned around and walked towards the window, gazing out to the city that it overlooked. Morganite turned to look at Puff, giving her a nod as if to ask if she were okay.

–

Watching her walk off, Hematite continued to fidget with his collar. Eventually, his hands folded in front of him, and he glanced at Morgan and Puff.

The Jasper that'd been outside the room was peering in the doorway now, and gave Morgan a nod. Thankfully she hadn't seen any of what transpired, and seemed rather okay. She walked over to the pink-haired gem and spared Hematite a concerned glance.

–

The Diamond across the room broke the silence.

"I will be having a word with Yellow Diamond about this... And Hematite." She turned her head, glaring from the side. "I will be joining you on your next mission. I want to make absolutely sure that you will be safe. After word gets out that this has happened, I'm sure that some won't take too kindly to it."

–

Hema wasn't paying attention to the other two now, but instead was watching White Diamond intently. At her statement, he swallowed and nodded.

"Y-yes ma'am. Understood." _A mission with White herself? That would certainly be something._

"What would you like me to do for today? I'm ready to return to work, should you need me to."

–

White placed her palms to the window sill and hunched over, sighing.

"As much as I appreciate your enthusiasm, perhaps it is not in your best interest to get right back into working today. Especially not in your condition." She sighed, tapping her index finger on the glass idly.

"Take the rest of the day to rest up. I'll see to it that this little guard problem is taken care of." She said, her voice dropping towards the end of her sentence.

"Morganite. Puff."

The warrior tensed, straightened himself at the mention of his name and saluted.

"Yes ma'am!"

"...Thank you both for looking after Hematite. I appreciate your cooperation. You are all dismissed."


	24. Cooperation

_Summary: Yellow Diamond breaks some bad news to someone._

The following day, White stood in Yellow Diamond's office alongside Hematite. She'd already had her little chat with her fellow diamond. She explained everything about the situation with Diaspore as best as she could. At times she found it hard to contain her frustrations, but managed to talk it out over time. At first, Yellow didn't seem fazed, showing little to no reaction to the incident. However, as the explanation continued, she seemed disgusted... in more ways than one. While she wasn't happy with Hematite and would have been more than happy to see him shattered at any given point in time, what the Diaspore did was against the law. She couldn't deny that, and if it weren't _Hematite_ , she would have handled it professionally and unbiased... so even though she hated to help _him_ , she had to treat this like any other case. These guards were now deemed unpredictable, so she had to put a stop to it before anything else happened.

Now, they stood together in the same room. Standing next to White was Hematite, who accompanied her for the upcoming meeting. He hadn't said anything aside from when White Diamond asked him to confirm or deny certain facts of the situation back in the Coliseum.

At the moment, they were simply standing near Yellow's desk, watching the door. White finally broke the silence.

"General Topaz should be here soon, Yellow. It's about that time."

Yellow paced around the room quietly, turning to the other Diamond as she spoke up. Sighing, she glanced over to the door.

"I'm aware."

–

Needless to say, Hematite wasn't exactly... comfortable with being in Yellow's office. White had him tag along for the night, and he'd tried to prepare himself to interact with his rather distant superior, but nothing he did made him anymore ready than he was. The service gem's hands were constantly fidgeting, and he never once met Yellow Diamond's eyes. The two of them hadn't so much as spoken since the incident, and Hematite wasn't sure he knew how to start talking to her again.

All this business with 'General Topaz's' guards was a tad confusing to the service gem. He knew _of_ Topaz by name alone. After White's explanation about the Gem War, Hematite studied up on said events in his spare time and learned quite a bit more about important battles and generals. Specifically, General Topaz was mentioned quite a bit, and Hema now had a rather general overview of her legacy and her continued notable services she provided to the Diamond Authority. She was, and continued to be, one of Yellow Diamond's most feared, respected, and powerful military commanders. But why were her warriors here on Homeworld? Topaz was stationed on another colony planet entirely, aside from a visit here and there to the capital city.

Well, he supposed it wasn't any of his business. White and Yellow had discussed the full details and only told him what he needed to know. He just wanted this to be done and over with.

Soon enough, there was a light knock on the door, and the office entrance hissed open, revealing a huge, war-class gem. Hematite felt his breath catch in his throat at the sight, his eyes widening. As she entered the room, Topaz brushed her hair back from her face and revealed her right eye, staring at the group with a stoic, intelligent gaze. The small service gem stared up in awe at the General and couldn't help but note how she was built almost exactly the same as the guard who had attacked him. She was as tall as White Diamond, and was built much like a Jasper. A triangular yellow gem laid in the center of her chest, directly above a yellow diamond insignia. She was quite the sight to behold. The well-built gem made her way into the room and saluted as a warrior, bending on one knee and bowing her head.

"General Topaz reporting, White Diamond, Yellow Diamond."

–

White crossed her arms, her hands gripping tightly against her gloves. She said nothing, glaring down at the Topaz before her. Yellow stopped pacing, sighing heavily as she did so. She grabbed a hold of the wrist of her glove, snapping it quietly against her arm.

"Look, Topaz. I'm going to cut right to the chase, we need to talk about your guards." She took a deep breath, pursing her lips, clearly not amused.

–

The warrior gem blinked in surprise, her stoic demeanor cracking for a moment. She stood up straight and cleared her throat politely as her professional demeanor returned to her. Her hands clenched and unclenched once, and she crossed her arms, frowning. _She didn't look pleased._

"Did something happen?" she asked curiously, raising a brow.

Hematite watched quietly, trying not to fidget.

–

Yellow bit her lip, looking off to the side in barely disguised frustration.

"I appreciate your initial concern, Topaz. I really do, but I'm afraid these guards are just too unpredictable to keep around. One of them attacked Hematite yesterday, unprovoked, and tried to kill him. What if they were to turn on someone else? I just don't want any more of these incidents." She said sternly, unfolding her arms and placing her hands to her hips as she gazed up at the warrior.

"I'm going to respectfully ask you to remove your guards from all districts at once."

–

Topaz's face darkened as Yellow Diamond spoke, and her hands slowly clenched into fists, her knuckles cracking loudly. Her brows furrowed in indignant rage, and at first it seemed that she would speak in her guard's defense.

But then she opened her mouth.

"They did WHAT? Who was this, where are they?!" Her arms uncrossed, and she clenched her fists again, gritting her teeth. "They were under direct orders to only _subdue_ gems. And even then, it was only in emergency situations." Topaz growled and looked away, her anger not spent. It was clear she was going to continue.

–

White's brows raised in mild surprise, but she bit the end of her nail curiously. She didn't speak. Should she even tell her that the guard in question wouldn't be a problem anymore?... Yellow, too, had a look of surprise, but it quickly turned back into a simple frown. _Topaz was known to have a bit of a temper when it came to her soldiers and any... out of line behavior, so this wasn't too shocking to her._

"I believe their name was Diaspore, she was stationed in the Coliseum, but White... took care of her, already."

–

Hematite watched Topaz curiously. She was furious, wasn't she? He didn't exactly blame her, she seemed genuinely shocked that one of her guards did such a thing. At Yellow's statement, he winced slightly, the image of the shattered pieces flashing through his mind.

The huge General glanced at Yellow, but at the mention of Diaspore's name, a low growl rumbled in her chest. For a moment, Topaz glanced at Hematite with a suspicious frown.

"Diaspore, I should have known. She always was battle-starved and antsy, but I thought giving her a second chance would..." Gritting her teeth, Topaz aggressively rubbed her forehead in frustration.

"To think I had a rogue gem on my hands and I sent her here of all places. I thought I could trust them to follow orders!"

The General was livid at this point, but still made no move to direct it at the other gems in the room. At this point she was venting more than anything else.

"To attack a gem unprovoked and unthreatened, it's inexcuseable." She looked at White with a fierce stare. "You took care of her, then? I hope you shattered her. I have no patience for gems who can't follow simple orders, especially after I've given them multiple chances to do so."

–

The diamonds listened to the Topaz's outburst, glancing to one another on occasion. White narrowed her eyes, but looked to Yellow as she spoke.

"On the spot..." she muttered rather darkly. Yellow continued messing with the wrist of her glove, snapping it again in its place. She sighed, looking to the warrior.

"Yes, well... This one rogue's actions could spark riots. Perhaps even encourage more of these guards to attack unsuspecting, non-threatening gems." She shot Hematite a quick glance, but it was unclear what she was thinking, since her face didn't really match what she was saying. For once, her frustration didn't seem to be aimed at him. If anything, she just looked exasperated with the whole situation.

"I'm afraid it's just too risky, Topaz. I understand your disappointment and outrage... hooooweverrr..." She continued looking at Hematite, her brows raising very slightly. "Hematite's punishment has been over for some time now. What's done is done, and though he's lucky to be alive for what he did... He has already been dealt with, and that is out of my control. White... knows how to handle her gems. I'm sure if this one has any sense about him, he won't do anything like what happened in the Sky Arena ever again."

She looked back up at Topaz with a more stern look now.

"So while I understand your concern with him, I don't believe the guards will be necessary from here on out. We can handle it from here."

–

Hematite blinked and looked at Yellow Diamond, finally meeting her eyes for a moment when she looked at him. His expression was unreadable, and he quickly returned to looking at the general. At this point, she had calmed down, and her hair had fallen back over her right eye. Slowly, she crossed her arms, nodding. Her hand lifted to move her bangs out of her face again as she lifted her gaze to White, Yellow, and Hematite. When she spoke again, her voice was back to its normal low, but surprisingly nonthreatening tone. She was shockingly soft-spoken for such a fierce looking official.

"I understand entirely. I do not wish to keep them here and cause you any further trouble. They will all be given a stern 'talking to' when we return home. This will not happen again, not here, nor back at our own colony." She rubbed her forehead again and let out a drawn out, exasperated sigh. There was a long pause. "They will be removed from the districts by the end of tomorrow, without incident. By the Diamond Authority, I swear it." She saluted respectfully, a look of resigned sorrow on her face as she tilted her head down toward the floor. Her voice lowered to a much softer tone.

"My sincerest apologies for this, Yellow Diamond. And... White Diamond, Hematite, I apologize for any additional stress this has caused _you_ two. I cannot imagine how you must have felt." She raised her gaze from the floor, up to the small service gem. "This will _not_ happen again. No harm shall come to you by my soldiers ever again, I swear it on my gem."

–

Yellow gave a prompt nod, clasping her hands together, glad that Topaz was as understanding as she remembered.

"Thank you for your time, regardless, Topaz. We'll see to it your warriors are in order before your departure tomorrow." She said, tapping her fingertips against one another. White stepped forward a pace and nodded as well.

"And thank you for your cooperation," she stated, placing a hand on Hematite's shoulder.

At the very least, Yellow looked pleased that this meeting had gone as well as it did, and that it was over. Topaz seemed to take it well, and now she was getting Hematite out of her hair again, and at the very least maybe now she had gained some respect back from White after their ordeal after Hematite's little 'outburst' in the Arena.

And... who knew. Maybe finally being exposed to Hematite again would finally stop her nightmares and she could get some proper rest for the first time in months. She had a lot of projects that needed working on, as usual, and her lack of sleep was slowly starting to get to her. And it was all because of that damn nightmarish form...

But still. That was then, this was now.

Despite her lingering distrust of the service gem, she was still genuinely glad that this guard situation was taken care of before anyone else got hurt, and that General Topaz wasn't too cross aside from her outburst over Diaspore.

In the end, justice was justice, and fair was fair, no matter the circumstances.

–

Topaz nodded in understanding, her bangs falling back over her eye.

"Thank you, Yellow Diamond. I will begin rounding up my soldiers immediately. I appreciate you letting me know about this promptly." With that, she saluted the two Diamonds. "I will see myself out. Thank you."

Without another word, she turned and walked out the door, the entrance hissing shut behind her.

–

White's hand left Hematite's shoulder and she, too, made her way to the door.

"Thank you, Yellow Diamond, for your understanding. Hopefully that wasn't too uncomfortable for you, but it had to be done," she said, turning her head a little.

Yellow shrugged, rolling her eyes.

"Mnnnn unfortunately it _was_ , but... hopefully this will keep things a bit more, ah..." Her yellow eyes drifted to the service gem, looking a little suspicious. "... Peaceful." She raised her head up and dug her nails into her arms faintly. "Just make sure this one stays out of trouble."

And with that, she nodded, dismissing the two of them.

 _She was glad that was over._


	25. Shaken

_Summary: Yellow Diamond questions her choice to refuse help._

Nothing.

She had definitely been here before. She knew it. She knew this place, somehow... but she couldn't remember _why she did_. Normally, she couldn't tell what this odd void was in the slightest, but this time around she vaguely remembered it, and it was giving her a headache. She tried desperately to recall how she knew this nothingness, this seemingly endless abyss, but she couldn't figure it out. What did this place mean? What was here? What was this feeling of dread in the pit of her stomach?

But aside from that, there was something else...

Something was _different._

It wasn't cold like it had been all the times before.

Nor was it hot.

 _It felt like absolute nothingness. It was a numbing absence of any sort of sensation aside from the phantom feeling of a floor beneath her feet._

The setting alone made her feel oddly disoriented and sent a chill through her spine. She felt nervous, as if for some reason she couldn't keep hold of her nerves. But why?... Nothing was here. Of all things, why was she afraid of _this_? _No, be brave. There's nothing here. It's just darkness._

Yellow Diamond continued walking out into the black abyss, grasping the side of her head as she tried to comprehend just why this place was so familiar to her. It felt as though some voice was calling at her from the back of her mind, but it was distant and muffled. She couldn't make out any clear words.

–

 _ **CRACK!**_

The ground gave a violent heave underneath Yellow Diamond's feet as a stark-white crack spider-webbed across the black surface. A deep, warped laugh echoed behind her, and the ground gave a shuddering tremble, as if something heavy had landed not too far behind her.

Yellow cried out in shock, backing up swiftly upon feeling the tremors.

 _There it was... that laugh..._

It, too, was somehow familiar.. but she didn't know how... yet. She whipped around, staring in horror behind her. Her body ran cold. Upon looking down a system of newly formed chasms, she saw _him._

Crawling up from a bottomless hole in the ground, Hematite's roughly outlined form clawed its way up from the inky blackness of the floor. His claws dug into the ground, sending more and more cracks through it as he heaved his body out of the nothingness of the surrounding environment. The hunting visor on his face gave a loud, distorted 'chirp' as it locked onto Yellow Diamond, and the nightmarish hunter grinned in an unsettling, twisted manner. As he slammed his hands down again, towering rock faces shot up from the floor in various places, quickly surrounding the two with sheer black walls.

–

Her hair stood on end and she high-tailed it in the other direction, making her way for some of the cliffs behind her that jutted up out of the ground. She was trapped between a monster and a sheer rock face that only seemed to be climbing higher as the seconds ticked by.

The only option was to climb.

She looked behind her just in time to see Hematite's enormous figure slink its way up onto her current plane. Eyes widening, she gasped and backed up against the rock face. _Okay, time to go._ She turned to the wall and gripped at its surface, scrambling to get up as fast as she could, to get as far away from that _thing_ as possible.

–

Another tremor shook the cliff that Yellow Diamond was climbing up, though as the wall cracked and trembled, it only created more footholds. _How... terribly convenient._

The laugh grew far louder now. Quickly closing the distance between the two of them, Hematite launched himself at the cliffs, latching onto the vertical surface, his claws digging deep into the rock. It cracked loudly between his claws, bits of the black and white stone falling to the floor.

 _ **"Did you really think those guards could protect you?!"**_

–

She scrambled up the cliff's surface, clawing towards the top as quickly as she could. Her hair stood up on end as she felt the nightmarish creature's icy breath on her back. She dared not look behind her. Gritting her teeth upon hearing his voice, she let out a small, terrified gasp as his claws dug into the rocks beside her.

 _Get a move on!_

Hoisting herself up to level ground once more, she regained her footing and started running to the next cliff. She didn't bother trying to reason with him, it didn't look like that was going to do any good.

She had seen him before.

Somewhere.

Why was Hematite acting like this? Why was he so aggressive?!

If she ever found White, she'd be sure to bring it up to her... assuming she could get away, that was.

–

Cackling maniacally, the monstrous giant heaved himself up onto the cliff and barreled after his target. He was running on all fours at this point, half of his body constantly cast in shadows.

 **"YOU CAN'T OUTRUN ME, YELLOW DIAMOND!"** he roared after her, his very voice shaking the ground below Yellow's feet.

The giant gem pounced at his target again, landing mere feet behind her. A quick whiff of wind blew the tiny diamond forward a few feet as a loud SNAP of teeth echoed behind her.

–

She stumbled quickly forward with a sharp whimper, running as fast as her legs could take her. _Alright, there was definitely_ _ **no**_ _looking back_ _ **now**_ _._ Panting heavily, she latched onto the next wall face and started climbing even faster, sweat dripping from her brow.

"S-STOP!" she shouted back, her voice wavering in barely restrained fear.

–

For a moment it seemed that Hematite was going to give up the chase, as he stopped some distance back from the cliff as his target scrambled up to make her escape. He watched her silently, the whir of his visor piercing the air. The ground continued to heave and lurch, the cliffs Yellow climbed up ever-changing and shifting. By the time she clambered halfway up, Hematite still hadn't made a move.

But the calm was short lived. Silently, the monstrous gem shot forward and once again leapt for the rocky cliff side But _this_ time, he hit his mark.

Claws digging into the rock, Hematite's fingers surrounded Yellow Diamond, cutting off her escape like a grim, stark-black cage.

"Who will watch your back now?~" he crooned, leaning in close to his tiny captive. His breath washed over her trapped form, his teeth glinting in the nonexistent light.

–

She flinched and held herself close to the wall, stifling another cry of horror. Opening her eyes, she stared up at the monstrous fingers that surrounded her. Face going pale, she suddenly scrambled upwards, prying desperately at his ice-cold fingers. All the memories of the past nightmares came flooding back to her at once in a horrific, bone-chilling wave.

She knew what this meant.

What _he_ meant.

But it was too late to stop it.

–

Growling lowly, Hematite drew his hand away from the wall, grabbing the back of the diamond's shirt between his claws. Without a moment's hesitation, the giant gem tossed his target into his mouth, his teeth snapping shut behind her.

–

With how quickly things escalated around her, she hardly had time to react. She cried out in as much protest as she could, even though it wasn't going to do any good.

Suddenly, the freezing cold returned.

It took her breath away as she hit the all too familiar icy surface below her, the horrific flashbacks of her last dream coming back to her. Gasping, she quickly whipped around and sat up, facing the massive fangs in front of her that blocked her way out. Horrified, she punched at one of his teeth.

"NO! LET ME OUT, STOP!"

–

Hematite chuckled lowly at the tiny gem's pitiful attempts to escape. He quickly cocked his head to the side, his jaws parting momentarily. His tongue pushed Yellow Diamond between the pitch-black rows of teeth before...

 **CRICK**

–

Yellow cried out in distress, kicking at the covers of the bed she rested upon, sitting herself up. Her eyes were wide, and her breathing was heavy. She could still feel the terror she felt moments ago in her dream. Her shocked expression slowly fell to something akin to confusion.

 _Still? What on Homeworld... She thought for sure the first few dreams were a fluke, a coincidence._

Now, she was sure there was something up.

One nightmare, okay. Two? Sure, maybe.

 _But four... even_ _ **after**_ _she tried to defend Hematite? Well, that was peculiar._

Every time. Every time she went to sleep to try and rest up after work, this happened. It was always the same concept... and it always ended the same way.

Normally when she awoke the fear was quickly replaced with anger or frustration, but not this time. Something was different now. _Were they getting more aggressive? More violent? Maybe it was just her imagination. Were these ever going to stop? What if this was a sign... a sign that sending Topaz's soldiers away was a mistake? Was her intuition trying to tell her something? What if Hematite was up to something and_ _ **was**_ _still a danger?_

 _... No, stop. You're letting this get to your head._

She decided not to mull over it much longer. Solemnly, she got out of bed and made her way to her office door. _Might as well get some work done, now that she was awake._ After all, she wasn't going back to bed any time soon after _that_.

These nightmares now were starting to concern her. She wanted to try and think of some solution to make them stop, but. Unfortunately, she still had work to do, so it was probably best not to dwell on it for much longer.

She shook it off, trying to forget the odd phantom pain in her gemstone. _Maybe they need a bit more time to stop._ _It was just a dream. Move on, get back to work, forget about it. Just don't go back to sleep tonight, and you'll be fine._

 _But even she knew she wasn't going to be able to brush it off so easily._


	26. Got Your Back

_Summary: White Diamond and Hematite go on their first mission together._

Finally, time to properly get back to work...

A few weeks after the business with Topaz's rouge guard, Hematite finally stood at the warp that laid in the center of the Diamond tower clearing. He was scuffing his foot on the ground, patiently staring up towards the White tower. Standing at about 15 feet tall or so, he waited for White Diamond to meet him down at the warp pad.

This would be his first mission alongside her. Honestly, he was rather nervous. White hadn't been around to assess his skills since that first test he ever took, years ago. There had never been a real need for her to accompany him on a mission, let alone one for simple recon and harvesting. But with recent tension among the districts concerning himself, it seemed prudent that he have some sort of escort.

And who better to do so than White herself?

The service gem just hoped that this mission went smoothly so he could show that he was able to do his job properly, even with her watching. The last thing he needed was to get nervous or jittery, or for something to pop up that made his job more difficult than it needed to be.

–

Distant tapping echoed through the nearby area. They were footsteps, getting closer by the second, sounding off the smooth marble floor that surrounded the central warp pad station.. Soon, White turned the corner, her hands clasped behind her back, headed for the service gem. She looked rather distant, staring up at seemingly nothing. As soon as she came within earshot of Hematite, she looked up at him, the distant look leaving her eyes.

"Good morning, Hematite. Are you ready to go?" she asked promptly, skipping their usual pleasantries.

–

Hematite couldn't help but smile nervously at his approaching leader. He stood straighter and saluted respectfully before returning to his more relaxed stance. _Well, at least she seemed to be in a fair mood!_

"Yes ma'am. I've been briefed by the archival Peridot and everything's in order." His hands fidgeted behind his back, and he couldn't quite mask his nervous excitement.

–

White gave Hematite a small smirk, walking up to the warp pad.

"Well then, we shouldn't waste time. I hope you don't mind me tagging along for this one. I want to make sure that you will be safe," she said half rhetorically, stepping onto the surface of the teleporter. Crossing her arms, she closed her eyes and tilted her head slightly upwards. It had been a very long time since she herself had gone out on any field missions, especially with another gem that wasn't a diamond. This would certainly be an interesting experience, even more so considering she'd never been along on a mission with one of her Hematites since that first test years ago. She was curious to see how they worked in person, rather than what she'd read about in their reports.

–

The service gem's shoulders raised, a smile spreading across his face as he quickly followed White Diamond onto the warp pad.

"Not at all! I'm happy to have you come along... I just hope my job performance will be acceptable." Giving her a nervous grin, he folded his hands behind his back, imitating her pose. "Ready when you are."

–

With a bright flash, the warp pad sent them off to the Pink District. Upon their arrival, White opened her eyes slightly, looking from side to side. No-one was there, that she could tell. _Good_. She stepped off of the platform and stretched her arms out.

"One moment," she said quickly, her back facing the Hematite. She held her arms out to the sides, her entire body encased in a white glow for a few seconds. Gleaming, her form soon shifted, and she returned back to her former color. However, this time, she was in a new outfit, and bore a new hairstyle with longer locks and bangs..

The outfit was all black, with a single White insignia on her chest, and on the tops of her sleeves. Instead of long gloves that reached to her upper arms, this new outfit bore long sleeves. None of her skin was even visible aside from her head and some of her fingers. Turning her head to Hematite, she placed a hand on her hip.

"Alright. Ready when you are."

–

Hematite opened his mouth to say something, but stopped when White walked off the warp pad. He stared at her curiously, his eyes widening as her form began to glow. When her form returned to normal, he stared, wide-eyed, at the gem before him. In all his years serving White, he'd never seen her change her appearance, much less like this. It honestly threw him off a bit, and he couldn't quite place why she would suddenly change her form _now_. However, it was not his place to question her.

After a moment, he nodded and stepped off of the warp pad. His eyepiece chirped online, and he pulled up a map to where they would be headed, noting how far away it was. There were a few places he needed to check on for gem monsters, and each of them was quite some distance from the last. It was going to be a loooong day.

For a moment, Hematite hesitated. He rubbed the back of his head before he looked back at his leader.

–

The Diamond didn't notice Hematite's pause right away, too busy looking up at the sky. At least it was clear today, it always seemed so gray and dreary. It was rare to see such a crystal clear sky out here.

After a moment, she finally noticed that Hematite was looking at her, as if waiting for raised a brow, turning to him completely now.

"Something wrong?..." she asked, sounding more than a little concerned. _Did he always pause like this when he went on missions? Or perhaps he was just gathering all the information he needed before setting off?_

–

The service gem blinked in surprise and scratched at his head again.

"No no, nothing's wrong. I was just wondering if you'd prefer to go on foot, or if you'd like me to carry you. I _do_ need to shift up so we can cover more ground, so." He smiled shyly. "I know you can keep up, but I figured I'd. You know. Give the option?"

–

She smiled, emitting the smallest of chuckles.

"If you'd like to carry me, sure. It's probably easier that way anyway," she said reassuringly. Though it dawned on her, she'd never been carried by him before. She heard stories from Blue about when she had ridden on his shoulder, and she couldn't help but wonder what it was like. Normally she would have inquired about it by now, but she just never thought to ask.

–

Hematite smiled brightly and glanced behind him, taking a few steps back.

"Okay, just give me a second." Closing his eyes, the service gem took a deep breath. His form began to glow brightly, just as White's had, but the slightest wave of bright pink electricity flowed up from the ground, along his legs, up into the rest of his body. He clenched his fists as his form began to grow. Soon enough, he'd reached a little over half of his potential height, and the energy at his feet began to vanish. It slowly dissipated up his form, until the electricity fizzled out at his finger tips and the top of his head. His body returned to its normal colors, and he looked down at White with a smile. The giant gem knelt down to his knees, extending his palm to her.

"Escort for one White Diamond.~"

–

White watched in curious awe as the service gem shifted up. No matter how many times she saw it, and it wasn't as often as she'd liked personally, witnessing the Hematite's abilities always fascinated her. And it was especially spectacular when she witnessed said abilities so up close and personal. She smiled, stepping up to the Hematite's hand, grabbing a hold of his thumb and hoisting herself up into his palm.

"Juuuust make sure you know what you're doing. I know Blue has done this before, but she's reckless and a bit sturdier than Yellow or I," she said, only _half_ seriously.

–

The service gem couldn't help but feel his breath catch slightly in his throat as White climbed up onto his palm. He carefully cupped his fingers behind her so she wouldn't fall, marveling at the odd sensation of a gem willingly climbing into his hand. Sure he'd felt it a few times before when picking up Blue, but it never failed to make his hair stand on end slightly. Not only that, but White carried herself differently, and holding her was a subtle change from holding Blue.

"Don't worry, I've got this." Slowly, as to not give her vertigo, Hematite raised his hand up and began to stand back on his feet. He made sure that the transition was smooth, and he soon stood straight, having barely jarred his hand on the way up. "If you feel your balance go off, grab onto my suit collar. It's the easiest thing to hold onto. Otherwise, let me know if you'd like to get down at any point." Carefully, Hematite moved his cupped hand to his right shoulder, allowing White to climb up.

–

White listened to Hematite's instructions, watching the ground below her become farther and farther away. She looked down in faint awe, brows raised.

"Ah, yes of course," she responded to his final statement, finally turning to climb up onto his shoulder. , Settling into a crouch, the diamond lifted a hand to the side of Hema's face, steadying herself. When she finally felt that her balance was evened out, she lifted her head and looked up with the subtlest look of surprise. The Pink District suddenly felt so much smaller to her. Despite only being at a higher perspective, everything below seemed as though it'd shrunk. Rocks, paths, buildings... everything.

 _Incredible..._

–

With a bright smile, Hematite lowered his hands again and turned his head forward. He sharply exhaled through his nose as he began walking toward their first destination. His steps were surprisingly even and measured, so as to keep his upper half as still as possible as he walked. He'd gotten surprisingly good at this with all the rides he'd given to Blue, and even as he picked up the pace to a running walk, he barely disturbed the gem on his shoulder.

He went quiet, expertly traversing through the half-destroyed Pink District toward his first objective.

–

White leaned forward as the much bigger gem advanced, putting herself against the wind. She was rather impressed with how steady he was. Was he always like this? Was this how Blue felt those times that she had ridden on his shoulder? _She could get used to this_. Smiling, she watched the District seemingly fly by her.

–

Soon enough, Hematite was in a full-out run. He still kept his upper half from jostling around too much, even as he avoided fallen buildings, rubble, and patches of overgrown plant life. Hopefully, with how much ground he could cover at this size, they'd be there within an hour or so.

–

–

Sure enough, the run took around forty five minutes, give or take. Hematite slowed as he approached their destination, and he wiped his brow as he stopped. _Running for that long always took it out of him..._

–

White gave Hematite a reassuring touch with her hand, placing her palm against his cheek for a moment. She looked down to the crumbling ruins before them.

"I take it this is where we need to be," she said, narrowing her eyes.

–

Hematite appreciated the little touch to his cheek and nodded.

"Reports say there may be heightened gem monster activity around here. It could be a nest. However, they _could_ have just been passing through." Peering through a few columns, he furrowed his bows. "This does seem like a good place to settle down if you don't want to be found."

The giant gem placed a hand on a still-sturdy looking part of the wall. As Hematite craned his neck to see inside a rather large, empty room below, his eyepiece chirped and made a sharp clicking sound.

"... Hm."

–

White nodded, placing her palm to her gem. Within a flash, she summoned a long pole arm, swiftly jutting it into the ground far below. It hit its mark, wedging itself deep within the soft dirt. With a 'hup!' she jumped down, landing skillfully on the end of the weapon. Standing atop the pole, she looked up at the ruins. She didn't stay there long, hopping off and fizzling the weapon away in a flash of sparkles.

She remained quiet, listening for signs of anything moving throughout the area.

–

Watching his leader leap down from his shoulder, Hematite raised his brows and smiled faintly. Sometimes he could forget how agile she was. He quickly turned back to the task at hand, his face serious once more. His eyepiece had picked up on a few gem signatures, but they were weak. Focusing on pinpointing the source, the giant gem slowly began to creep through the half-destroyed ruins, all his senses strained on his environment.

–

A blinding light enveloped White for a few seconds once more. Upon her reappearance, she now bore a black cape that draped down just below her calves. It was neatly cuffed around her neck, bearing another small diamond insignia on the front. The cape would help her blend in further if she needed to. Pulling the scarf-like cuff over her mouth, she followed Hematite inside.

–

At White's footsteps, Hematite glanced back momentarily to see her in her altered outfit. He took quick note of it, but turned his attention back to honing in on his targets. There were many weak signatures that seemed slightly off, and one larger one. Hematite took a deep breath.

"There's a mother around. I'm unsure how big, or how powerful, but it's there."

The giant gem felt around a crumbling wall that laid in shadow, checking for any hidden entrances. There didn't seem to be anything.

–

White nodded at the statement, looking around herself. She didn't really seem to find anything either, upon first glance. She grabbed a hold of her cape and swiped it in front of her, quietly darting into the shadows. She wasn't really supposed to be helping Hematite out on his mission, but she figured that she might as well, since she was here.

 **Click.**

White's attention snapped to the right. Something made a noise, and it wasn't Hematite. No, it was just a _little_ too far off, and nowhere near him. Narrowing her eyes, she stayed quiet She was sure that Hema would have heard it too.

–

The giant gem's head instantly snapped to where the click came from, and he quickly rolled aside a large piece of the wall, revealing a small, insect like creature. It hissed at him and tried to scurry away, but Hematite was too quick for it. He plucked it up by the end of its 'tail' and looked it over carefully.

"Hmm." Swiping his free hand over his eyes, Hematite now wore his hunting visor, and a small white diamond target appeared on the screen. He began scanning the gem monster, getting specifics on its signature.

"Gem Located: Sphene copy. Status: Corrupted. Mission Objective: Eliminate."

Already looking around for more copies, the giant gem slowly moved from his spot, his visor whirring quietly as it pinpointed a few more sources. He idly crushed the copy in his hand, and it vanished into a gemless cloud of smoke.

–

White stayed out of sight, following Hematite from the darker areas of the ruins. _One down, stars only knew how many more to go._ Glancing to the side, she noticed the faintest of marks on the ground. _Tracks, maybe?_ There was no sure way to tell, given the state of this decrepit place.

–

Hematite noticed the same thing that White did, and his eyes narrowed. He knocked aside a large bit of shrubbery, revealing a few more Sphene monsters. Frowning, he raised his arm and balled his hand into a fist, promptly crushing all the monsters at once. Shaking his hand off, he looked away, the strong mother signal slowly getting clearer as the distracting copies faded away.

Creeping along a higher level of the ruins, Hematite slowly crouched closer to the ground. His body language steadily grew more animalistic as he neared a rather large pile of rubble and overgrown plants.

–

White quickly realized that this would be the perfect time to take notes. With a quick flick of her hand, her gem glowed for a moment. She took out a Diamond pad that she had stored. She clicked it on quietly, looking around to make sure the noise didn't disturb anything. Fortunately, these things were pretty quiet. She continued following Hematite, jotting down the occasional note every now and then. Multitasking, she was able to keep up still, at least.

–

Slowly, the giant gem's eyes widened as he began to circle the rather sizable 'pile' in the center of the huge clearing. The ruins were nearly _destroyed_ around this area, and most of the ground was covered by grass. About 200 or so feet across, the pile of junk that Hematite was circling was considerably high. It seemed bits of wall and pillars had been haphazardly piled into the center before plant life had grown over it.

By the time he circled the pile a third time, Hematite was almost completely level with the ground, his eyes fixated on a certain point in the rubble.

–

The Diamond's steps became quieter and quieter, to the point where they could barely even be made out. She watched from afar, making sure that whatever happened, she wouldn't disturb Hematite. Any wrong move, any wrong sound and it could throw off his entire tracking. She too made her way down, occasionally looking up to the ceiling with a small frown of disdain. _Tch, this place is ancient... Looking over to Hema in the distance, the diamond settled down and watched, her diamond pad held at the ready._

–

There was a long, tense pause. The only sound that could be heard was Hematite's shallow, slow breathing, and a breeze that disturbed the plants outside the ruins. Minutes ticked by, and Hema seemed as though he were frozen in time.

 _Suddenly, he struck._

The giant gem shoved his fist into the pile, his form suddenly aglow. Within a flash, he had 'vanished'. There was the faintest disturbance in the pit of junk, but then all went silent.

–

White blinked in minor surprise, scoping the area for any signs of Hematite. She wanted to call out to see if he was alright, but if this was one of his 'methods' then she didn't want to disturb it. She gripped her cape tighter and stayed low.

–

There was a long pause, and about a full minute stretched on in silence. At first, it seemed Hematite might have gotten himself into trouble, or stuck.

 _But then a piece of rubble shifted._

A loud, muffled, angry screech pierced the air, and suddenly there was a bright flash as Hematite burst from the debris and foliage, now tussling with a huge corrupted gem monster. Rocks and plants went flying away from the two as he struggled to get the monster into the open clearing instead of the cramped ruins nearby. It snapped and clawed at him, letting out more furious screeches. Though it got a few painful-looking licks in, Hematite managed to roll the two of them into a spacious clearing. He chucked it away from him and watched it writhe on the ground before quickly rolling to its 'feet'.

The creature was suddenly set ablaze, the fur along its back bursting into unnatural yellowish flames. Hematite frowned deeply, baring his teeth at the creature as his fists lit up. In an instant, his knuckledusters were upon his hands, the prongs alight with electricity.

"Bring it on you overgrown weevil."

Screeching indignantly, the gem monster launched at Hematite and whipped him in the side with its tail, singeing his side. This earned a wince from the giant gem, but he took the chance to land a solid left cross to the creature's 'face'. It reeled back and curled in on itself, the flames along its back flaring up.

–

White flinched upon the abrupt appearance of the monster. Her instincts told her to spring into action, but didn't budge. Instead, she took the diamond pad out and started to jot more notes down. Occasionally, she'd wonder if she should step in or not. It looked as though Hematite had it covered, but anything could change on a dime. She'd stand ready if anything got hairy. Still, this was great for her archives!

–

Hematite circled around the creature in an attempt to look for a part of it that wasn't currently on fire, but he had no such luck. The gem monster suddenly launched at him, catching the giant gem off guard. It snapped for his face, and for a moment, it seemed it would go for his neck.

But then there was another flash of bright pink light, and Hematite was once again 'gone'. The creature stopped, looking around in confusion, before it was suddenly, and violently, launched into the air by an up-shifted Hematite. Flying a good 50 or so feet in the air, the monster writhed around before falling back to the clearing, winded and on its back.

–

The Diamond sat down now, intently watching the 'show' before her. Every now and then, she'd jot down a note. Something about Hematite, and something about the monster. _Interesting_...

–

The diamond insignia on Hematite's visor suddenly constricted as it locked onto the gem on the creature's underbelly. Quickly, Hematite made a daring dash for it, which earned him a painful swipe to the arm with the creature's barbed tail. Hematite continued through the pain, and with a sharp kick, he snapped the creature's neck. The flames instantly died out, and the monster poofed into an impressive cloud of greenish smoke. Hematite panted, leaning down to the now dormant gem. He promptly tapped his finger on it, creating a tiny bubble.

–

White's eyes widened, looking on in wonder. She had never gotten to see Hematite _really_ on the job, aside from the first time she watched him hunt down the Agate all those years ago when they first met. Now that he had experience, it only impressed her more. She was more than happy to take notes. Standing up, she placed the diamond pad back into her gem and hopped down from where she previously resided.

"Good work, Hematite."

–

Looking to his leader, Hematite smiled, almost bashful, and poofed away his visor.

"Thank you, White." His eyes were gleaming with pride, and he turned to his target, bringing it near his gem. The silvery stone flashed, and the bubble was gone, stored away in his pocket dimension. Moving his hand up to his face, Hematite winced at the scratch he'd taken. There were faint singe marks along the wound, but it didn't seem too terrible.

"That thing was a lot bigger than I expected."

–

"Well, it _was_ a mother." She chuckled, brushing the ground with her foot. She started to pace slowly, looking all around the room now. _Amazing_. She didn't even recognize this place... "What is your next objective, then?" she asked promptly, still looking away from him.

–

Hematite joined her in looking around.

"I have to do a final scan of the area to make sure there aren't anymore remaining infestations."

He began scanning the area, slowly pacing along the ruins. After a few long, silent minutes, Hematite suddenly spoke up. "White? ... Is there truly no way to fix those things?"

–

Following alongside the service gem, she stayed a few feet behind at any given time. There were vines starting to cover the walls, even more so than before. It would seem that the deeper they got, the more plant life there was.

Hematite's words shook her from her thoughts.

Her heart sank. She knew _why_ he brought that up, but she'd wished he hadn't.

"Unfortunately, there's no known way to heal corrupted gems. We've tried at times to find a cure, but to no avail." She paused for a few moments, but continued hesitantly. "It hasn't been very high priority though, it never has been... We still study it as much as we do other things, but it's not something that gem-kind is very focused on at the moment."

–

A heavy sigh escaped the gem, and he stopped in his tracks, his lips pursed.

"Yeah. Right... right. Of course." Turning to his leader, he quickly changed the subject, though there was a heavy feeling in the pit of his stomach now. He did his best to ignore it. "It seems the coast around here is clear. We can move onto the next destination." Kneeling down, Hematite offered his hand again. "It's gonna be another long walk."

–

She honestly regretted saying anything, but she couldn't _not_ tell him. Sighing quietly, she stepped up into the Hematite's hand again. However, this time, she avoided looking at him directly.

"Take us there, then."

–

Noticing her avoidant gaze, Hematite frowned just slightly and carefully lifted his leader up to his shoulder again. Once she was situated, he started the long trek further into the district.

–

White hopped up onto Hematite's shoulder and looked forward. Perhaps that brief awkwardness would just pass. She sat down this time, the cape flowing behind her as they advanced towards their destination.

–

Hematite, exhausted from his previous run and his fight with the gem monster, took a much more leisurely walk to the next location on his map. This was how he often worked, and why his missions sometimes would take days at a time to complete. He'd finish an objective, rest, and then move on to the next one. Complete, rest, move, repeat. However, with White tagging along, and with the moment of... well, awkwardness earlier, he didn't want to lay about and risk the conversation going places it shouldn't.

So for the time being, he ignored his dwindling energy and pressed on.

The sun had begun to set when Hematite reached his first recon location. He took notes silently, his eyepiece chirping away as it jotted down data. Seemed everything was fine here, no monsters or rebels detected. Another thirty minute walk later, and he arrived at the second recon point. Same results. Hm, at this rate, he and White would be back at the towers by tomorrow!

Hematite stood straight as he finished checking over a rather decrepit building. He'd had to 'take care of' a small gem monster, but it was bubbled and put away with ease. Taking a deep breath, the giant gem finally broke the silence.

"One last location left."

Walking off, Hematite headed toward a city block in the distance. It had been a long time since they saw a proper section of city. However, despite the towering buildings and what appeared to be miles and miles of what was once an urban section of the Pink District, all around the city were miles of open field. Hematite thought he could see an impressive forest out in the distance.

"There's another possible monster infestation there, and I need to check for a rebel faction that was once stationed in the center of the city."

–

White stayed pretty quiet throughout Hematite's recon. She figured it was best to let him do his job with as little of interference as possible. However, she couldn't help but dwell on the subject from before. It had been bothering her for quite some time and she just couldn't shake it. Corrupted gems were a pretty common issue, why _didn't_ they research it more? On top of this, she wondered just what she did wrong to create another batch of doomed gems. _What was she missing?..._ She was certain that she had the components and numbers right this time around.

She was shaken from her thoughts when the service gem spoke up. She, too, looked out to the city. This was as urban as the Pink District really got. She thought for a moment of just how underdeveloped it was. _Incredible what a difference that 5000 years made for society and gem-tech._

"Right."

–

The walk to the city took about thirty minutes or so, as Hematite picked up the pace this time around. As soon as he walked into the city block, the giant gem felt his shoulders reflexively begin to tense up. There was something... wrong here. Something stagnant in the air that was making Hema's skin crawl. He felt like he was being watched.

Continuing deeper into the city, Hematite took note that none of his kin had been through here. There were no tell-tale cracks in the ground of giant feet, not many destroyed buildings... This place seemed rather untouched by demolition gems. Idly, the service gem wondered if he would be sent here in the future to take care of some of the buildings.

Trekking on, Hematite soon was towered over as the city structures got taller and taller. While the city certainly was developed, something that was unusual for the Pink District, the architecture was definitely dated. The other three districts, Yellow's, most notably, were completely different in tone and aesthetic. The Pink district felt more 'rounded', antique, and ornate. The buildings on the outside of the block were far more overgrown with plant life to the point of being unrecognizable, but the deeper the two gems went, the less the plant life seemed to permeate. That was, until Hematite began to near the center.

An eerie creak echoed through the huge, ancient looking city. Ducking underneath a half-destroyed bridge that connected two sections of the city that were divided by a small river, Hematite looked up to see a rather impressive, and unnerving, sight. Stretched out in front of him was the center of the city block, which was about a mile or so wide. The buildings on any side of the mile-wide expanse were arranged in a large, oval-like shape, leaving a rather wide, park-like area in the middle. There was a large building in the center that appeared to be some sort of medical wing, perhaps? It was hard to tell, as it was almost completely grown over with gorse, thorns, and shrubbery. It stood about fifty feet tall or so, and reached Hematite's waist. The buildings surrounding the clearing were also overgrown with plant life that seemed to emanate from the center structure.

However, of all the details that Hematite's eyepiece noted, nothing unnerved him more than what loomed above, black against a reddening sky. Casting a huge red shadow on the clearing below, an impressive sky tower was leaning dangerously over, seemingly held up by reams of vines and huge, woody thorn branches. Hematite couldn't help but marvel at how such a huge structure was being held up by seemingly nothing but plant life. From what he could see, the base of the building was completely destroyed apart from a tiny section that was, perhaps, still holding it up to some degree. The tower dwarfed Hematite, despite being around 100 feet tall at the moment, and the sight of it made his stomach knot up. He didn't like feeling this small.

–

White marveled at the city around her; a thousand memories rushing back at once. She remembered this place, despite having not seen it in thousands of years. She sighed quietly and shrugged it off. It was best if she didn't think about it, or what this place used to be, too much. Instead, she focused on how much the wildlife had taken over this part of the city. It was enchanting, in some way or another. Incredible how after all these years, nature was taking back its stage. _How invasive_. Some thousands of years later once the Pink District was completely cleared up, she'd have this place looking better in no time.

–

Hematite's eyepiece chirped a few times, and he frowned, tapping the surface of it. It clicked in response, making a static-like hiss. The service gem frowned in frustration.

"Hmmm... There's interference around here." _Must be all the plant life.. it's giving off a weird signal._ Turning back to the bridge, the giant gem looked to his leader. "White, it'd be best if you stayed here while I do recon."

–

White gave Hematite a tap with one of her hands, hopping onto a piece of broken pillar that had fallen stars only knew how long ago.

"Alright, I'll wait here."

She grabbed a hold of the hood of her cape, pulling it down a little to uncover her mouth. This place felt so abandoned... so lonely. So ancient. She pulled out her diamond pad and took a few quick notes on the area around her.

–

Giving the diamond a curt nod, he turned away and trudged his way out of the shallow river. He climbed up the small rise into the clearing and stopped at the edge, looking around. The closer he got to the center, the more his eyepiece freaked out. This didn't feel right.

Index finger and thumb rubbing together, Hematite cautiously ventured closer to the overgrown building in the center of the clearing. The walk was short. Crouching down, Hematite placed a hand on the roof of the structure. It still seemed rather solid, despite being completely riddled with plant life. Silently, the service gem wondered if the spike of signal interference was purely from the plants that covered the town hall. There seemed to be something else there, but he couldn't hone in on it.

With a deep frown, Hematite flicked on his hunting visor and crouched low, peering into whatever windows he could. The insignia-less target on his visor screen darted around, checking for any signal it could pinpoint.

 **Creak**

Hematite tensed for a moment, looking up, but relaxed when he couldn't see anything out of the ordinary. Looking back down, he reached his hand into a hole in the wall, feeling around.

–

White hopped off of the massive chunk of rubble, wandering slowly on her own. The whole feel of this place made her cringe a little. She jotted down a few more notes before placing the pad back into her gem. Occasionally, she'd turn to look at Hematite, but soon found herself peering over the rest of the city. Well, as much as she could make out, anyway. She turned slightly, looking back down the path they had taken to get here.

–

Down the path where White turned to, the smallest flicker of movement could be seen down the street. Something was hiding between the buildings.

The giant gem in the clearing gave a growl of frustration, and he slowly made his way around to another side of the building. He made himself busy feeling around and peering into the various windows.

But in his focused state, he didn't notice even more movement at the top of a few of the taller buildings surrounding the clearing.

–

White caught a glimpse of the movement for a moment, narrowing her eyes. She tensed. They weren't alone. She hunkered down low and pulled her cape back over her mouth, ducking back behind the chunk of rubble. Whoever or whatever it was, they didn't seem to be making any attempts to advance yet. She started to back up, keeping her eye on the spot where she had last seen movement. She figured if she saw it, maybe Hematite would notice soon, too. She dared not to say a word.

–

He hadn't noticed a thing.

The giant gem suddenly gave a sharp 'Aha!' and rummaged around in the building. Soon, he pulled out a small, rather angry green gem monster. It screeched and snapped at him, attempting to claw at his hand. Hematite winced at the loud screeching and grimaced, covering one of his ears with his free hand. The horrid sound echoed off the walls around the clearing.

Which masked the faintest 'snap'.

Hematite held up the small monster and began to scan it as it panicked and bit at his hand, earning a few mild winces.

"Just stay still so I can do my job."

–

White looked over at Hematite for a split second, noticing he'd caught something. That was good, at least. She eased up slightly. Maybe it was just another gem monster. She probably shouldn't think too much into it. She turned back to the entrance, backing up very slowly. She felt an eerie calm wash over her. Right, Hematite would probably be done soon. They'd be back at the towers in no time. She'd have to send out a deconstruction gem to this place sometime, considering it had been untouched.

–

As Hematite finished scanning the creature, it bit onto his finger aggressively. The giant gem shouted in frustrated pain, trying to shake off the thing as his visor read 'Gem Found: Emerald Status: Corrupt. Mission: Harvest.'

 _ **SNAP** _

_**CREAK** _

Hematite's eyes widened as he looked around. _What was that_. He quickly poofed the monster in his hand and bubbled it. Nervously, he transferred the bubble to his gem. His eyes were darting around the clearing, looking for more gem monsters.

Snap, SNAP, SNAP came the sounds of cut vines and thorn branches from above.

–

White turned sharply, frantically looking around for the source of the sound. She definitely heard it too. Upon hearing the progression of noises, her own eyes widened and she looked up. What she saw gave her little time to react.

"HEMATITE!"

–

A group of rebel gems were spread out across the rooftops with their weapons drawn, hacking away at the vines and woody branches that were holding up the suspended skyscraper. Hematite looked sharply at White and followed her gaze to see the gems.

But it was too late.

The sky scraper gave a sickening _**lurch**_ as a final vine was cut. With a sharp yelp, Hematite attempted to scramble to his feet, but the building was coming down, and coming down _fast_.

–

White found herself cast in the building's shadow, and no matter which way she went, she wasn't going to be able to outrun it by the time it hit the ground. Her lips parted in a brief moment of horror, her entire body seizing up. She quickly regained her thoughts enough to make a speedy run towards the side. She could at the very least _try_ to move out of the way in time. Brushing her hand over her gem, she summoned a pole arm, reeling her hand back and throwing it violently up at the rebels, attempting to land any sort of hit.

"HEMATITE, GET MOVING!"

–

 _There was no time._

A violent **CRACK** shook the ground as the sky scraper's top hit one of the neighboring buildings, sending it lurching to the side. The last of the vestigial vines that were holding it up snapped under the momentum.

Time seemed to slow down. Hematite's visor quickly caught the outline of the building's shadow. He realized with a stab of horror that it wasn't just him that was in danger.

 _It was going to crush White._

–

White seized up again, her legs coming to a stop. She wasn't going to be able to outrun it. She gasped quietly, flinching. Falling to her knees, she held her hands over her head and closed her eyes. This was it.

–

Moving with unnatural speed, Hematite's now glowing form shot forward toward his leader. He grabbed her in his fist, a pained expression clear as day on his face as his body stopped gleaming.

He'd shifted to his full height.

The giant gem collapsed to his knees and clutched White close to his chest, his entire form bent over her.

 _ **H!** _

–

White stayed huddled in Hematite's hand, only vaguely aware that he'd even snatched her up. Her entire body was numb and tense, a deafening ringing in her head. The ground-shuddering impact of the building sent a massive cloud of dust, rubble, and other debris flying every which way as the wave of sound from the crash echoed throughout the city.

Slowly, the diamond relaxed, the softest exhale of disbelief escaping her. She couldn't speak, and she didn't dare open her eyes. She already knew what'd happened.

–

As the echoes of the crash died down, the dust began to settle. The rebels made their quick ways down the buildings, and stood among the rubble proudly, congratulating one another. They wouldn't be seeing that monstrosity of a gem again. Their operation in this city was safe.

And, if one of the gems wasn't mistaken, they'd gotten the oh-so-powerful White Diamond as well.

The scouts collected on a broken chunk of the building as they began to discuss their next course of action, chatting quietly among one another.

Until a large pile of the skyscraper rubble began to move.

With a shuddering **CRACK** , a huge fist punched its way through the debris and plant life. Chunks of wall went flying in different directions, a few landing dangerously close to the collected rebels, who quickly took to hiding behind a large partition of rock.

 _Oh no._

A wheezing cough escaped the huge huddled form that slowly rose from the debris. Rock, vines, and bits of carbonite beams slid off of Hematite's back as he sat up shakily, his hand clutched close to his chest. His entire form was trembling.

Slowly, carefully, he pulled his hand away from himself. He uncurled his fingers, now holding White in his palm. The giant gem's visor chirped, and Hematite coughed quietly, his voice low and breathless.

"Gem Located, White Diamond. Status..." A cracked, relieved smile crossed his face. "No gem faults detected."

–

White moved her arms away from her head, staring up at Hematite in both shock and amazement. _Oh my stars, they weren't dead._ She hardly heard his words, still trying to comprehend everything that just happened. She placed her palm down briefly to his hand, getting up to her feet. Eyes wide, she continued staring up at him, more or less baffled by how he was _still standing,_ relatively speaking. That blow _must_ have taken a toll on him! She had at least expected for him to be _poofed_ by such an impact... A chill went up her spine.

"Hematite... are you... alright?" she asked, eyes wide, tone full of concern.

–

Hematite gave a weak, breathless laugh. Carefully, he lowered White to the ground. As soon as he placed her down, his hand made heavy contact with the dirt. He attempted to hold himself up, but his shaking worsened. His free arm wrapped around his abdomen, and he gave a deep, shuddering cough as his physical form flickered in and out of view. The edges of his projection glitched unevenly, making a faint fizzling sound. His hunting visor fell from his eyes.

Lifting his head, Hematite gave White a pained, reassuring smile. There were tears in his eyes.

"I-I'll be fine. As long as... y-"

 _ **POFF!** _

–

A massive cloud of gray smoke exploded out from the gem's form, filling the immediate area. White gasped and scrambled to catch the falling gemstone, grabbing it before it hit the ground. She stared at it in horror, a single breath escaping her. There were a few moments of ominous quiet. A stillness. She carefully ran her finger over the stone, searching for any damages. It was unharmed.

 _Vwip!_

In the blink of an eye, White summoned a bubble over the gray gem and tapped it. It disappeared out of sight in an array of white sparkles. She would have to retrieve him later, but for now, she wanted to make sure his gem was in a safe place. Now that he was taken care of, she straightened her back and rolled her shoulders.

She had something _else_ to take care of.

–

 _Warm..._

 _He felt warm._

A soft groan escaped the ivory haired gem as he opened his eyes. Rich orange sunlight shone down on his face, making him wince and cover his eyes with his arm.

"Mnn."

Hematite was lying on his back. One of his feet shifted as he drew his leg up, bending it at the knee. Attempting to sit up, the service gem rubbed his face, quickly noticing that his eyepiece was gone.

 _What happened?_

The gem moved his hand from his eyes and gasped softly at the sight before him. He was reclined in a huge field of light-gray grass. Rolling hills rose here and there in the distance. Hematite stood up slowly and looked around. Most of the grass seemed to be about waist level with him, but some patches in the distance seemed to be much taller. Judging by the height, Hematite could tell he'd be in over his head if he ventured into those patches.

Even further in the distance, Hematite could see, silhouetted against a setting sun, a patch of floating islands. A path of smaller islands seemed to lead up to it, but it was impossible to judge from here if anyone could traverse said path.

 _This place was so familiar... But why?_

Scratching the back of his head, Hematite frowned and turned around to look behind him. His eyes widened, and he took a step back. No more than a mile away stood a huge, dark gray tower. Windows both big and small dotted the side of the building, and the architecture tapered off towards the top.

 _He knew that tower._

"Oh... D-... Did I destabilize?" Hematite scratched the back of his head. "Guess I must have." His hands found their way to his back, and he rubbed at it, wincing. "I did take a pretty heavy hit..." Sighing, he dropped his arms, pursing his lips as he stared at the looming tower.

"At least White's okay." There was a pause, and Hematite's eyes widened. _Wait, there were still rebels there!_

Looking around frantically, Hematite clenched his fists. He tried to reform, but got no reaction from his gem. Frowning, he tried again. _Nothing_. He was either in someone's fist right now, or in a bubble... He hoped it was the second option.

A wave of panic rushed through the service gem, and he ran his hands through his hair, eyes wide.

 _Alright, alright. Don't freak out. White can handle herself. She'll be fine. You made sure she was safe, that's all that matters._

Looking up, Hematite set his jaw and stared at the dark tower in the distance.

 _Well... might as well check on everything while he had the time._

–

 **SNAP!**

Small, red shards fell into the Diamond's hand, soon encased in a bubble and sent away.

"Blast you all, you damn... mmnnghrh." She brushed her bangs away from her eyes, muttering something crossly under her breath. White sighed heavily and rubbed her arm. She only managed to catch three of the seemingly factionless rebels that ambushed them. _Oh well, three was better than none._ The rest had escaped, but she would be sure to send someone out for them later, if she had anything to say about it; and she had a _lot_ to say about it.

She decided it was time to head back. With Hematite out of the picture, she was in for a very long walk. Grumbling, she pulled the hood of her cape up over her head again and took off. It was a good thing Gems had as much tireless energy as they did, otherwise it could take her days if not weeks to get back. Fortunately, it should only take the rest of the night if she did her calculations right...and assuming she didn't run into any complications along the way.

–

Hematite was unsure how long it took him to walk to the tower. It felt like a long time, but it also didn't. He soon found himself standing at the huge doors. _Why did this place have doors? There was no need for them, really..._

A soft breeze ruffled the gem's hair, and he looked out behind him. The tower rested on a hilltop, and the view from there was breathtaking. From where he stood, Hematite could see far more of the environment around him. The floating islands still hovered far, far in the distance, but he could now see over the rolling fields of gray grass. Far beyond what he could previously see, there was a tall cliff face that surrounded the huge grassy field on all sides. From what he could see, it completely encapsulated the tower and the hills. Beyond the cliffs were expanses of forest. Trees from all different planets that he'd visited or read about mixed together to create a wide, wild looking woodland area. Some trees towered over the woods, while others only seemed to be a few feet tall.

Beyond that, Hematite could just make out the faintest outline of a... city.

The three districts, Yellow, White, and Blue, all dotted the horizon. Their colors were exaggerated, accented, and it was clear, even miles and miles away, which was which. Oddly enough, however, the Yellow district seemed to be the _biggest by a large margin_.

Hematite huffed quietly to himself and looked up at the tower again. After scuffing his foot on the ground, he made his way inside, closing the door behind him.

–

Clouds drifted overhead, creating breaks in the sunlight. Alone with her thoughts, White kept up a steady jog. It had been 2 hours since she had left the site, but it felt as though she wasn't making much distance at all. _Just keep going, you'll be there soon enough._ She couldn't help but wonder what Hematite was thinking back inside his gem. Was this his first time having gotten poofed? No, it'd happened one other time...

She frowned deeply, a guilty look in her eyes.

 _This was her fault._ She should have just stayed back at the tower, let him do his own thing.

She glared down at the ground she ran across, becoming lost in her own thoughts. She felt a wave of guilt wash over her. Sighing, she tugged at her cape again, tightening it. _No, she couldn't think about that._ She had to get back to the city so that she could free him and make sure he was alright.

 _Would that have gone any smoother if she wasn't with him?..._

–

Drawing his hand along the wall, Hematite noted that the stone was smooth and warm to the touch. A small smile crossed his face, and he made his way through the hall, into the main chamber of the tower. He'd only physically been here once before, a long time ago. Hematite scratched the back of his head in remembrance.

 _Right, no long hair when he reformed. Never again._

The service gem's hand fell away from the wall as he left the hall and stepped into the largest 'room' of the tower. He looked up.

The middle of the tower was completely hollowed into a main room with a spiral staircase leading around the walls. Warm light was filtering in through the open roof of the tower and various large windows that dotted the walls. Between the windows, completely lining the inner walls, were small cube-shaped cubbies. Many of them contained bubbles, and each occupied one had a bright, visor-like pane of glass sealing it off. Each cube was about two by two feet. There were at least a thousand lining the interior of the tower.

However, down below was a completely different story. The floor _appeared_ to be a mirrored surface that reflected the tower above, but it looked slightly _off_. No, down below the 'mirror' floor was an entirely different section of the tower, buried deep in the ground. Instead of being lined with small bubble-filled cavities, the walls of the tower below were scattered with sealed off prison cells. All of them were currently empty. The area below was far darker, nearly black from the lack of sunlight. It wasn't a fun place to be in.

Hematite began walking up the staircase and carefully checked on each bubbled gem that he passed. Most of them were whole, a few were cracked, and about three or so were bubbles filled with shards. The service gem gently touched the 'screen' in front of each cell, lighting it up. Little boxes of gemspeak and data popped up, giving him diagnostics on each one. Stability, date of capture, temperament. He tapped them again, turning them back off. Seemed everything was still in order.

Unsure of how long the trek had taken, Hematite soon found himself atop the tower. There was a large guard rail along the upper most landing of the structure. Hematite sighed and leaned his arms on the rail, looking out over the landscape. The Blue, Yellow, and White districts glimmered faintly in the distance, and the service gem idly wondered if he'd have time to visit there if he started walking now. No, probably not. White would let him out of his bubble soon, if that's truly where he was.

Another warm breeze blew through the air, disturbing the grassy fields far below. Hematite closed his eyes contentedly.

 _If it hadn't been for White warning me, I might not have gotten so lucky. I'm glad she was there, but..._ A small frown crossed his face. _I hope she's alright._

–

Just as she figured, it was well beyond nightfall before White managed to make her way back to the Pink District warp pad. She slowed, trotting up onto the surface, teleporting away.

However, it wasn't the White district that she went to.

She found herself in the Blue District, hurrying as fast as she could through the streets. By now, a lot of the common gems had retired to their homes for the evening, but there were still a few bustling here and there. As White rushed past, her cape still pulled over half of her face, a few gems had to do a few double takes in confusion.

It took another entire hour of flat-out running, but she finally came to a halt in front of an absolutely massive building. She took a deep breath, looking up at the doors and making her way through.

Within the building, there were two staircases right off the bat. One going up to the right, and one going down to the left. She went down, twisting and turning around a countless number of flights before she got to the bottom. There, she was greeted with more doors and a holo-screen. Next to the screen on the wall was some kind of security system. White stepped up, punching in a rather long, tedious code.

 _Kzzt_!

The screen shut down, and the doors slowly hissed open. White walked through, grabbing a hold of her cape and making it disappear completely in a flash of light. Her footsteps echoed ominously through the room. Looking up, she eyed the room, which was filled with thousands upon thousands of bubbled gems. Even more unsettling was the fact that well over half of them were shattered into pieces. Some were yellow bubbles, some were blue, and some were white.

She searched thoroughly through the white bubbles in a specific area. Many more minutes passed before she placed a finger to her chin inquisitively. _It has to be here somewhere, this is definitely where I sent it..._

Then, she spotted it.

Hematite's bubble was nestled behind a few other bubbles in the far right corner of the room. Rushing over, she carefully placed her hands around the sides of the clear sphere, pulling it closer. She stepped back a few feet, and with a tap of her finger...

 _Plip!_

–

A startled gasp escaped Hematite as his gem glowed for a moment. He looked around. The air around him suddenly cooled slightly, and it felt clearer. With a small, hopeful smile, the service gem looked down and gave his gemstone a tap. Closing his eyes, he focused on his innermost energies, and finally was able to get a reaction.

Looks like he was free to reform.

With a long, deep breath, Hematite stood straight, his feet slightly spread apart. He held his fists at his sides, but then slowly raised them in front of him, his elbows slightly bent. Fists uncurling, he held his pose for a moment. His gem began to glow brightly.

–

The gem in White's hand suddenly began to glow, and quickly lifted itself a little ways into the air. Hematite's small form grew from the center of the silvery stone, and the glowing silhouette quickly shuffled past his first, long-haired form, then his second, and finally stopped.

–

White held her breath for a long moment, watching the gem reform carefully. She held her hands clasped together up to her chest, eyes wide. _Moment of truth..._

–

It didn't appear to change much at all now. Slowly, Hematite landed down on his feet, and his body stopped glowing. From the front, he looked exactly the same. His hair may have looked slightly more... fluffy? Scruffy? It was hard to tell. But other than that, he looked as he had before.

–

 _Thank the stars._ She was relieved to see that his reformation went smoothly.

Holding her hands up a bit closer, she smiled faintly.

"Hematite! Are you alright?" she asked promptly, taking a step forward, her palms squeezed a little tighter. _At first glance at least, he seemed to be fine._

–

Looking up at White Diamond, the service gem smiled in relief. He had noticed the bubbles, but felt it was best not to ask about it right now.

"I think so? I feel alright..." The small gem took a look at himself, raising his leg in the air before setting it down. He took a look at his arms. "Hm. Well." He looked behind himself, turning around. "I don't seem to have sprouted a tail, so everything appears to be in order." He gave a bright smile.

Clearly, he couldn't see the new insignia on his back. There, between his shoulder blades, laid a new white diamond insignia that stretched across where the skyscraper had hit him the hardest.

–

White stared at the smaller service gem for a few, awkwardly quiet moments. She blinked, looking over him for any possible things he might have missed. _He was fine... he hadn't shown any signs yet of corruption._ Without warning, she rushed forward and turned him around, wrapping her arms around him tightly. She held him close to her. Her bangs drooped over her eyes. She stared at nothing on the floor.

As quickly as she had embraced him, she let go and took a few steps back, looking both relieved and shocked at the same time for a moment. It quickly faded, along with her smile.

"I... forgive me, that was a little unprofessional," she said awkwardly, looking to the side, wide eyed and expressionless.

–

Letting out a small squeak of surprise, Hematite stared behind White Diamond as she hugged him. He went to return the embrace, but stopped himself as she quickly stepped back. He blinked in confusion at her, but a small smile crossed his face.

"There's nothing to 'forgive'." His smile brightened, and he clasped his hands behind his back. "I'm just... happy that you're okay."

–

White gave another relieved smile and sighed. She blinked again, stepping back another few steps and holding her arms out. Her form glowed white for a few moments, and soon she reappeared as she normally was. Her hair was back up, and her outfit had returned to normal. She placed her hand on her neck and rubbed the back of it, shaking her head.  
"There we go. Ah, we should...probably head back to the tower. Come, Hematite," she said professionally with a nod. _Ah, there she was._

She turned for the door and headed out. The less time they spent in this room, the better...

–

The service gem's smile relaxed a little.

 _Back to the usual White._

Nodding, Hematite followed after her. He glanced about the room of bubbled gems, and bit his tongue as the urge to ask where they were arose. _No, he didn't want to know. Not right now._ Surely White would explain it some day when he was ready... She always did.

Quietly following behind his leader, Hematite remained silent. They'd both had quite the long day, and he was ready for a long rest back at the tower.

–

It took them another hour or so to get back to the White district. White paced down the hall as they exited the tower elevator, heading for her office. She hadn't said anything since they had left the bubble dungeon. Stars gleamed overhead, the light beaming through the more open sections of the hall and casting shadows where the arcs were along the sides of the path. Soon enough, they stood in front of her office. Opening the door, she entered the room hesitantly, but sighed in heavy relief upon stepping inside. _Warmth. Familiar, safe warmth._ She made her way over to her desk, but did not sit down. She gestured for Hematite to come in.

–

With his own sigh of relief, Hematite strolled into the office, letting the doors shut behind him. He always felt secure in White's office. It was warm, familiar, bright but not too bright, and always smelled faintly of tea and books. Smiling brightly, the service gem walked closer and stood straight, a few feet away from White's desk.

–

White stood for a few moments without saying a word. She seemed more content to just be here, more than anything. She frowned, deep in thought for a few long moments. Then she had an idea. Turning to Hematite, holding up a finger, she walked into one of the back rooms, disappearing behind the door.

–

Hematite blinked in surprise as White left the room. Curiously, he put his hands on her desk, which was about eye level with him, and stood on his tiptoes, peering around. He knew he shouldn't snoop, but a quick glance wouldn't hurt. Not seeing anything interesting, he returned to his previous pose, hands clasped behind his back. He rocked on his heels silently as he looked around. It was nice to be back.

–

White returned a good 10 minutes or so later with a tray in hand. Upon it rested her teapot.

"Much better." She said, taking a seat and placing the tray down. She took the handle of the pot and poured the piping hot liquid into her cup, grinning warmly.

And then she poured it into another cup.

She placed the pot down and took the other saucer, sliding it slowly towards Hematite.

"Don't tell Yellow about this." She said with a rather devious smirk.

–

As soon as he spotted the teapot, his eyes lit up, but he quickly righted himself and returned to his professional stance. _Right, he was still being punished._ It'd only been a few months, no tea for him. He watched her pour herself a cup, the faintest of pouts on his face.

And then she poured the other.

Hematite's eyes widened, and he looked at her in disbelief as she slid the cup over to him. He wanted to protest, and his expression said it all. But after a moment, he looked at the tea and picked it up with a bright, thankful smile.

"I won't tell a soul." He chuckled and took a sip, his eyes shut contentedly. _Stars, how he missed this._

–

She stifled a small chuckle and took a sip of her own.

"Now I'm not one to bend my own rules, but... at least for tonight I think you've earned yourself a cup. But unfortunately you'll still have to wait out the rest of your punishment with no tea," she said firmly, but with a good natured tone, her eyes closed. After a few moments, she opened them again, but looked off to the side solemnly. She placed her cup down on the tiny plate.

"Listen, Hematite."

She placed her elbows on her desk, pressing her fingers together. Her expression was more serious now, but at least it wasn't in a stern fashion. There was another long, drawn out pause. She couldn't find the words she was looking for, so she went with the next best thing.

"Thank you..."

–

The service gem quietly enjoyed his tea during the moment of silence. When White spoke up, he lifted his head and fidgeted with his cup idly. She paused again, and Hematite took another quiet sip.

 _Thank you._

Blinking, Hematite lowered his cup in surprise.

"I-I was..." The service gem paused and glanced to the side. "I was just doing my job."

–

White smiled again, taking another sip.

"Yes, but this was also the first time you've ever actually done anything bodyguard related. You really saved my gem out there. I don't normally get to thank people for this kind of thing, nor do people _expect_ me to..." She placed her cup down again, rubbing her thumb against its warm surface.

"But I figured you should hear it at least once."

–

Hematite listened silently, his eyes fixated on White's face. His mouth parted for a moment at her last statement, and he felt his breath catch in his throat. Looking away, he fidgeted with his cup.

"..."

Quietly, he cleared his throat, much in the way you did when trying to keep back tears.

"W-well. Uhm. Th-thank you for thanking me, White." He awkwardly smiled at her, wiping his eyes.

–

She noticed his moment of sentiment, but didn't acknowledge it. She gave him a wink and finished off her tea. _What a day..._ Perhaps it _was_ a good thing that she tagged along. She smiled softly, staring at nothing on the wall behind Hematite. Perhaps she too would have a rest tonight. She blinked once and turned her head to the service gem, tapping her finger on the desk.

"Alright Hematite, you should go and get some rest. You're back on the job tomorrow." She grinned, waving her hand to dismiss him. "But don't worry, I'll make sure it's not too complicated."


	27. Disturbed

_Summary: Hematite has a mission in the Yellow District._

"Are you certain that they arrived this morning? It says on file they arrived here last night," stated a firm, well-carrying voice.

"Yes ma'am, though to be fair it was before dawn. The sun hadn't risen yet," replied a much softer voice, one that bore an odd accent. They sounded like they belonged to the White District.

"I see. What's the status of the ship and its crew?"

"Well, they all made it here alive. And that's a miracle, considering they lost two power cells. The hull also has sustained major damage. Somehow, despite how wrecked the ship is, they still managed to land relatively safely with minimal damage to the sky port."

"Go figure. Well, I'll see what I can do."

The voices drifted on the afternoon breeze. Two gems walked alongside each other, matching each other in speed, though the shorter gem had to take significantly larger steps to keep up with his superior. One of them was Yellow Diamond herself, but the other was a white gem with a silver and yellow outfit. He looked intelligent, with a short and lithe build. Worker class, probably. The two were making their way towards a massive hangar that sat out in the middle of one of the Yellow District's impressive shipyards. This particular vessel belonged to a squad of explorers that had a rather nasty run-in with a rebel fleet. Yellow came all the way out here to take a look at it herself and see if she could recharge the main power cores.

Soon enough, the two arrived at the docking hangar that laid on the outskirts of the ship yards and entered a code into a small pad near the entrance. With a clank and a heavy rattle, a large door slid open. Inside, half-sunken into a ravine-like groove in the ground laid the vessel. It was a standard Peridot ship, one that was shaped like a massive hand. Its hull was dented all different ways, scratched, scuffed, and even showed early signs of peeling away in some areas. The Diamond looked up with a small frown, pursing her lips.

"Thank you Danburite, I can take it from here. You know what to do." Yellow stood in front of the hangar, looking up at the ship that was docked in the station. _Yikes, it_ _ **was**_ _in pretty bad shape. Nothing she couldn't handle, though. Once she got the power cores back up, they could get this to a repair station and get it fixed up._

Motioning for the service gem to follow her inside, Yellow Diamond stepped through the gaping hangar entrance, her shoes clacking against the grayish stone of the building. The sound echoed through the near-cavernous structure. With a soft sigh through her nose, Yellow made her way up the stairs that led up to a small, rail-guarded path that ran alongside the docked ship. Danburite followed after his leader, swiping his hand over a rectangular gemstone that laid in the middle of his forehead. He wasn't wearing a white visor like many of his kind did, on and off, but felt he didn't need it today since he wouldn't be doing the heavy work. It was his job to observe and keep track of numbers, really. Trailing after the diamond, the short service gem pulled a professional-grade diamond pad from his gemstone and powered it on. A soft chime drifted through the stale air of the hangar as the device glowed to life, a Yellow Diamond insignia appearing on the screen. Pursing his lips, Danburite hurried up the steps, looking down at his diamond pad. With half-gloved fingers, he flicked through a few different folders, muttering to himself. Yellow went silent as she analyzed the damages.

 _Stars, this was going to be a long day._

–

 _Click._

Nearby, behind a neighboring hangar, something lithe, silent, and huge was creeping through the shadows of the building. It moved with purpose, slowly inching its way around the wall of the structure. It wasn't the one Yellow Diamond was currently in, but it was nearby. The huge form peered into a window, its brightly glowing visor scanning the dormant interior.

 _Nothing._

Sitting up, the giant gem looked around before slowly lowering himself to the ground again. It was Hematite.

Pursing his lips for a moment, Hema tapped his visor and gave a silent order for it to check again for gem signatures within two or so miles. It was tracking Spinel signatures, and _only_ Spinel signatures.

Quietly, he crept around the side of the building. He carefully began lifting and turning over spare ship parts and repair equipment that were lying around the sides of the hangars.

–

Yellow and Danburite were too busy talking to notice anything out of the ordinary outside their hangar. Yellow was transfixed on the ship's exterior. _It looked as though it'd been through an asteroid belt._ Muttering something under her breath, she squinted and scratched her cheek. The Danburite looked at the diamond pad in his hands, quickly tapping through a few different pages of data. He was recording and organizing the ship's damages and status as Yellow rambled off different details for him to note down. At one point, she stopped and sighed, putting her hands on her hips as she stared up at the side of the vessel.

"Well on the bright side, at least it made it back to Homeworld. It's a miracle that it didn't fall apart re-entering the atmosphere." Yellow shrugged, taking a few steps forward around the huge ship to take a look at the bow.

–

Hematite frowned as he attempted to pick up a rather stubborn carbonite beam. It was jammed under some old, broken pieces of ship, and wouldn't budge. The giant gem growled lowly in frustration, forcing it up. With a loud 'CLANG', the damaged ship hull chunk was removed from the end of the carbonite girder. Smiling faintly, Hematite set aside the beam, making sure not to damage it. A small gem monster scurried out from under the scrap metal, and Hematite's attention snapped to it. The small, sharp-looking creature made a mad dash for the hangar across the way, the very same one that Yellow Diamond and Danburite were currently in. The giant gem's hunting visor gave a loud chirp as it locked onto the Spinel monster copy. Not wasting another moment, he darted after the creature, in hot pursuit.

–

Blinking, Danburite frowned and turned to look out the hangar door upon hearing the loud 'clang' across the way. It was some distance off, but it sounded like a piece of equipment crashed or malfunctioned.

But no, that was far from the case.  
Not a second later, a tiny gem monster skidded to a stop in front of the open hangar door, hissing and growling at the gems within the building. Seems it'd expected its possible hiding place to be unoccupied. It bristled angrily, bright eyes narrowing up at the two. Danburite cocked a brow with a small frown, starting to reach for his gemstone. There was an odd, cautious look in his eyes, his gaze thoughtful. Just before his hand reached his forehead, he froze, a distant but rapid thudding approaching the building.  
 _Wait a moment._

"Umm, Y-Yellow Diamond-"

"Not now."

She narrowed her eyes, taking another few steps forward, practically upon the underbelly of the ship. Frowning faintly, she placed her hand to the hull. It was _still_ cooling off, apparently. She was jerked from her attention upon hearing the hissing of a gem monster behind her. Turning sharply, she glared at the small red creature, starting to lift her hand as sparks emanated from it. However, she stopped in her tracks as soon as she heard the tell-tale sound of footsteps...

 _ **Giant**_ _footsteps._

 _And they were quickly getting closer._

Before she had a proper chance to react, a massive, looming form pounced in front of the hangar door, landing directly on his target. She couldn't see his face, but she very well knew who it was within an instant.

 _NO, why was HE here?!_

Her jaw parted, and with a terrified, half-stifled yell she stumbled back and hid behind one of the support beams near the ship. Danburite watched Hematite for a few moments, but looked back in to say something to his superior. Needless to say, upon seeing her current state, he closed his mouth and said nothing.

–

The huge gem sat up and carefully lifted the gem creature out of sight of the two within the hangar. Slowly, Hematite stood up straight, his feet the only thing within view of the gems in the building now, and held the Spinel copy close to his visor. It chirped and clicked, scanning the hissing monster. He hadn't noticed the two in the hangar, too focused on his hunt. _This gem mother had to be found soon._ It was _huge_ , and for once, his harvesting job held a potent sense of urgency that it didn't have when he hunted in the Pink district. This monster was close, and from what he could tell, it was moving toward civilization. If it was allowed to move much further, it'd cause massive damage to the Yellow District.

–

Danburite snuck his way back towards the ship as Hematite stood up. _Well, might as well ignore him and get back to work._ However _,_ Yellow remained hidden behind one of the beams. She stared up in barely masked apprehension at the giant gem, or rather, what she could see of him currently. Cocking his head, the technician gem walked a little closer, a look of confusion plastered on his face.

"Ma'am, are you alright?" Dan whispered quietly, a few feet from his leader. Still staring up at Hema, she didn't respond. She _heard_ him, but she dared not say a word in reply. As soon as he stepped forward another pace, she grabbed him by the front of his suit, tugging him behind the support beam as well. This earned a sharp yelp from the short gem, his eyes wide as he stumbled beside his superior. Yellow glanced at him.

"Be quiet you idiot!" she hissed quietly, sweat forming on her brow. She peeked again from behind her hiding spot. _Well, maybe he hadn't noticed them yet? What was he doing out here?! Why of all places, why_ _ **now**_ _of all times? To her knowledge she hadn't sent him on any missions out here or even authorized his presence in the ship yards!_

–

The flicker of movement from Danburite and the muffled yelp hadn't gone unnoticed. Turning his head just slightly, the hunter glanced down at the hangar entrance.

"Hm?"

Over the hissing and 'barking' of the gem monster in his hand, Hematite heard the faintest sound of... voices? The giant gem frowned deeply. If this creature was heading for that building, then perhaps...

With a flick of his wrist, Hematite formed an appropriate sized bubble around the gem creature, silencing its outbursts. He tapped his gem and placed the bubble beside it, quickly putting it away. One down, a few more samples to go.

 _So..._

Slowly, Hematite knelt down on one knee next to the hangar entrance. Leaning over, he peered into the huge open doors at the ship inside. The white diamond insignia on his visor darted around, checking for anything. No Spinels... maybe if he let it scan without focusing on his target signature? With a sharp whir, his visor radar brightened up and flooded with color a few moments later. Narrowing his eyes, he checked over the list of signatures alongside the newly refreshed radar.

He stopped.

Hematite caught a strong signal from behind one of the beams, and the target on his visor narrowed as it identified the signatures. Grimacing, the giant gem leaned back subtly. A sigh escaped his nose.

 _Oh nooo, why_ _ **her**_ _._

–

Yellow remained frozen, biting her lip. Silently, she stared dead ahead of her. Time seemed to stop.

She felt it. She felt _him_. The fear came crawling back, the nightmares creeping up her spine, filling her with a sense of dread. Every inch of her form felt cold. Danburite peeked out from behind the beam, immediately greeted with the sight of Hematite. His eyes widened slightly, but he managed to keep his cool.

"Oh, u-um... Hellooooo!" he called up as casually as he could. He stepped out nervously, waving his hand at Hematite. "I trust you're doing a bit of uh...work, here? And not causing trouble, right?" He chuckled heartily, glancing sidelong at the beam his superior was hidden behind. Maybe he could distract him for a little bit. Between the gossip of Peridots, working in the Kindergarten on and off himself, and working closely with Yellow Diamond here and there, he was _very_ aware of the situation between his leader and this Hematite. Though, despite knowing the gist of things, he had no idea just how _bad_ it had gotten.

Yellow remained unmoving behind the beam, holding her breath. _Good thing gems didn't_ _ **need**_ _to breathe._

–

Blinking in surprise, Hema smiled back and waved. After a moment, he lifted his visor, glancing around the inside of the hangar awkwardly.

"S-sorry, hi. Yeah, I'm on a job right now, orders from Blue. No, uh. No trouble from me!" He nervously glanced toward where Yellow was hiding.

"Sorry to disturb you two. There aren't any gem monsters in here, are there? Any Spinels running around?"

–

A massive spike of anxiety rushed through her upon his words. _He knew she was here_. Baring her teeth, she swallowed nervously and grabbed the beam, finally removing her back from the cold carbonite. She quickly peeked around it, giving Hematite a wide, awkward smile.

"OH hiiiii, Hematite... Ahhhh,... mmmm nope! No uh, nooooo Spinels in here," she said loudly, sweat dripping from her brow. She stared up at him, holding her wrist with her opposite hand and tugging at her glove. She looked over to the side without turning her head, not losing her seemingly out-of-character grin. After a few moments of silence, she looked back and bit her lip again, stifling an anxious chuckle. "No we're uh, just... working on this ship! Eheheh!" She gestured towards the massive beat up vessel, not taking her eyes off of him as she patted the hull.

Danburite blinked and ran his fingers through his hair, slowly looking down to his diamond pad. _Should... should he report this, or...?_

–

Hematite stared at Yellow Diamond, utterly _baffled_ by her behavior. He glanced to the side a few times, visibly uncomfortable. Eventually, when she stopped talking and gestured to the ship, he offered an awkward, lopsided grin.

"Ooookayyy? Well you... have fun with that.. don't hurt yourselves. And keep a look out for-"

A sharp hiss sounded outside, behind the giant gem, and without looking behind him, he stiffened. His expression instantly changed into something more akin to a teeth-bared snarl, and he spun around to see a small group of Spinel copies fleeing the hangar behind him. Without another word, he flicked his hunting visor back down and darted after the creatures, a low growl in his chest.

–

Yellow's skin crawled, another flare of anxiety hitting her like a ton of bricks. Her hair stood on end, and she found her legs taking her back behind the beam. She threw her arms over her head and flinched, grunting between her teeth in a fearful frustration. Her body seemed to be reacting on its own, the waves of terror from her nightmares making her act irrationally. _Dammit, this was just degrading._ She glanced over at the Danburite, who was staring at her shocked confusion. Angrily, she glared daggers into his very core, giving him a look that said a thousand words. Danburite frowned and looked away quickly. _He didn't see this._

However, what he DID see was Hematite some ways in the distance, in a scrap field that laid a few hundred yards from the hangars. It was filled with old bits and pieces of vessels, most of which would be re-purposed into other, newer pieces. Hematite was currently pursuing the small, badger-like creatures through the metal chunks and bits. Sighing softly through his nose, Danburite looked away, going back to taking notes on the ship.

–

About thirty seconds passed. It almost seemed like Hema's job would take him back away from the hangars, until a terrible noise filled the air.

 _ **CRASH**_

 _ **SCREEECH!**_

Horrible sounds of metal scraping metal echoed through the hangar, and a faint sound of yelling followed.

Hematite was suddenly tussling with a huge, yellow, dog-like gem monster as it snapped at his face. It had pounced him out of no-where in his pursuit for the Spinel copies.

 _It certainly_ _ **wasn't**_ _a Spinel mother._

–

Hide. Just stay hidden. Maybe if you stay back here, he'll...

Tch, oh, what the hell. What was she doing? She knew this was useless, he already knew she was here... what good would staying behind some carbonite support do? Frowning, she peeked out from behind the beam, watching Hematite fight the gem monster in the distance. _**This**_ _certainly wasn't helping her anxiety. Stars, what was that thing, and what was it doing in her ship yards?!_

–

The creature growled and snapped at Hematite with huge, drooling jaws. Holding it away from his face with his arm, the giant gem sat up with a loud shout of effort, quickly forcing the creature back. He struggled with it for a good moment, eyes wide as he looked around his immediate area. If he didn't take care of this thing _now_ , it was very likely going to land a heavy bite to his neck, and consequently, his gemstone. Gasping sharply, the service gem spotted something nearby and glared up at the creature, pushing it forward with a loud cry. With a sickening SHINK, the wolfish gem monster let out a loud, pained screech before a huge puff of yellowish smoke filled the air around Hematite.

The giant hunter deftly snatched the gemstone mid-air and looked it over before turning to what had ended the beast. A large, sharp slab of metal rested on the ground, the tip of it twisted into a gnarled point that faced the sky. Hematite grimaced underneath his visor. _At least it was quick._

Quickly bubbling the gem, the hunter turned his attention back to where he'd seen the Spinels hide, and started turning over pieces of broken ship hull. He swiftly grabbed the three miniature monsters and held them up, scanning them.

–

Danburite watched Hematite fight off the gem monster, unphased for the most part. There was a moment or two, as he looked at the corrupted yellow gem, when his expression would change to something akin to horror and remembrance before going back to normal.

 _Well, at least he was handling it better than Yellow Diamond._ She gripped at the beam, shuddering upon hearing the monster's agonizing yelp. _He was ruthless..._ Normally she wouldn't blink an eye at stuff like this, but it was _him_. It was different. Unknowingly, she started trembling, stepping a little further behind the beam. She didn't want to watch this. Turning around, she placed her hands to her head and dug her fingertips into her hair. _It'll be over soon, he's just doing his job, just ignore it..._

–

Hematite stood up again, poofing the Spinel copies in his fist. His visor's insignia changed to a dark red, round gem, and the giant hunter looked around, scanning the horizon. After pacing around a bit, he stopped by a particularly large pile of scrap and knelt down, moving things out of the way.

After a few minutes of rummaging around in the junk pile, Hematite stopped. Turning to the hangar, he cupped a hand over his mouth.

"... Yellow Diamond? You might want to come see this," he called over, brows furrowed.

–

The diamond's heart sank sharply, and she looked back behind her. _Oh_ _ **great**_ _... wonderful. Outstanding!_ She bit her lip and took a deep breath. _Might as well get this over with._ Putting on a brave face as best as she could, she walked out of the hangar, not even bothering to even glance at the Danburite that was obviously trying to stay out of trouble. It took her a minute or so to make her way over, and she kept her gaze locked on him the entire time. Being out in the open like this was even worse than standing back in the hangar. Stopping some distance from Hematite, she made sure she stood as far away as acceptably possible from him. The fear from before rose up in her chest, yelling at her to get far away from him. With a firm frown, she shook her head, forcing the urge down. Seeing him this close at his full size was even worse than she thought it'd be. Regardless, she held her chin high, a deep frown on her face.

"What is it?..."

–

Moving a piece of ship hull, the giant gem stood back and put on hand on his hip, the other moving up to his visor. He lifted it away from his eyes before motioning to a now very visible and _very_ large tunnel in the ground.

"Is this supposed to be here?" he asked half rhetorically, gazing down at his tiny superior.

–

Yellow's eyes drifted from the giant gem to the huge hole in the ground. _Wait, what?... How did these idiots MISS that?!_ Her lips parted to say something, but her brows furrowed for a moment in silence. Daring to step forward a few paces, she peered over a small rise into the tunnel below.

"I... uh... No? I don't think so. Th-this is a shipyard, there's not supposed to be caves here," she said, pushing her anxiety to the side enough to at _least_ give him some kind of coherent response. Her gaze flicked up to him for a moment again, eyes dark with thought and recollection.

 _Please stop talking to me..._

–

Frowning, Hematite nodded and looked to the cave, flipping his visor back down.

"The Spinel mother is down here, I'm sure of it. I'm going in to take care of it. You and Danburite should probably get somewhere safe if it seems it's going to emerge anywhere," he instructed.

He still wasn't looking at her.

"This thing's been avoiding me for hours. If it's digging tunnels, well. Now I know _how_." The giant gem shifted down slightly so he could descend into the freshly dug tunnel. Before she was out of sight, Hematite turned to Yellow, lifting his visor again. From where he stood, he was about eye level with her.

"If I'm not out in an hour, please tell White Diamond," he asked politely, brows furrowing. "These things are rather aggressive, and I might need backup."

–

Yellow eyed the entrance of the cave intently. Hematite's size shifting didn't do much to help ease her mind, whether he was smaller or not. However, his final statement caught her attention. _Tell White Diamond?..._

 _... And why should she? Why_ _ **would**_ _she? She could pretend she never saw him. Accidents happened all the time._

Nodding, she promptly looked to the side, averting her eyes from him. She crossed her arms. _Oh well, at least he was getting away from her for a little bit_. _Hopefully she'd be gone before he got back, if he ever_ _ **did**_ _get back._

–

The service gem smiled at Yellow Diamond's nod of agreement, and he flipped his visor back down, heading further into the tunnel. Within a few moments, his steps were too distant to hear, and he was gone.

–

Huffing heavily, Yellow uncrossed her arms and stepped back to the hangar. _Good, he was gone._ Now maybe she could get back to work. She stopped next to Danburite, looking back up to the beaten up ship. Slowly, she looked at him, eyes narrowed.

"And yes, for the record...I'm _fine,_ " she grumbled, placing a hand on her hip. The white gem shrugged and looked away sheepishly.

"I don't know whaaat you're talking about," he said quietly, whistling casually afterwards. Frowning, Yellow groaned in exasperation and walked forward. Just like Hematite, she too had a job to do. Might as well get it over with. She opened the door to the ship and stepped inside. _Now where was that power core..._

Slowly, Hematite made his way through the dark tunnels that crisscrossed deep under the ship yards. No wonder he couldn't track this thing if it was this far under the ground... Spinels were naturally good diggers, and this one didn't seem to be an exception to that trend. He just hoped he wouldn't find forty plus in here.

It took him a considerable amount of time, but eventually, he reached a part of the dark corridors that flattened out, leaving him with a confusing room with about ten plus paths leading off in every direction. The service gem grimaced, looking around as he used his visor to light his way.

 _ **ggh...**_

Stiffening in horror, Hematite turned to his left, staring wide-eyed at a creature that lumbered its way into the room. With glowing reddish eyes and yellow slit pupils, the massive beast lifted its chin and bared its huge fangs at the harvester. His body running cold, Hema put up his fists, a prickle of dread crawling up his spine. He glanced around, eyeing the tunnels in case he needed to run.

This thing was far bigger than he anticipated...

 _And it did not look happy to see him._

–

...

–

An hour and a half later, the junkyard was suddenly filled with the sound of shifting scrap metal. Hematite was slowly moving ship parts back over the hole, exhaustion clear on his face. This time, he made no effort to check if Yellow Diamond was still around. He finished placing pieces over the tunnel and turned away with a heavy, pained sigh. He was covered in scratches that had cut through his suit, and his hair was messed in all directions. There even appeared to be bite marks here and there on his form, deep and painful looking. From the looks of things, he'd been through hell.

–

Danburite, upon hearing the commotion, gave a knock on the ship's underbelly where one of the power cores sat. He was hoping that Yellow would hear it.

Sure enough, she stirred and came out of the doorway, her hair in a mess with sparks fizzling around her arms. She looked charred in a few places, and _not_ very happy.

"What?" she asked sharply. As Dan gestured outside the hangar, Yellow turned her head slightly, noticing Hematite standing outside in the distance.

Danburite put his hand behind his neck and rubbed it awkwardly.

"You uh, gonna go talk to him?" he asked nervously. She shot him a rather nasty glare that said everything. He looked away quickly, throwing his hands up a little in defense. "Alriiiight alright, sorry!"

Yellow hopped down and took a few steps forward, silently looking up at the service gem. He looked to be in pretty rough condition. Her nervousness returned, but she didn't make any attempt to say anything. She stopped just shy of the hangar exit, watching him from afar.

–

The gem was looking up at the sun, seeming to mutter something to himself. His brows furrowed, and he looked off to the side, as if doing some math in his head. At last, he signed heavily and rubbed the back of his head. He glanced at the hangar, noticing Yellow. Giving a weak, tired smile, he waved at her a little.

"Sorry again for disturbing your work, Yellow Diamond. I'll be going. White's probably worried about me," he called over, his voice carrying easily across the way. His eyes were filled with an unreadable mix of emotions, his tired but polite expression faltering.

 _She probably just forgot... she looks busy. It's fine, I got the job done anyways._

With that, he turned in the opposite direction of the hangar and walked off toward the Blue district. As he paced away, his shoulders drooped. It was subtle, but it was there.

–

Something about what he said struck her. She couldn't figure out what it was, but she felt... _something_ flare up in her core. It was probably nothing, just the anxiety of seeing him again, she presumed. Nodding, she turned away from him and crossed her arms, glaring up at the hangar. Except this time, she wasn't really paying attention it. Her gaze looked distant, distracted.

 _Finally, I thought he'd never leave. Tch, he should have just stayed down there._

Her face twisted into a pained look suddenly, eyes widening for a split second.

 _Did she regret thinking that, just now?_

 _... No, that probably wasn't it._

She grunted, placing her palm swiftly to her forehead and baring her teeth. Opening her eyes, she glared at the Danburite and sighed.

"I've fixed the primary power core. I'll send someone out later to fix the other..." she muttered, waving her hand dismissively and turning away. Danburite saluted the Diamond with a bit of confusion. He decided not to ask any questions, not this time.

"Right, I'll be seeing you later, Yellow Diamond!" he called respectfully as she left.

Yellow made her way towards the nearby warp pad, staring blankly and solemnly at the ground in front of her.

This entire ordeal wasn't sitting well _already_. At first, she was frustrated. Angry. Annoyed.

Now that Hematite was gone?

She felt... blank. She felt something indescribable, something foreign to her, or at the very least something she couldn't place a finger on. _No, she was upset with him! It was his fault she felt like this! All her fear, her dread, the constant feeling that she was being watched or tracked... all of it was his fault. She wanted to pin it all on him, and rightfully so! How could she_ _ **not**_ _be angry after what he did to her?!_

 _So then if he was truly to blame, why did she feel like_ _ **this?**_


	28. Alone

_Summary: Someone notices something might be wrong with Yellow Diamond._

 _ **Cold.** _

_**Dark.** _

_**... But not alone.** _

Why was she here?! She hadn't even closed her eyes, had she? Wasn't she just in her living quarters a moment ago?

No, not here again. She _absolutely_ remembered this place. She knew what it meant, she knew what it brought, she knew _everything_.

This time... she remembered. And she knew that _**he**_ was here as well. Without taking a single step forward,Yellow sat down on her knees, holding her upper arms with her hands. She stared blankly into the abyss ahead of her. If she moved forward, she knew what would happen. All the memories of the previous nightmares were at the forefront of her mind, no longer shrouded by mental fog. Wandering around got her nowhere, and it always brought him closer. _No, she just had to wait it out._ Surely she'd be safe if she just stayed put. She looked around nervously, closing her eyes on occasion and clutching her arms tighter.

 _Stay away from me..._

–

At first, it seemed as if staying still was a wise choice. There were no tremors, no cracks in the floor, no ominous laughter. Nothing was happening.

 _But the air was still cold._

 _And heavy._

 _ **He was there.** _

Silence. Unnerving, unwavering silence filled the air.

–

Yellow felt everything. She knew he was there this time. She could feel it. However, she dared not look around to find him. Every time she looked behind her, he seemed to be there. So this time, she wouldn't give him that chance. She picked a single spot on the 'floor' and stared hard at it. She could tell he was coming for her... should she run?

 _... No... Don't move._

–

The darkness began to move in. Lazily, sluggishly, it crept up on her. A freezing 'breeze' blew across her back, and the air behind her became dense.

 _"Evening, Yellow Diamond.~ What's the matter, too tired to run?"_

–

Beads of sweat formed on her face. Her brows furrowed, her gaze faltering slightly from the spot that she was staring at. She didn't move an inch. As she'd feared, he was there. She hoped this would work. The only times he ever really went after her was when she put up a fight or ran. So, why not take the fun out of it? Maybe if she waited it out, she'd wake up or snap out of whatever state she was in.

 _Please stop talking to me..._

–

Another, stronger breath blew against the diamond's back, disturbing her hair. The giant gem behind her felt as if he were mere feet away.

"Ohhh, what's this now? Finally decided to make this easy?"

A soft chuckle made the ground tremble underneath Yellow Diamond, and the air over her grew heavy. He was looming.

–

She gripped her arms tighter, nails digging into her skin. She held her breath, sweat dripping down her face. _Don't talk to him. Don't run...don't move. Don't acknowledge him. He isn't there. He isn't real. This is all just a horrible nightmare._

–

Slowly, Hematite's clawed hands came into view at Yellow Diamond's sides. They rested on the ground, holding the giant gem up.

"Come now, Yellow. It's rude to ignore people~"

The gem licked his teeth, a single drop of drool landing directly beside the diamond.

His visor made an all too familiar clicking sound as it locked onto her.

–

Yellow's eyes widened, the faintest of whimpers escaping her. She started trembling somewhat. The cold was unbearable. _Go away!_ She clawed at her arms, nervously trying to keep her mind off of him, to no avail. A sharp shudder rang through her upon hearing the mechanical clicking.

 _He's toying with you. Don't play his games._

–

For a moment, nothing changed. The giant gem didn't move his hands, nor did he snap down on Yellow Diamond. There was nothing but the whirring sound of the hunting visor.

 _Which suddenly sounded like it was getting closer._

The nightmarish Hematite leaned down, his jaws parted above the tiny diamond. Teeth quickly filled the upper half of her view, and another freezing breath washed over her trembling form.

–

Yellow gasped and shut her eyes tightly, clawing into her skin. _NO! Don't look! Don't move! GO AWAY!_ She shivered, leaning down a little lower and bracing herself. Terror swept over her, and now even if she wanted to move, she couldn't. She went numb.

–

The giant gem paused. Slowly, he sat back up, a coy smirk on his face. There was an eerie sense of calm for a moment before the smirk widened into a grin.

 _Thwip!_

Thin, stark-white wires wrapped around Yellow Diamond's wrists, quickly working their way up her arms. The other ends were firmly wrapped around the ends of Hematite's clawed fingers.

–

Yellow's eyes shot open upon feeling something around her wrists. She let go of her arms and held her hands in front of her face. _What!? What is this?!_ Her lips parted like she was going to yell, but nothing came out. She quietly stuttered, hands trembling. She tried to pick off the strings with her hands, pulling and picking at the little white threads. They were _really_ on there. She hadn't even noticed where they came from.

–

"Hahaha ha ha..."

The strings tightened. Slowly, Yellow Diamond was pulled backwards.

"Did you really think that would work? Do you think there are _**rules**_ here that I must abide by?"

Hematite's visor clicked ominously, the sound slowly getting louder.

"Who do you think is pulling the strings around here?~"

–

Her shoe tips dug against the ground, her knees dragging as she was pulled backwards. Panic risen, she started to pull her arms in the opposite directions, grunting and writhing. She had to get these things off. quick. Baring her teeth, she pulled one of her arms up to her face and started to bite desperately down on the strings. They wouldn't cut... _No, why aren't they breaking?! What is this?!_

–

 _Bump._

Yellow Diamond's back came in contact with something solid... the giant gem's face. Hematite grinned, pulling the strings tighter to keep his victim still. Teeth parting, his ice-cold tongue drug itself across her back, striking a chill through her.

 _"I am the one in control."_

An ominous laugh escaped the hunter, and he began to pull her back.

–

Her heart stopped, eyes widening. She stopped breathing, stopped moving.

Then the cold hit her. Freezing, deathly cold.

A flood of terror and panic rushed through her like a ship crashing violently down onto a planet's surface. She opened her mouth to scream out in horror...

But nothing came out. She inaudibly whimpered, sweat pouring from her brow. Her lip quivered. She mouthed words, but no sound was heard. _She was silenced._ No matter what she did, she couldn't speak. She couldn't scream. She couldn't make any noise, any protest, nothing.

Yellow looked forward with a thousand mile stare, and suddenly dug her heels into the ground. She attempted to stand, tried to run. But the strings kept her in place. Her feet drug against the ground, skidding and slipping against the black surface. The strings that were still wrapped tightly around her arms pulled her back, causing more panic. She'd _wanted_ to do nothing, now she was _forced_ to do nothing.

–

Slowly lifting the diamond off the ground, Hematite dangled her in front of his face, a wicked grin spread across it.

"You want to break the 'rules' of this place? Fine. Let's mix things up a bit."

Slowly, the giant gem lifted Yellow Diamond over his mouth as he tilted his head back.

 _Snap_

The strings on the tiny gem's right arm suddenly broke, leaving her dangling over Hematite's slowly opening mouth.

One by one, the strings on her other arm began to snap.

–

She wanted to cry out, but she couldn't make any noise whatsoever. Even if she wanted to beg, plead, she couldn't. Looking up to her arm again, she felt the air around her shift. _Oh sure,_ _ **now**_ _the threads were snapping!_ She went to grab onto some of the strings, frantically using them to climb up. Maybe she could get onto his hand before the final strings snapped.

–

Closing his mouth, the giant gem arched a brow and smirked. With an amused chuckle, he swung his hand just slightly, a few strings still holding onto Yellow Diamond's arm.

 _"Where are you going?~"_

–

She grabbed desperately at the strings, her destination in sight. _Don't look down, just keep climbing up._ She was shaking with fear, but her grip on the strings was firm. _Why are you still talking to me?!_

–

Hematite watched in grim delight as Yellow neared his hand. When she was within a few inches of reaching her goal, he suddenly snapped his wrist up, the rest of the strings breaking off and sending her flying into the air. His clawed hand opened up below her.

An agonizingly long moment later, she fell onto his palm. This time, he didn't curl his fingers around her, but instead began lifting her toward his face.

"You thought you could escape like that?~ Come now! Do you really believe you have a chance?"

With an amused snicker, he pinched her between two fingers, turning her around, as if looking her over.

 _"You're_ _ **adorable**_ _, Yellow Diamond.~"_

–

She silently yelled as she was thrown violently into the air, landing on his palm with a thud. Shivering, she propped herself up with her arms, back on her knees. Yellow Diamond didn't have much time to react before she was picked up yet again. She squirmed in his grasp, shoving against his fingers with her hands. Mouthing something desperately, she realized she was still muted, and clawed at his massive fingers even more aggressively.

–

"I can't blame you for being speechless.~ Here, we'll skip the formalities."

Tilting his head back, Hematite opened his mouth, quickly dropping Yellow Diamond in.

 _Snap_

His teeth clicked shut behind her, leaving her in freezing darkness. But he wasn't going to make it quick this time. He pinned the diamond to the roof of his mouth, leaving her no room for escape.

 _Ohhh no, he wasn't going to make this easy._

–

Yellow cried out again with no sound. She called out for help, but she couldn't even do that. Landing once more on his tongue, the memories from previous nightmares came flooding back. _No, No! Not like this! Not again!_ She let out a pitiful gasp as she was shoved against the roof of his mouth. Struggling to grab a hold of anything, she wrapped her hands around his tongue desperately. Here she was... and in any given second, he was going to bite down and shatter her again. She knew it was coming.

With a long, contented sigh, the giant gem stretched and reclined back, folding his arms behind his head. He suddenly pulled away his tongue, letting gravity do its job.

–

Everything shifted. Yellow's eyes widened in panic. _Wait, what's going on?! What is he doing?_ Confusion and terror drove her to move forward, gripping at the freezing, slippery surface. Her whole body trembled. _She had to get out!_

–

Hematite chuckled and tilted his head back further, sending the tiny diamond to the back of his mouth. Without hesitation, the giant gem smirked and swallowed easily, plummeting Yellow Diamond into constricting, suffocating cold.

–

 _Wait, NO!_

She slipped over his tongue, crying out to no avail. Even if she did make a sound, it would have fallen on deaf ears. She shut her eyes tightly, pulled down into a frozen cold abyss. Suddenly, the black void that she had been familiar with seemed far more welcoming. A few more long, agonizing moments and she found her arms unpinned, in a momentary free fall before landing on a solid, icy cold surface. It felt oddly dry for where she'd been not moments ago. In fact, it almost felt as though she'd fallen back into the plane from before...

But she couldn't see anything. She held her hands out in front of her quickly. She couldn't see them either.

–

The moment Yellow fell into the pitch black 'pit', everything went silent.

There was no laughing. There were no tremors. No cold breaths. Not a single click of a hunting visor.

Silence.

 _He'd finally stopped talking to her._

–

She wrapped her arms around her in a panic. _Was she... dead? Was she going to wake up? Was he even there? Where was she?!_ She couldn't even tell that much. She went to stand, but had no idea where she was. She could only guess she was inside another void, inside _him_. She reluctantly started walking. The surface she stepped on felt like nothing, as if she wasn't making contact with anything. The air around her was cold, and it was deathly still. Her skin felt numb, as if nothing where making contact with it. She tried to say something, to ask if anyone was there. _Nothing_.

Then it hit her.

 _ **She** felt like nothing. _

She looked up, breath catching in her throat. _Nothing_... She was stuck here. She was stuck here _alone_ , cold, who knows for how long. Was this even a dream anymore? Would she ever wake up? Was she going to be stuck here forever? She didn't even remember going to sleep!

It seemed like an eternity passed, and she kept calling out silently, her panic increasing; but the more her panic increased, the more her hope of escape drained from her. How long had it been... hours, days? Weeks? There was no sense of time here... and yet she knew she should have woken up by now! She eventually fell back to her knees, exhausted mentally. She felt physically _weak_. All her energy was gone. She looked down at the dark nothingness. She wanted to be alone, and now she was... But she was now left to wonder if that was what she really wanted in the first place.

She sat down, folding her arms over and embracing herself in the deathly cold air. Was it even possible to freeze to death? No, she'd be stuck here forever. She was sure of it. No one to talk to, no one to hear her, _no one to remember her._ She closed her eyes and gripped her arms tighter, shivering. She didn't want this. She didn't want any of this. And now, she was going to be stuck here and forgotten about. And no one would ever find her.

 **KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!**

"Yellow, open the door! I know you're in there! Wake up!"

Yellow Diamond's eyes shot open, the light of her room greeting her with a familiar warmth.

However, she still felt cold.

Sitting up quickly, she stared wide eyed at the door. There were tears in her eyes. She was _awake_. She was finally awake. Regaining her composure, she wiped at her eyes, getting up off the bed. It seemed she'd passed out without meaning to. The bed was undisturbed, and a diamond pad laid next to her. Yellow sighed and made her way for the door, opening it and looking up without a word.

White stood there, her arms crossed. She looked both confused and concerned.

"Are you alright? Normally you don't sleep in this long. It's late in the afternoon, Yellow Diamond. You said you were going to send reports this morning, so I came over when I didn't get them. You really must have been drained!" She smirked, placing a hand on her hip.

Yellow held a palm on the wall next to her, half-heartedly leaning against it. She stared with a blank expression up at the taller diamond and listened to her words. After she was done, she looked somberly to the side. White looked at her in suspicion, wondering why she hadn't responded.

Yellow parted her lips, making a small noise. _She was audible._ Eyes wide, she stared ahead, not looking directly at White.

"… Do you think that if you dream about something enough, it can find its way into the waking world?"

White's eyes widened, and she looked like she wanted to say something in reply... but she didn't. Raising her brows in an even deeper concern, she held up one of her hands just in time for Yellow to turn around.

"Sorry, I'll have those reports to you as soon as possible. You can go now," she said monotonously. White bit her tongue and decided not to pry. _That certainly...wasn't like her._ She nodded her head and shrugged.

"Alright Yellow. If you need anything, you know where to find me!" She turned away, leaving her to her thoughts. Yellow stood still, silent, for a few prolonged moments after hearing the door behind her shut.

Her eyes narrowed, and she started heaving. Tears flowed down her cheeks, and she started to spark violently. She opened her mouth and screamed out in violent anger, reeling her fist back and punching dresser that sat next to her bed. Splinters flew everywhere, cutting deep into her hand. She breathed heavily, hissing through her teeth. Her arm trembled, pulling it from the now broken hardwood.

She grasped her hand painfully, glove torn to shreds. Sobbing, she fell to her knees. _Fear...frustration...anger...horrific sadness. Guilt. Pain._ So many emotions flooded over her, bearing down on her like the weight of the entire planet. She grasped weakly at the side of her head, staring down at the floor. Tears dripped onto the smooth surface, spattering lightly. Slowly, Yellow's expression turned from dismay to _anger_.

 _Look at yourself._

 _What is this..._

 _What have you been reduced to?_

 _You're Yellow Diamond._

 _You can't be afraid of some foolish nightmares!_

 _But they won't stop... I can't sleep. I can't even rest my eyes for a moment. The terror in those dreams is too real._

 _They aren't going to end, are they?_

…

 _Fine._

 _If it was going to be like this, then so be it. She would stay awake. She would work 10 times as hard. She would stay away from_ _ **him**_ _. Everyone... she had to stay away from everyone. No, no one could see her like this! She had to keep her mind off of it. These nightmares weren't going to stop. The fact that she was_ _ **afraid**_ _only fueled her anger more. No, she would put a stop to this. This fear wasn't going to get the better of her. She'd show them. She'd show herself. She was stronger than this. No matter what, nobody could know how much this was getting to her. If she had anything to say about it..._

 _No one would ever find out._


	29. Do Not Look So Dismayed

_Summary: Morganite tells Hematite a story._

Finally, after weeks and weeks of work, Hematite finally had the next few days to do whatever he wanted. There was a strange lull in missions soon after his Spinel hunt, and White allowed him two whole days to do whatever he wanted. He hadn't had a full day off in months, and he was glad to spend it with some friends.

 _More specifically, Blue._

Ever since the 'incident' at the Sky Arena, Hematite had rarely seen the chipper Diamond, and he was starting to miss talking with her. Sure, dropping into Morgan's bar now and then was fun, but it wasn't nearly as nice without his drinking buddy.

Hands folded behind his back, Hematite looked around as he headed down a staircase that lead to a lower part of the Blue district. He was heading for Morganite's bar, where Blue Diamond was supposed to meet him. Looking up at the reddening sky, a content smile crossed Hematite's face. It was a nice evening.

The service gem passed a few civilians and gave them a polite nod as he passed, which one returned, and one did not. People in the Blue district were slowly easing up on the dirty looks and avoidant paths, and Hematite was glad for it. It made walking about a lot less stressful. Though it helped when he stayed at his normal, smaller height like he was now.

Turning a corner, Hematite perked up as Morganite's bar came into view.

–

The bar was quiet this evening, at least for now. Morganite's Club just opened about half an hour ago, so not many people were hanging about outside. Normally, one could hear the music from the front door, but such was not the case at the moment. A familiar blue gem sat upon the bench outside the club, looking up to the sky. She didn't even notice at first that anyone was coming near her. She looked mesmerized, dazed even. Stars were already starting to come out, despite the early hour. _Man, she really loved the sky in this area..._

–

With an almost devious smile, Hematite noted that Blue didn't seem to see him yet. He stopped and tapped his chin, quietly hiding behind a wall for a moment. Looking around, he checked to see if there was anyone on the street. There were a few gems out past Blue, but nobody nearby.

 _I wonder..._

Keeping hidden, Hematite glowed for a moment before the light quickly went out. A now tiny service gem snickered to himself as he scurried down the street, keeping to the red shadows of the darkening city block.

 _Don't look over here._

To his delight, Blue was too busy watching the stars to notice his near silent approach. Tiny feet patting along the sidewalk, Hematite slowed to a stop behind the bench.

He stifled a snerk before stepping back and suddenly size-shifting back up behind the bench.

"AHA!" He laughed, playfully grabbing Blue around the shoulders. "I gotcha!"

–

Jolted quickly from her peace and quiet, Blue's instincts kicked in lightning fast and she grabbed the mystery gem's wrists. With a powerful swing, she yanked him over her head and slammed him into the ground in front of her.

"HYYYAH!" She placed a hand to her gem, baring her teeth fiercely, but soon her expression was one of confusion. Then realization. Then joy!

She burst out into laughter, swinging her arms up into the air and cackling heartily. She regained her composure quickly, looking down at the gem laying on the ground.

–

 **Regret**. **He had much regret.**

Hematite let out a surprised yelp as Blue tossed him over her head and into the ground. He laid there in a daze, a weak, pained groan escaping him.

"N-nice to see you too Blue..."

–

"Oh stars, sorry about that Hema! I didn't know it was you! Ya really had me goin' there!" she said, pointing her fingers at him in a joking manner.

Without warning, she leaned over and picked him up, hugging him tightly. _Yep, there she was. Hadn't changed a bit_. "OOooooh I missed ya bud! How have you been, ay? We've got a lot to catch up on!" She squeezed him excitedly.

The service gem grunted in surprise as the diamond picked him up and squeezed him tight. His cheeks puffed out, and he winced slightly, despite there being a smile on his face. Breathlessly, he chuckled.

"I missed you too. Y-yeah we do, uh. Can yo-U PUT ME DOWN," he wheezed as the diamond hugged him tighter. His legs kicked in the air. "Blue I can't breathe."

–

She continued hugging him, still shaking off the laughter.

"You silly thing, gems don't have to breathe!" she said with a wide grin. Her grip loosened and she dropped the service gem back onto his feet, placing her hands on her hips. "I'm messin' with ya!" She waved her hand, turning to the door. She gestured for him to follow behind her.

–

The smaller gem sighed thankfully as he was put back down, and he adjusted his suit as Blue ushered him into the bar. He smiled brightly and strolled in behind her.

"Remind me never to sneak up on you again," he joked good-naturedly, snickering. He looked around the bar with a content smile. He always liked when it was calmer this time of night. Morgan's lounge had become a sort of comfort to him, and it was far more relaxing when there were fewer people.

–

The door chimed as it was opened, the softer music was the only sound filling the air. The club in the back had yet to be opened, and a few people were sitting in the lounge asleep. They were probably waiting for the later hours when it would open. Morganite waved to the both of them, a towel in his hands.

"Evenin'!" he said charmingly, raising a brow.

Blue waved back cheekily and hopped up into her usual seat. Morganite turned to grab something from the shelf. "Haven't seen you in a few weeks, Blue! You been busy?" He asked idly. She propped her elbows up on the counter top and crossed her fingers.

"Yeeeaah, just catching up on some work! Man, I needed this!" she said endearingly. She sighed with content. She, too, was comfortable here.

–

Hematite hopped up in his own seat next to Blue and smiled brightly at the pink-haired gem behind the counter.

"Hey Morgan. How've things been? I haven't seen you in a while..."

The service gem swung his legs quietly, his hands holding the sides of his seat.

–

Morganite was pouring drinks behind the counter, smiling warmly. He was glad to see them both again. "I've been alright! I'm certainly better now that you two are here!~" he cooed, turning to them with two drinks in hand. That was fast! He slid them both the glasses. One of them was Blue's usual, and the other was a familiar, bright drink. It looked a lot like the one that Hematite had the last time he was here. Blue smiled and immediately took a drink, smacking her lips.

"AAaawww yeah! That's what I'm talkin' about!" She eyed the cup deviously.

–

At the sight of the brightly colored drink, Hematite's eyes lit up, and he pulled it over, taking a sip.

"Thanks, Morgan!"

After a few quiet moments, Hematite put down his glass. He reached up to his face, removing his eyepiece. Placing it down on the counter, he smiled and picked up his drink again, idly resting his mouth on the glass. Listening to the soft lounge music, the service gem sighed and swung his feet lazily below his chair.

–

Blue swirled her drink in her hand before taking another sip. It was peaceful here. She was among friends. She had her favorite drink in hand. How much better could it get? Morgan turned his back to them and started rinsing a few dishes, humming too quietly for anyone to hear. Blue turned to the smaller gem and raised her glass up.

"So? You gonna tell me what's been going on? I haven't really seen ya since the whole... um... Ordeal, with Sparky." She looked away with an awkward grin, still swirling her drink.

–

Drawn from his peaceful quiet by Blue's question, Hematite raised his brows and looked at the gem to his right. It was true, he'd barely seen her since, well, that little 'incident'. Putting his cup back on the counter, Hematite idly twisted the glass between his hands.

"Well, I've mostly been doing stuff around the districts... Construction, deconstruction, clean-up." He sipped his drink. "A little recon, lots of patrolling. Though, before all that, I was being bossed around by a bunch of Peridots." A soft chuckle escaped the service gem, but it faded prematurely as he looked up at Morganite. Something akin to anxiety flared up in his expression, and Hematite had to look back at Blue to ignore it. Right, something _else_ had happened.

"And, well... recently. Morganite and I had a spar."

–

Morganite felt a twinge of surprise rise up at Hematite's mention of the spar. Though, he didn't show any signs of hearing it. He gave a quick glance to Blue and turned to look at something else on the shelf behind him. Placing his hands on his hips, he stood with his back to them, looking up and down the shelves. Blue caught herself frowning, abruptly looking back at the Service gem with shock.

"WHAAAAT? You two had a spar AND YOU DIDN'T TELL ME?!"

–

Hematite flinched with a bashful smile and shook his head.

"No no, it wasn't that. You were busy, I think you were out of the city that week." The service gem fidgeted with his glass. "... You wouldn't have wanted to be there anyways. It wasn't pretty." One of the gem's hands slowly reached to the back of his neck, and he rubbed at it in remembrance.

–

Blue's eyes narrowed for a moment, and she propped her elbow onto the counter top She looked as though she were about to say something serious, but she smirked.

"Alright, who do I gotta beat up?" she said, her grin widening. It would seem that was more of a joke. Well, _half_ of a joke, anyway. Morganite still stood in the same place, eyeing the shelves. With a sigh too quiet to hear, he started to hum the same eerily familiar tune he had many times before, including back during his spar with Hematite.

–

At Blue's question, Hema let out the weakest laugh he could have managed. His fingers grasped at the cloth on his neck. The service gem's voice dropped just slightly.

"You don't have to worry about it." He looked at her with a strangely _haunted_ look in his eyes. "They're gone now. White took care of them."

As Morgan began to hum, Hematite tensed up ever so slightly, sparing the warrior gem a glance.

–

Blue's eyes widened, looking back at her drink for a second. She seemed concerned, but, didn't say anything. White took care of them. They're gone. Something really bad must have happened. She gave Hema a nod and took a sip of her drink.

"Hah, well... uh, I mean..." she paused awkwardly, trying to change the subject. "Ah, how did Morgan fare then?"

 _Graceful, Blue. That wasn't much of a subject change._

The pink haired gem kept humming and closed his eyes upon the mention of his name again. His hands moved up to his hair, brushing through it for a moment. They soon found themselves rested on his shoulders.

–

The service gem dropped his gaze back to his own drink. He stared for a long moment before giving Morganite another glance. If Hematite wasn't mistaken, the warrior seemed... off. He couldn't tell exactly how, but something was up with him.

"Honestly, he probably would have handed my gem to me if the fight hadn't gotten sour." The service gem sipped his drink. A nervous chuckle escaped him, and he looked fully to the pink-haired gem.

"H-huh Morganite?"

–

Blue gave a grin, glancing from Hema to Morgan. Morganite's gaze drifted to the floor as he continued smiling and humming softly. He stopped for a second, lowering his hands and placing them close to each other. He ran his thumb over his gem slowly.

He let out a soft, quiet chuckle that broke the silence.

"No."

–

Hematite's brows raised after a few seconds, as if it'd taken the gem a moment to process what Morgan said. His nervous smile faded, only to be replaced with a look of genuine confusion.

Mixed with... _apprehension?_

"What do you mean? I-I was clearly going to lose once you got back on your feet, before Diaspore interrupted." His tone was faintly insistent, as if something about Morgan's answer was troubling him.

–

Morganite started to sway side to side on his heels, holding his hand close to his chest. He was still clutching at his gem gently. He started to him a little louder, opening his mouth now to let the sound carry melodiously throughout the bar.

He didn't hear anything that Hematite said.

Blue placed a finger to her lip. _Diaspore, huh? I'll have to ask White about that._ She glanced over at the bartender and frowned. She quickly looked away, as if...disheartened.

Morganite moved as charmingly as he did sing, and waved his hands away. He still wasn't facing either of them.

Blue took a long, drawn out sip of her drink and muttered something under her breath.

"Ah, this one again..."

–

Hematite's heart sank, and he felt the same eerie chill that he did back during his match with the pink haired gem. Blue's quiet mumbling didn't help matters. _What's going on. Why are you ignoring me? Morgan... answer me._ The service gem's eyes didn't leave Morgan, and Hematite felt his expression slowly harden into a frown. With a sudden 'thud', Hematite put his drink back on the counter.

 _"Morganite,"_ he said firmly, the nervousness completely gone from his tone. There was the faintest hint of irritation there. It wasn't often he sounded like this.

–

Blue placed a palm on Hematite's shoulder and shook her head quickly, eyes widened. She mouthed _**don't.**_ Morganite, however, seemed completely unphased by his sudden change of demeanor. No, he continued... but now, he started to move along with the tune, as if he had entered a slow dance with himself. Chillingly, he stopped humming, and started to _sing_.

 _"Come to me, Oh Dearest one! Together we shall see the sun!"_

Blue bit her lip, her palm still on Hema's shoulder. She avoided eye contact with him.

 _"You and me, let's sail away, live to see another day!"_

–

The service gem looked at Blue in slightly indignant surprise, but then glanced at Morgan again. _Something was wrong._

Slowly, he reached for his eyepiece that still laid on the counter. He returned it to his face silently. Hematite's shoulders were tense, and he glanced between Blue and Morgan. _What on Homeworld was going on... and why this song again?_

–

He started to move quicker, his movements more erratic and fight-like. However, he remained graceful, not bumping into or hitting anything behind the counters.

 _"So take my hand, be not afraid! The beast before you shall be slayed!"_

He turned, his bangs falling over his eyes, smile twisted into a confident sneer.

 _"And when we're through, I'll say to you..."_

His movements slowed down, placing his arms out as if he were about to take someone's hands, and his smile eased up into a much more soft grin. His gem began to glow faintly.

 _"Do not look so dismayed..."_

–

Hematite looked visibly uncomfortable, and his hand moved to hold Blue's arm. He glanced at her, still unable to meet her eyes, as she wasn't looking at him.

The service gem forced himself to look back at Morganite, and he glanced at his now glowing gem. Hematite's lips parted, and though no sound came out at first, he eventually managed a soft, _"Morgan?"_

–

Morgan stopped suddenly, shaken for some reason. It looked as though he had been stabbed in the heart. His eyes widened under his bangs, smile cringing into a small frown. His gemstone stopped glowing. He cleared his throat and stood up straight again, placing his hand over his gem and covering it completely. For a few long, agonizing moments, he continued to stay silent.

Blue sighed quietly and took her hand off Hematite, looking away.

"You still miss her, don't you?" she said quietly. Morgan didn't look at her, parting his bangs away from his face. There were tears in his eyes, but he quickly wiped them away.

"Every day."

He quickly regained his composure and turned away again, awkwardly shifting on his heel.

"Ah, forgive me... I can get carried away, sometimes!" He laughed weakly, though it was obviously fake. There was another pause. He turned his head, staring at the door to the other room where a few gems were dancing. "Thinking back to that fight... No, I got a little too into that. I was overzealous, far too eager to defeat you. I felt something, that day... during that fight. Like an old fire had reignited in me for some reason." A small grin returned to him. He finally turned to face the two. "It reminded me of how she and I used to spar."

–

Hematite stared at the warrior gem, his shoulders now relaxed, his face an expression of undisguised concern and confusion. He looked between Morgan and Blue, utterly lost. The service gem crossed his arms, his right hand grasping at his sleeve.

"Who?"

Morganite looked away, placing a palm to his cheek. A distant, bereft look befell him.

"Her name was Cinnabar..."

Blue felt a small chill go up her spine. She made a small noise, clutching her drink and putting it to her lips. She didn't like this story...

–

Hematite slowly sat back in his seat. He clutched his drink close to his face, his lips hid behind the glass.

 _Alright, Morgan. Let's hear it._

–

"Long ago before the thousand year gem war, Cinnabar and I were both of the Pink District, under the rule of Pink Diamond. I used to sit out in the gardens and watch the days go by. It was peaceful, then..." He looked envious, remembering better days. Crossing his arms, he continued. "But one day, I overheard a commotion near one of the fountains. Curiously, I went and checked it out. There was a small, red and white gem that was bickering with a much larger gem. A Clinohumite, I believe. Just as I had snuck around to hear what they were saying, the Clinohumite struck the smaller gem with their fist and stormed off. I rushed over to see if the smaller gem was alright, but she was pretty shaken." He stopped, frowning.

Blue took a look down at her drink uncomfortably as he continued.

"I told her that I knew a place she could stay if she didn't feel safe. She seemed a little reluctant, but she followed me back to the outer cities. I took her back to my home and gave her tea... Then asked her what happened. Understandably, she didn't want to give me too many details, but basically told me that she had just had a relationship end badly." He sighed, tapping his fingers on his arms.

"I told her she could stay as long as she needed... so she did. We became far more acquainted in those few short weeks, and eventually she told me that she had to leave. I asked her if I'd ever see her again." He paused, smiling again faintly. "She said yes."

–

Sparing Blue a quick glance, Hematite fidgeted with his glass and listened to Morganite's story. Though he didn't show it, he was silently taking notes. As much as he felt like he didn't want to hear the rest of this tale, he knew it was his duty to himself to take heed of whatever the warrior said.

–

"We really hit it off, after that! And, well... to make a long story short... we ended up together, practically inseparable. Turns out, we were both a lot alike in more ways than we could ever have imagined! I taught her how to fight and stand up for herself, so sparring was a common thing that we did together. She was small, and many would think that she wasn't very strong..." He closed his eyes, grinning.

"But they were so wrong. Through thick and thin, she persevered, Pushed through. She gave it her all. She had such passion, such spirit! No matter what, she'd do what it would take to win!" He looked over at Hematite, opening his eyes. "A lot like you, honestly."

Blue shot a small smile to Hema, even if it was half-hearted. Morganite chuckled, lifting his hand to his face.

"She was a dreamer, alright. So fierce, determined, and eager to face her future. She wanted to go places, see places..." He looked around the bar, lowering his hand slowly. "We even wanted to open our own shop! Much like this place here, but... bigger! Better! And _together_." His solemn look quickly returned. "… And then the war happened."

Blue noticeably tensed up, her brows furrowing. She gripped her glass and set it down, glancing away without a word. Morgan continued.

"It split apart the districts. It threw Homeworld into chaos. It created anarchy and mayhem among it's people... including us. We were forced to choose sides..."

–

The faintest smile crossed Hematite's face, but it faded as Morgan continued.

 _Right... the war._ Pink Diamond caused so much suffering with her choice. Every time Hematite found out more about the effects the ex-diamond's betrayal caused, the more he hated her, the more he felt justified tearing down the Pink District, or harvesting those still wanting to cause trouble in her name.

The service gem sipped his drink. He was getting close to the last of it.

"... What happened?"

–

"We chose to fight for Homeworld... we didn't... really want to fight, but with me being a warrior, and both of us being loyal to Homeworld, we didn't have much of a choice," he stated, placing his palm to the center of his chest. Blue gave a curt nod, frowning.

"And they both chose to follow me, more specifically," the Diamond butted in, swirling her almost empty glass. Morganite nodded and turned back to the shelf for a moment.

"Yes, so we fought... we fought for Homeworld, mostly here on our own planet against the rebels that rose up in the name of Pink Diamond. We fought for our own lives together, we fought for our future! Together, we came through... there were many rough spots, often times accepting the fact that we might be killed... but we always pulled through. Heh... she was so hopeful, so optimistic. We were a force to be reckoned with, she and I..." He stopped, his face becoming cold and blank.

"We were going to spend our lives together. We were going to go places, see places... But one day..."

He looked up at nothing, a thousand yard stare taking over his gaze.

"Something terrible happened."

–

Hematite's body went cold, and he felt a shiver go up his spine. Looking away, he braced himself for whatever was coming. He remained silent, not wanting to interrupt.

–

Blue put her glass on the counter and crossed her arms. _She hated this part of the story._

"One night, I went to go scope out a rebel base. I told Cin not to follow me... but she didn't listen." He cringed, clutching the fabric of his shirt where the diamond insignia was. There was an awful, pained look in his eyes. He bared his teeth and fought back tears, but forced himself to smile.

"Someone snuck up on me... So I acted quickly."

Another pause followed, his palms trembling slightly.

"But by the time I reacted..."

–

Looking at Blue for a moment, Hematite frowned and turned his gaze to the pink haired warrior. He wanted to say something, but he could tell Morgan was still talking, and he bit his tongue.

–

It took him a moment to regain his composure enough to say the next words. It was ominous, seeing such a normally calm and collected gem so rattled by something.

"It was too late to notice who had snuck up on me."

He pulled his hand away from his shirt, his arms going limp beside him. He sighed heavily, staring at the floor. "I always had such... precise accuracy." He scowled, as if disgusted with himself. "Before either of us could do anything... before we could say a word... My own careless, rash decisions and reactions got the best of me... And I shattered her."

–

At Morgan's last words, Hematite felt the lounge around him go silent. He couldn't tell if it had actually gone quiet, or if it was inside his own head, but it unnerved him all the same. His breathing stopped, and he stared wide-eyed at the warrior.

Hematite suddenly felt something pricking at the inside of his mouth, a strange phantom feeling that made his skin crawl. It felt as though his tongue was covered in glass. He closed his eyes tightly, willing the feeling to go away.

There was an agonizingly long pause.

"... You didn't mean to."

–

He looked up, eyes wide. Turning to Hematite at last, Morgan stared at him, the tears flowing from his eyes freely. He parted his lips, shocked by his statement somehow. However, he quickly shook himself back. _No, the story wasn't quite over..._

"Distraught... I took her shards and bubbled them away. I still know where they are, in hopes that one day, one day far in the future, I could bring her back..." He felt the last words hard to get out, emitting a shuddering breath. "Even if that may never happen... Even if..."

Blue gave Morganite an understanding nod, meeting his gaze.

"Even if she can't forgive me if or when she returns... If I could just see her, one last time. Tell her I'm sorry." He took one of the cloths from the shelf and wiped his eyes, reaching for a bottle that sat nearby.

"I cherished her dearly. Of all of my mistakes, that one to this day still haunts me." He poured the drink into a glass and slid it over to Blue, finally. "The song that I sing was the song I sang to her during the war... a song that kept our spirits up. A song that inspired us. It was... our song. Heh... I wrote it myself." He seemed as though he was slowly coming back, having gotten over the worst of the story.

Sighing, he looked down again at his gem.

"It's still my favorite song..."

–

Slowly, Hematite put his empty glass down and fidgeted with it, turning it in his hands. He was quiet as he listened to Morganite finish his story. After a long, silent pause, he looked up. The prickling in his mouth had thankfully ceased. An unreadable expression crossed the service gem's face, and he took a long, steadying breath.

"I'm so sorry, Morgan." His tone was genuine, and there was a heaviness to it. "Neither of you deserved that. Terrible things happen to people that don't deserve it." Looking at his glass, Hematite blinked thoughtfully. When he spoke again, his voice was softer. "I think you'll be together again some day. Maybe not some time soon. But... Nothing's unfixable."

Hematite's fingers twitched a moment.

"There's a way out there, somewhere." A small, sad smile crossed his face. Hematite suddenly looked up to the pink haired warrior, a bright grin on his face.

"And when we find it, you can sing that lovely song to her again."

–

Morgan's eyes widened, tears welling up in them once more. He shook his head, forcing them away. A genuine smile found its way back to him.

"Hematite, thank you..." he said simply, shrugging his shoulders. Blue blinked a few times, sipping her drink between Hematite's words. _Wise... truly wise_. That was a nice thing to see from him. Morganite looked at his hand and clenched his fist. Warmth and calm had returned back to him. He began humming again, a longing look in his distant eyes.

"Do not fear the war my dear... I promise I shall be right here. And when the battle's said and done..." he turned away from the two again and held his hand close to his chest.

 _"You will be my only one.~"_

–

Hours later, Hematite was the only one left at the bar as closing time approached. Blue left some time ago. The service gem retired to one of the lounges for the night, quietly enjoying the club's calmer hours. Eventually the revelry and loud music faded, and dawn light began to filter through the front windows of the bar.

Hematite noticed that Morgan was beginning to wrap things up, and he wondered if the pink haired gem noticed he was still around. Getting up, he walked out of the lounge he'd rested in and made his way to the front. Seemed Morgan was getting ready to head out and lock up.

–

Morganite was wiping down the bar with a cloth, humming a different tune than from earlier. He sighed softly, thinking back to earlier in the night. That was a bit of an unprofessional outburst, but he had work to do nonetheless, after the fact. At least there weren't that many people around, that time. Business was business. And now, business was over for the night. Walking out from behind the counter, the pink haired gem stretched and yawned. _Time to head out._

He started for the door, but didn't get very far before he noticed Hematite. Blinking curiously, he spared him a grin.

"Oh, you're still here? I thought you would have headed out long before now!" he said, placing a hand on his hip. Everyone else had left already, so it was a good thing Hematite showed up when he did, or he would have probably been locked in all day. "What, did you decide to go dancing or something?" he joked.

–

Hematite smiled and rubbed the back of his neck, looking away as he approached the warrior gem.

"Hah, no. I'd rather not get punched out by another angry club patron. And I'm not that great at dancing." Stopping a few feet away, Hematite took to messing with his hair. He finally looked directly at Morganite. "And I... wanted to say thank you."

–

Morganite raised a brow, tapping his fingers on his hips. He motioned his head to the side a little bit, his hair falling over his shoulder.

"For what?..."

–

The service gem looked to the side, shrugging his shoulders and pursing his lips.

"For, you know. Saving me back at the coliseum. I never did properly tell you thanks." He scuffed the ground with his foot, his gaze returning to Morgan's face.

–

The taller gem blinked a few times, looking a little surprised.

"Hah, well... you know... they ruined our match, and all!... And she tried to kill you. For no reason... I couldn't stand by and just watch her do that to you." He frowned, biting at his lip from the inside. He looked away and smiled. "Anytime, though..."

–

Hematite watched the taller gem intently. He stopped fidgeting with the hair on the back of his head and let his arms drop to his sides. His thumb and index finger brushed together.

The smaller gem suddenly stepped forward, wrapping his arms around Morganite's waist, giving him a tight hug.

–

Morganite was jumped from his calm for a split second, looking down at the service gem. That was a little unexpected, to say the least! He took a deep breath, lifting his hand and placing it on Hematite's shoulder softly. While Morganite felt like he didn't really need to be thanked, the gesture wasn't unwelcome

 _And thank_ _ **you**_ _, 'harvester'._


	30. Waking

_Summary: Hematite brings tea to Yellow Diamond._

Days flowed easily into months. The districts stayed relatively the same throughout their rotations. The White district was ever-learning, peaceful, and chatty, brimming with culture and entertainment. The Blue district was still bustling with life, rowdy as ever. The Yellow district was progressing further as well, and in fact started to become even more productive than ever! That is, until the recent last couple of weeks. Things started slowing down, people were stirred into confusion, and advancements and research found themselves stopping and starting at random. Managers were without orders and schedules from Yellow Diamond, worker gems had no jobs to do day to day, and construction and research facilities received jumbled and confusing orders.

 _This wasn't normal at all._

White peered out of her window, overlooking the city beyond her tower. She sighed heavily to herself, her arms folded behind her back. _What's going on over there?... Whats going on with_ _ **her**_ _?_ She had to do something. Ever since she saw Yellow Diamond that afternoon, walking in on whatever _that_ was, she knew something was up. She didn't know _what_ for sure, but she had a feeling she at least had a hunch.

–

For Hematite, the last few months or so passed uneventfully. Go on a mission, take a few days off, go on another mission, do some recon, go to Morgan's bar, have a little spar at the arena. Nothing unusual.

The service gem walked down the sky bridge toward White Diamond's office with his hands neatly tucked behind his back. He looked around idly, his steps echoing down the empty hall. Hematite's mind began to wander.

White called him in to report to her for something important. He wasn't sure what it was, but a tad of anxiety settled in his stomach because of it. White seemed a little distracted lately, as if she were troubled by something, but whatever it was, she wasn't mentioning it. She rarely sounded like that, and it always worried him when she refuse to tell him what was on her mind.

He hoped he wasn't in trouble.

Stopping at White's door, Hematite knocked twice and stepped inside once the doors hissed open. They shut behind him, and he saluted respectfully.

"Hematite reporting, White Diamond."

–

White turned and bowed her head to Hematite, beckoning him in with her hand without a word. A moment later, as he stepped inside, she finally spoke.

"There's something I need to discuss with you, Hematite," she said promptly and sternly. She walked over to one of her shelves and picked up a small box, bringing it over to her desk. It was uncertain what the box was holding. It was made of a rare hardwood that had deposits of a strange, iridescent mineral in the veins. The corners were adorned with white insignia and a little clasp sat on the front. Sitting down, White sighed softly. It was odd to see that she didn't have any tea set out for herself.

–

The sight of his leader without any tea, for once, only solidified Hematite's gut feeling that something was wrong. This wasn't just a normal report, and he knew it. Swallowing quietly, the service gem walked over to White's desk. He peered at the box curiously, but said nothing.

–

White bit her lip for a moment and sighed again. She didn't want to do this, but it was the only way to make something happen. Anything... Anything other than this.

"Hematite, something is wrong with Yellow Diamond. And, I have a feeling that I might know what it is." She glanced to the side, staring at the door behind him for a few seconds before looking back at him. "I... saw something _off_ with her many months ago, but at the time I brushed it off... now..." She placed a single finger on the box, tapping it nervously. "I wish I hadn't."

–

Arching a brow, Hematite frowned nervously. He couldn't help but glance away from his leader. It took all his effort to keep his arms folded neatly behind his back instead of crossing them in front of him. Defensive body language was the last thing he needed right now.

"What sort of 'off'?"

–

"She's been losing a lot of progress. Talking a lot less to us. She's been really slipping on her work, which is... not like her at all. I mean, it's Yellow... she lives for her work!" She frowned, shrugging her shoulders. "Look, I think it... might have something to do with the incident that you two had. Ever since that happened, something seemed off with her in general, but not quite this bad. I could be wrong, but. I just want to make sure. You haven't made up with her yet, have you?" she asked, placing her palms together.

–

A guilty frown found its way to the smaller gem's face, and he scuffed his foot on the floor. It was true, Yellow hadn't seemed 'right' ever since the stunt he pulled at the Arena almost a year ago. He'd hardly seen her around, aside from the incident with Diaspore and the one afternoon at the hangars in the Yellow District. And even then, Hematite knew something just wasn't the same about her. She was jumpy, nervous, acting completely out of character...

But that couldn't have been his fault, right? Surely this wasn't because of the incident in the Sky Arena. It was all an _act_ , a facade, hell, it was a mean-spirited _joke_. She was a diamond that'd faced plenty of horrors in her day. Why would it still be effecting her?

"No, I haven't. She hasn't exactly been talking to me. I probably would have apologized, or something, had she given me the chance. But she's kind of shut me out entirely since that spar."

–

White pursed her lip and interlocked her fingers.

"She hasn't really fancied seeing you too much. Do you really blame her, after that?" She said, blinking for a second. "Don't answer that. Anyway, look... I think it's time you two clear the air, regardless of if that is what's going on or not. If this doesn't change anything, I'll have to start prying at her. Yellow isn't one to talk about her feelings or anything, so she'll be hard to crack..." Unclasping her hands, she placed her hand on the box again and slid it towards Hematite. "But for now, I'd like you to take this to her. It's her favorite tea. And I want you to apologize genuinely for what you did." She narrowed her eyes sternly, crossing her arms. "Do I make myself clear? I won't follow you or ask a report on this. It's not a job, it's just." She made a small 'mmm' noise as if trying to find the right words. "It's the right thing to do."

–

Nodding, Hematite picked up the box and looked over it curiously. _Right... right._

 _Apologize._

Looking up to his leader, he bit his lip and nodded.

"Yes ma'am. I'll uh... get right on that." He saluted her with the tea box in hand and turned around, heading out of the office.

 _This wasn't going to be fun._

–

White waved her hand for the door.

"Remember, don't be surprised if she seems really off!" she called out just before the door hissed shut behind Hematite. It was sunset now, and things were quiet. At least the skies were clear tonight in the White district.

–

Hematite's walk along the bridge seemed to last forever. The setting sun bathed the stone walls in warm red light, casting dark blue shadows in the city. The longer the service gem walked, the further the clear skies of the White district became.

In the distance, dark storm clouds loomed, lightning arcing between them. It seemed the entire Yellow District was covered by a vicious electrical storm. Hematite swallowed nervously and continued walking.

–

The skies were near black, the only light was coming from the lightning and the city itself. It wasn't long now before Hematite would reach Yellow's Diamond Tower. This place didn't just look different, it _felt_ different.

–

Hematite's anxiety steadily worsened the closer he got to Yellow's office, until his entire body was yelling at him to stop and turn back.

 _He could lie._

 _He could say he spoke with her._

 _White wasn't expecting a report._

 _He could say he apologized, and never speak a word to Yellow._

But as he stood in front of the tall office doors, he couldn't bring himself to turn back. No, this was wrong. Something was seriously off. He'd never seen the yellow district like this.

And if he really was the cause of whatever was going on... he had to set it right.

Staring at the door, the service gem swallowed nervously.

 _Just go in. Apologize._

 _It's easy._

 _Just go in._

Hematite's feet were planted to the floor. He couldn't move.

The boiling knot in his stomach ached.

 _ **Just go in.** _

Shakily, Hematite reached up to the door and knocked.

–

There was no answer for an entire minute. However, eventually the door hissed slightly open to reveal Yellow's pearl standing behind it. Peeking through, she narrowed her eyes at Hematite.

"Oh, it's just you... She doesn't want to see anyone right now," the pearl spoke in a snooty, overly professional tone.

–

Hematite's brows furrowed, and he did his best to stand straight, making eye contact with the Pearl.

"I've been sent directly by White Diamond. Please open the door." As if to make his point, he held up the little box in his hands. "I've brought something for her."

–

Pearl looked down at the small box, then back up to meet Hematite's eyes. She didn't look amused, but she closed her eyes and shrugged. She couldn't argue with that. She backed up and opened the door fully, gesturing for him to come in. Needless to say, it wasn't pretty.

Yellow's office looked a mess. The room was in shambles, documents and different utensils strewn about all over the floor. Nothing looked organized, Diamond pads lay broken here and there, and there was an overturned teacup on her desk. Her room was dark, only one of the lights working.

She sat at her desk hunched over, holding her head up with both of her hands, both of which were digging into her hair. She looked awful. She looked distant...she looked tired.

Her gaze drifted slowly upwards and as if taking a moment to register who had walked in, after a second or two, she seemed to jump a little. Slamming her palms down on her desk and baring her teeth, she glared wide eyed at him.

"WHAT are YOU doing here?!" she hissed.

–

 _Stars, it was worse than he could have imagined..._

Hematite flinched heavily at Yellow's harsh 'welcome', and he held the box in front of him defensively.

"Wh-white sent me." Swallowing, he glanced away, trying not to make eye contact with the angry Diamond. "I'm just here to talk..."

–

She narrowed her eyes and eased her shoulders a little.

"Tch...I should have known White would be behind this..." She averted her gaze, scowling. Crossing her arms, she tapped her fingers on her skin. "There's nothing **to** talk about..."

–

The service gem slowly lowered the box away from his face, and he stood at attention. Nervously, he bit his lip, the smallest frown on his face. _C'mon, don't make this difficult._

"... You're right, there _is_ nothing to _talk_ _about_." A pause followed. "But. I have something I need to _say_. About the incident, last year..."

An anxious flare in the pit of his stomach made him wince just slightly, but he swallowed again and took a deep breath. There was a long moment of silence.

"I'm sorry."

–

Yellow's eye twitched, and there was a long, awkward silence. The pearl went wide eyed and stepped back, walking back into the corner to stay away from whatever was about to happen. Yellow's eyes widened. Her breathing became heavier, hissing through her teeth.

"Sorry? You're SORRY?... Do you have ANY IDEA WHAT THIS HAS DONE TO ME?!" she snarled, raising her hands up, fingers curled in anger. Her eyes widened, a faint glow of sparks fizzling around her. She found herself standing, sizing up the smaller service gem. At least... as much as she could. She looked both pained and furious, more so the latter.

–

Hematite's eyes widened, and he took a single step back. If Yellow went off on him, he wasn't sure how far he could get. His legs began to shake, but it was subtle.

"N-no, I don't! I've barely seen you since that day... I thought you were just... angry." And evidently, she was. "I-I never got a chance to apologize..."

–

Yellow gripped the table again, digging her nails across the smooth surface.

"I don't WANT your apology! NOTHING you can say will ever excuse what you did! It wont change who you are, it wont change _me_ , it won't change anything that's happening now! You're just going to make everything worse! I... It's just better off if you leave me **ALONE**!" she growled, seething in anger.

–

Brows furrowing indignantly, Hematite took a single step forward, the box of tea now at his side.

"I'm not trying to excuse what I did! I was wrong, _it_ was wrong! I shouldn't have lashed out, I was angry..." He clenched his fist. "But I'm not making anything worse! I haven't done anything since that day! I've continued to not do anything! I've been trying to leave you alone, and look at this! If **I'm** the reason you're like this now, then we need to talk about it!" He motioned around the room.

–

Yellow scowled and clutched her arms close to her chest again. She looked at him with burning hatred.

"I don't need to hear anything you have to say. I don't HAVE to! And I don't want you anywhere near me." She said venomously. Her eyes narrowed, piercing through him... but something faltered, and she blinked, flinching almost. She gripped the sleeve of her glove and pulled at it, forcing herself to meet his gaze.

–

"Why?"

Shaking his head with a deep frown, Hematite looked to the side. He suddenly turned to stare Yellow straight in the eyes, something he hadn't done up till now. When her expression faltered, Hema suddenly put the pieces together. That one moment, that little twinge of hesitation, worry... that was _fear_.

 _She was scared of him._

The service gem's breathing hitched. The incident was still effecting her. But...

"I'm not a threat to you! I wasn't trying to hurt you back at the arena, and I don't ever _plan_ on hurting you!" The hatred in her stare made something in his chest seize up. He remembered how Yellow Diamond had looked when he held her in his fist back at the arena. He remembered the fear, the desperation. But there was no reason for it anymore... his anger was spent. He'd made his point. There was no cause for her to be in such a **state**.

"What are you so afraid of?!"

–

Her eyes widened in horror, the last words ringing through her head... but that wasn't what stopped her. No, she noticed something _else_. Her lips parted as if she were going to yell, but she did nothing. Her reaction didn't match what Hematite said at all. It looked more like she was terrified of something for a moment. There Hema stood in the dark room, but he didn't stand alone anymore. No, from the shadows it crept in; a black looming figure wisped its way into shape behind him. _An all too eerily familiar presence._ As the dark figure became more apparent, it seemed to float behind and over Hematite, looming its sharp claws over the smaller service gem.

 **Whiirrrrr... click.**

The grimly glowing yellow target appeared on its face, features quickly coming into view... and it bore a twisted, sharp-toothed smile. Yellow jumped, gritting her teeth, sweat forming on her brow.

 _ **No, what?! HERE?! No... Was she dreaming? Surely that was it! This was another nightmare!** _

She closed her eyes and furrowed her brows, panicked, desperate and angry.

 **"GET AWAY FROM ME! GET OUT!"**

–

Hematite's eyes widened in shock, and he dropped the box of tea he was holding at his side.

"Y-yellow?" he stammered, surprised at her reaction. He took a few steps back, closer to the unseen black figure.

The nightmarish shadow's grin widened, the diamond-shaped target on its visor narrowing.

With a laugh that only _she_ could hear, the black form loomed its claws around the small service gem.

 **What are you so afraid of?~**

–

 **"I SAID GET OUT!" s** he screamed, hand lighting up and blasting a huge bolt of electricity into the wall just behind Hematite. In that split second, the form vanished, leaving only Yellow, Hematite, and the Pearl standing in the room. Yellow breathed heavily, panicked and shaken. She lowered her arms slowly, the anger returning to her face. It was gone... Good. But also, _not_ good...

Looking down, unsure of what to say next, she sat in an ungraceful and exhausted way. She seemed both distant, angry, and _shocked_.

"I... you should go now."

–

The wall behind Hematite smoked quietly, the lightning having left a large scorch mark along with a small hole Eyes wide, the service gem was standing with his hands in front of him. His entire form was shaking, his lips parted slightly in shock. Tears pricked at the corners of his eyes.

"A-... As you wish." His tone was quiet, defeated, scared. Without taking his eyes off of his superior, the service gem shakily walked back toward the door. He looked as if he wanted to say something, but his voice was failing him. The door behind him hissed open.

Hematite gave her one last apologetic and hurt look before he turned tail and bolted down the hall.

–

The pearl said nothing through the whole ordeal, holding her hands together patiently. She was used to seeing Yellow angry, so this really wasn't a shock to her... but what was shocking was to see her so _horrified_. She didn't delve into it. That wasn't her job anyway. Yellow dug her nails into the side of her head and stared down, wide eyed at the sheen on her desk. _She saw him... he was there. She_ _ **heard**_ _him. There was no mistaking he'd been in the office._

 _She was starting to see him again, after months of avoiding him..._

 _ **And she wasn't even asleep.** _


	31. Dioptase

_Summary: Hematite attends a special event at the Coliseum._

 _Oh yes, everyone had been waiting for this!_

A few times a year, four to be exact, the Blue District's coliseum held a very special event that civilians of all districts were always eager to get to. Blue herself set aside that particular week to have more lenient working hours across the board for her district's gems so they could attend the spectacle. White and Yellow did not do the same, but regardless, gems from all three districts flocked to this quarterly spectacle.

Certainly this particular week of fights was a sight to see. New challengers, illustrious displays of power, synchronization, agility, wit! They were fast paced, unpredictable, always new and exciting! Regular matches were fine and all, and a lot of fun to watch, but nothing could quite measure up...

 **To the Fusion Fights.**

Though Homeworld generally frowned upon fusion as a concept since the war, this and a few other particular events were set aside to let gems fuse under strict supervision. This was the main one. Gems from all over the districts flocked to this event, both as challengers and watchers alike. Aristocrats, entertainers, worker gems, warriors, managers! Many who loved to fuse but could not under normal circumstances would set aside their week specifically to cash in on such a wonderful opportunity, even if they weren't particularly built for fighting. Some were better suited for civilian life, but would still go to the fusion fights to spend time _together_. There were smaller events throughout the week such as shows of precision, speed, strength, and even endurance that the less battle-ready fusions would take part in. Some gems preferred to only participate in those, much calmer events. But some... well.

There were many gems that had made names for themselves as fusion fighters. Any Fusion Fight regulars could spot them a mile away. There was a handful of fusions that made appearances every year, some even for hundreds of years in a row! They were crowd pleasers, their skills and powers were a sight to behold and always a treat for faithful Coliseum goers to see.

And speaking of recognized crowd pleasers...

Down in one of the side-tunnels leading from the stands to the arena, Hematite was leaning against the stone wall, looking over his knuckledusters. They glinted subtly in the low light as he turned his hand one way, then the other. His expression was hard to read, but he at least seemed vaguely excited. He listened quietly to the distant sounds of already-battling gems outside the currently closed-off tunnel he stood in.

 _This was going to be... something._

Blue personally invited him to this event, and seemed extremely chuffed by the possibility of seeing him fight some rough and tough fusions. Honestly, he was both excited and nervous. He'd fought fusions in the field before, and they were always incredibly... tricky. A singular gem was one thing, but fusions, well. Unless the gems were identical, every single fusion was unique, and had a different set of powers and a different personality. It kept him on his feet and made it difficult to do his job, with such unpredictable variables.

But here, in the coliseum? It was even worse. He wouldn't even have time to study his opponent. He could guess what kind of gem the fusion would be, both in personality and abilities, but he had no way of really preparing himself.

Anything could happen.

That being said, he did still feel optimistic anticipation coursing through him, filling his chest with a vague sense of determination. It had been a long time since he'd been in front of such an audience, and he could already feel the rush of the upcoming battle starting to hit him.

"This should be interesting," he said out loud to himself.

–

There were many gems standing around in the tunnels alone. A distant uproar could be heard filling the air within the Coliseum itself. It was more crowded than it had been in a very long time. Some of the gems were stretching, others had their weapons out and pretending to swing a few hits, practice sparring. Others seemed to be moving around and dancing! There were gems everywhere all focused on something.

Well, all gems except a few that were standing near the front gate. One of them stood between two guards, her palms placed on the carbonite bars.

"YEEEEEEAAAAAHHH! That's what I'm talking about, wooOOOOoo!" she called out excitedly. The two guards flinched at her sudden outburst, but went back to standing normally.

Cackling, the gem watched through the gate eagerly, getting _way_ too into what she was watching. Suddenly, she shouted zealously, swinging her arm abruptly and giving one of the guards a punch straight in the side, sending them flying in the other direction. With another cheer as though she hadn't done anything, she threw her hands up in the air and whirled around. "'ATTA GEM! Give em' a show!" She balled her hands up into fists. The other guard stood at attention, glanced at their downed fellow guard, and took a few steps to the side away from Blue without her noticing.

"Uh... Blue Diamond, ma'am? Are you alright-" a voice asked from inside the armor, but just as the gem finished speaking, Blue grabbed onto their arm with a fire in her eyes.

"ALRIGHT? I'm FANTASTIC! This is like... one of my favorite events! Have you ever fought in one of these?! Have you ever watched them? I mean like, REALLY watched them!? They're incredible! Exciting! Unpredictable!" She finally let go of the baffled guard, turning away from them and grinning ear to ear, eyes wide.

"I LOVE IT!"

–

Hematite winced with a smile as Blue punched the guard, and he noted to keep his distance until she calmed down. Though, with how hyped up she was getting over the current match, he didn't see that happening any time soon. Instead of approaching her, he smiled and called down the tunnel to her.

"C'mon Blue, if you keep that up you'll be too worn out to fight later!" The service gem stood straight and poofed away his knuckledusters. He flexed his fingers, clenching and unclenching his fists.

The match outside the gated tunnel seemed to be drawing to a close, as a smaller yellowish fusion was sent skidding across the arena floor. Hematite let out a sympathetic 'oooooooh' as the opposing fusion kicked them away. _That_ fight was going to finish soon.

Rolling his shoulders, Hematite wondered who he and Blue would be fighting, or if he would be going solo for a while. Blue told him that he'd be doing the fight on his own at _first_ , but he wasn't sure if that meant she'd be joining him only if it was needed, or if there was some signal she'd wait for. She'd honestly been rather vague about the whole thing.

–

The blue gem turned quickly to Hematite, the fire still lit up in her eyes.  
"HEMAAAAA! I was hoping you'd show up! Oh stars, you're gonna love this! It's right up your alley I think! Excitement, action, UNPREDICTABLE CHAOS!" She cackled again, throwing her hands up in the air dramatically. She calmed for a moment, grinning impishly. "I can't wait to see you take on these guys, boy that'll be a show!" Cracking her knuckles, she turned back to the gate. "I often participate in these myself, hehe! Even if the fighters never really want me to for some reason! Or, rather, _advise_ me not to... BUUUUT I do anywaaaay! Kehehehe!" She snickered, wrapping her fingers firmly around the bars. "Whadda ya say, kid? You ready to rock this place?" she asked deviously, turning to look at Hema over her shoulder.

–

With a bright smile, Hematite felt Blue's zealous vigor starting to get to him. He briskly strolled over to the gate and watched the fight going on outside as he placed his own hands on the bars.

"I mean, it should be quite the show but-" He winced as the yellow fusion sent their opponent flying. "Do you think I should- oooooh." Inhaling through his teeth, he watched the smaller fusion get hit by a direct projectile attack from their opponent. "Should I tone down the uh... you know. The harvester aspect. I feel like it might be wise to keep that under control in front of such a large crowd. I'd hate to cause a panic." He looked to his superior, raising a brow. "What do you think?"

–

Blue continued watching, cackling whenever the yellow gem had been sent flying.

"Aaaah, I don't think that'll be necessary! Well, as long as ya don't go all full sized anyway! It's all for fun, and since these fusions are all less than three gems, you shouldn't have to shift up all the way. Now on the other hand, if you were on the battlefield... I'd say go for it!" She grinned. "Buuuuut... if ya waaaanted..." she started, biting her lip with an unreadable, devious look in her eyes. The guard looked down and gave Blue a concerned cough. She rolled her eyes at the warrior gem and wiggled her fingers at them dismissively. "What? Don't make me punch you too." She looked up at them. They twitched and turned away quickly.

Blue spun around and stretched, giving her gem a tap.

"I'd say give it your all, but play it safe _if_ ya can help it. But I personally won't bat an eye if ya get carried away! Juuuust don't... uh, ya know." She shrugged, biting her lip with an awkward smile. "Harvest anyone?"

–

Hematite blinked curiously as the guard gave Blue a rather obvious cough, but he didn't think much of it as she turned away again. He looked at Blue as she stretched, and he nodded.

"Right, play it safe-" At her last statement, he stopped mid sentence and felt his face darken slightly with a purplish tint. He looked away with a pout. Puffing his bangs away from his face, he glanced at her. "Yeahhh yeah I won't harvest anyone." Slowly, Hematite felt the dark color fade from his cheeks. "I just meant from a size aspect, that's all." He trailed off as he watched the fight. The yellow fusion had just been split apart, and the two exhausted gems laid on the ground, completely worn out. Soon enough, the remaining fusion split apart, and the four gems made their way into one of the other tunnels. The match was over.

–

"Aw yeeeeahhh! It's our go! I can't WAIT to pound these roughhousers into the DIRT!" she shouted, far too caught up in the moment. The gate loudly rattled open, slowly lowering into the ground. The opponents closest to the door shakily made their ways in, one of them cracking their back as they passed by. None of them really seemed to pay Blue and Hematite much mind. Seems as though they had other things to focus on, like recovering from getting their projections kicked into next week.

Blue was quick to make a move, but instead of walking out herself, she grabbed Hematite and gave him a hearty push, forcing him outside. "Go get em! Hehehehee! Show em whatcha got!"

–

Hematite stumbled forward with a surprised yelp as Blue shoved him out the gate, and he very nearly fell over before regaining his balance. Looking around, he jogged toward the center of the ring. Other opponents were making their own ways out of the tunnels, but those gems were far from where he stood. No, Hematite's opponent hadn't appeared yet.

The small service gem looked around at the crowd and gave a nervous wave. He certainly hoped they wouldn't be a rough crowd.

Granted there weren't _too_ many gems that were still bitter about the incident a while ago.

Unbeknownst to Hematite, directly across from the entrance he'd just come from, another gate opened up. The bars slid down with a 'clang', and the part of the arena where the service gem stood went quiet. There was a long pause until...

 _Two gems began to glow in the dark of the tunnel entrance._

–

Blue snuck out of the tunnel, but stayed along the sidelines near the wall. Leaning against it, she gave Hematite an encouraging wave. She was honestly just excited to see him fight again! Spotting the glow in the distant tunnel, she quirked a brow and crossed her arms. _This was gonna be fun to watch!_

–

Hematite looked at Blue and gave her a smile, but it faded when the glowing gems caught his eye.

One of them was rushing down the tunnel.

The service gem took a hesitant step back as the first, larger gem came barreling toward him out of the dark, her gem brightly shining.

"PUFF?!"

Not slowing her approach, the Jasper grinned widely, her expression devious. Hematite took a few more steps back as she neared, but as soon as she got within about ten feet of him, she stopped abruptly, standing up straight. In that same moment, a much smaller gem skidded underneath her, hopping up in front of her. Rubes gave Hematite her own confident smirk as Puff quickly took her hand, stopping her skidding momentum. The Jasper pulled her partner up with one arm and quickly held her close. Giving Hematite a sidelong, playful glare, the two gems chuckled in unison. The chuckle turned into a joyous laugh as the two gems touched their foreheads together, closing their eyes. Puff opened hers, and without so much as a warning, gracefully spun and tossed Rubes up above her. Spinning effortlessly in the air, the Ruby sent out a small flurry of flames around her. In an instant, Puff gave a powerful leap and met Rubes as she came back down, embracing her. Their forms glowed brightly, and as they came crashing back down, Hematite stumbled back.

With a flare of bright red flames, a large, medium-built gem landed heavily on the arena floor, her fist planted firmly on the ground. The embers around her died down, and she cracked her neck as she stood straight. She had vibrant orange skin and a few dark red stripes. Long red gloves rested on her arms, reaching up past her elbows. Her outfit bore a resemblance to both Puff and Rubes', and both of their gemstones sat alongside each other on her chest, an orangeish red tinge to each of them. A long, dark-haired ponytail blew in the breeze behind the fusion, and she grinned down at her opponent.

"Okay, **tough guy!** You've fought Rubes and Puff, but let's see if you're gem enough to take on **Citrine!"**

–

Blue raised her arms in the air and cheered with the crowd around the stadium. The Harvester had returned to the ring yet again, and this time was to fight a fusion? This would be entertaining indeed!Despite there being a few gems here and there shooting Hema leery looks, most of the crowd either didn't know this gem or were excited to see him. They were eager, they were ready, and they were more than happy to see the Harvester back in action!

–

The service gem blinked in amazement at the fusion in front of him, and he couldn't help but smile warmly. Of all the fusions to face in the ring... he was glad it was two friends! Seeing them so happy...

This was going to be an interesting spar!

Summoning his knuckledusters, Hematite smiled, his demeanor much more confident now that he heard the crowd cheering behind him. He size shifted up just slightly, to match Citrine's size. She was a few heads taller than White, and was more than twice Hema's size. _He wanted it to be even.~_

Rolling his shoulder, Hematite crouched into a fighting stance and grinned.

"Alright, **Citrine**! Give me your best shot!"

Citrine laughed and shrugged confidently as she took a step back.

"Okay but you asked for it!"

The gem's face suddenly fell, and her grin turned into a focused frown. She took a deep breath, placing a hand over both her gems. They glowed brightly. Citrine's eyes shot open, her brows furrowed. Giving a loud battle cry, she pulled her hand away from her gem, whipping out what appeared to be a thick, handle-like, long pole with two rather small hooks at the end. There was a gem at both ends of the pole, and two long slots along the top half of it.

Was _that_ her weapon?

Hematite cocked a brow at his opponent. _What was she playing at?_

The fusion gem smirked, her focused expression breaking. She suddenly shot forward, reeling the hooked pole back. Hematite yelped in surprise and jumped back, but he misjudged the distance between himself and his opponent, and Citrine landed a solid **SMACK** to his side, sending him flying.

–

Blue hissed through her teeth, cringing at Citrine's massive blow. _Thaaaat was gonna hurt later!_

"Come on Hematite, get with it! You can take her!" she called out, clenching her fists. The crowd was in an uproar already, and the match had only just started!

–

Landing rather ungracefully, Hematite groaned and stumbled back to his feet. Shaking his head to clear it, he frowned and faced his opponent, who was quickly closing in. Alright, so she hit hard and her weapon had good reach. Fine.

Sparks coursed up the service gem's arms, and he lashed his arms out, two electrical whips forming quickly from his fists.

As Citrine went in for another heavy hit, he dodged to the side and lashed at her arm, landing a solid hit. The fusion made a rather amusing face as she stumbled back, trying to shake off the shock. Such a mild glance didn't exactly _hurt_ , but it didn't feel nice.

The two gems locked in a tense battle for a few minutes. Citrine would land a few good hits, but Hematite's speed made up for her lack of agility. He never passed her up in height, though he was highly tempted to at various moments.

The service gem tumbled away after landing a solid blow to Citrine's back, and the fusion stumbled forward with a startled cough. All of a sudden, she stopped attacking.

–

The crowd died down a little, watching intently. Blue poked out her lower lip curiously and squinted. She couldn't have been worn out that fast!

"Come ooooon! You both got this!" she encouraged, her wide smile returning.

–

Hematite was breathing heavily, and he watched his opponent curiously. After a long pause, he tilted his head.

 _Was she done?_

A low, amused chuckle escaped the fusion gem. She slowly stood straight and rolled her shoulders, then her neck.

"Alright, tough guy. You wanna get _serious?"_

Slowly, Citrine turned her head to her opponent and tapped her weapon against her palm. Hematite tensed as he stared at the gem's grinning face.

There were not one, but _two_ pairs of eyes now glaring at him. Citrine's '''brows''', which Hema now understood were a previously shut pair of eyes, were staring right through him. A shudder went up his spine.

The fusion grinned and clutched her weapon tightly as she turned around, her gems glowing. Her hands slowly began to shine.

Suddenly, the gem's arms were set ablaze, and the gemstones adorning her weapon glowed brightly. The bright light rushed through the pole-like weapon before suddenly shooting out of the two 'slots' on the side. The fire glowed brightly before it died down just slightly, revealing a double-bladed fire ax.

"Let's turn up the heat.~"

–

The crowd erupted into cheers, and so did Blue. Swinging her fist up into the air, she cheered out as the fusion pulled out her _true_ weapon. This was what she loved the most about this. _It was incredible how unpredictable and intense these could get!_

–

Hema stopped cold, eyes widening as his mouth fell ajar.

"Oh that's gonna hurt."

Hematite leapt back as Citrine went in for an immediate attack, and as she bore the ax down on him, he grimaced at the intense heat he felt coming off of it in waves. The weapon crashed into the ground, leaving a deep scorched score in the floor.

Bolting away, Hematite tried to make some distance between himself and the fusion, and the fight continued. But now, Hema was on the defensive. Citrine slowly got closer and closer to landing a direct hit, and while she couldn't get her one final strike on him, she managed many smaller ones. The service gem was slowing.

With a loud grunt, Hematite was sent flying back. His form shrank down to his usual height mid-air before he landed heavily near Blue. Sitting up, he coughed, spitting out bits of dirt as he shook his head. His suit was singed in places, and his breathing was heavy.

–

Blue winced again, the service gem landing harshly nearby. Crossing her arms, she shook her head with a cocky grin.

"Awwww come on Hema..." She knealt down, offering him a hand with a gleam in her eye. "That isn't how you give these people a show! _Need I remind you?"_

–

Hematite looked up at his superior and took her hand shakily.

"I'm doing my best, Blue! Those two have fought me before, they know all my tricks. And without my size shifting, well."

He stood straight, glancing at Citrine. She was swinging her ax around idly, watching the two with barely disguised confidence.

–

Blue cracked her knuckles and swung her arms in a circle, stretching down to touch one of her toes. "Well now, Hema! You know the best way to fight a fusion..." She stood up straight and faced him with her arms on her hips, suddenly chuckling.

"Is with a **fusion! "**

–

Hematite blinked in confusion as Blue stretched, and he crossed his arms, looking to the side.

"Well, yes it is, but I didn't bring a partner to fu-"

The service gem's mouth snapped shut, his eyes wide. He stared at nothing in particular for a long moment before slowly raising his gaze back to Blue, his lips drawn into a tight line.

"You're not serious."

–

"YEEEEAAAHHH! COME ON KID, You and me! Lets ROCK THIS PLACE!" she said boisterously. The fire in her eyes reignited, and her legs started to shuffle in place in a start of some sort of 'dance'. "Just for them! Just cuz it'll be fun! Just cuz you may never have this opportunity again! Come on kid, live a little! Diamonds don't fuse with just anyone, let alone service gems for that matter! It'll be a BLAST!" she crowed, an near crazed and excited demeanor about her.

–

The service gem's eyes widened further, and he glanced around him in shock. He had an opportunity... to fuse.

Fuse...

 _With Blue Diamond._

 _Fuse with Blue Diamond._

Hematite puffed out his cheeks for a moment before he suddenly took a deep breath, closing his eyes. His arms quickly uncrossed, his hands balling into fists in front of him. He grinned, a fire in his own eyes.

"Alright, YEAH! Absolutely!" The smaller gem let out a laugh of his own, Blue's infectious energy getting to him.

–

"ALRIGHT YEEEAAAHH! HAHAHAA!" She burst into a cheering laughter, swinging her arms behind her head and her gem began to glow. She stood up taller, making a locking movement and arching her arm. She looked back into Hematite's eyes with a passionate glare. "Ready when you are, kid!"

Some of the crowd started to wonder what Blue Diamond was shouting about, but others actually _heard her._ Murmurs erupted into the crowd and soon a quick rumor began to spread.

 _What?_

 _Really?_

 _Blue was going to fuse with a service gem?_

 _Naaaah, that couldn't be right._

–

Hematite's own grin widened, and he stood up straighter himself, giving Blue a polite sort of curtsy before he shifted his feet, standing with his arms partially up and held similar to his sparring position. His own gem began to glow.

"Let's do this.~"

–

The people of the crowd, at least in the front, watched intently. Blue closed her eyes and began moving rhythmically, yet erratically. Shuffling her feet, she spun around and pumped her arms to her front, then to the sides, then above her. She swung them back down and spun back around, swinging her hip to one side. She was constantly moving on and off, as if she were locking parts of her body when she stopped her motions. She opened an eye and watched Hematite, intrigued. It was rare that she had fused with anyone other than one of the the other diamonds. There were gems out there that she did fuse with, but they were few and far between.

There didn't seem to be a single part of her that wasn't involved in the dance somehow. Her legs, hips, arms, her whole upper body! Even her head bobbed from side to side every now and then. With another quick spin, she turned rapidly with another locking motion. She brought down her arm, clenching her fist and touching the top of her forearm to Hematite, who had met her's perfectly. Locking eyes with him at last, she never once lost that cheeky grin that she had since the start of the dance.

 **Lets give them a real show.**

–

Hematite's eyes closed almost as soon as he began to dance, his hips swaying from side to side. His arms swung down as his body swayed, and he slowly began to take measured steps to the side and forward, gradually moving closer to Blue. Though he'd never danced in front of anyone on Homeworld, he seemed to be rather... good at it.

That was all thanks to Smoky Quartz and Celestite.

The service gem's dancing was similar to how gems danced at clubs, but there was something slightly different about it. A smile slowly spread across Hematite's face until it grew into a contented grin. He opened his eyes, watching Blue's own dance movements. His style suddenly shifted as he adapted part of her moves to his own, and he did a final spin before clenching his fist and bringing it up to meet Blue's in perfect sync, their forearms pressed against each other, the backs of their fists touching. He grinned back at his superior before he looked to the side at Citrine, not moving his head.

His form began to glow.

 **Show time.~**

–

The two gems became enveloped in a bright light, their gems floating around the glowing, formless being before twisting and growing into something _much bigger._ The crowd gasped, some cheering and some yelling in surprise. Other fighters from nearby, though not close enough to get involved, turned to see what all the commotion was about. With a thunderous cackle, the form stopped morphing, their gems settling into place. They stopped glowing.  
With features of varying blues and teals, the fusion strongly resembled Blue's colors. She had a build similar to Hema's though her top half strongly resembled the diamond she was partially comprised of. Her hair was done up in a poofy, pompadour-like fashion and dark teal in color, almost navy blue. It matched her thick eyebrows, which furrowed together as a small smirk found its way to her face. Her outfit was near identical to Blue Diamond's, aside from some dark gloves that went up to her elbows. A teal-blue gem laid on her neck and forehead, slightly smaller in proportion to the rest of her than Blue or Hema's gems were normally. It was subtle, though.

–

Citrine's eyes slowly widened as she looked up at the taller fusion, the end of her ax meeting the dirt as her grip slacked. Her top pair of eyes slowly closed as she tilted her head back. This fusion was twice her size! And yet it was still only two gems?! _Guess that was a perk of being half diamond..._

The towering teal gem motioned her fingers around, as if getting a feel for the air around her. Taking a deep breath, she opened her eyes and peered down on the much smaller fusion. Her smile slowly grew wider, rounded fangs glinting in the bright afternoon sun.

"Pleased to **beat** you, Citrine!" She beamed, slamming her fist into her opposite palm. "Let's have some fun.~"

–

Citrine puffed her bangs away from her face as she gripped her ax again.

"Fun, huh? Alright! Bring it on!" she shouted up at the teal fusion, her eyes narrowing.

The taller fusion grinned, cracking the knuckles on the fist that she held in her hand. Her arm suddenly reached up to her face, and she snapped her fingers over her left eye, an oval-shaped, monocle-like teal eyepiece appearing over it. The visor gave a high-pitched trill as it came online, and the fusion chuckled quietly to herself.

 _So this is what being a fusion feels like... But I wonder._

Giving her eyepiece a glance, the fusion gem narrowed her eyes, still grinning. A few words popped up momentarily on the screen.

 **Dioptase, huh?**

As quickly as the teal fusion moved her hand away from her eyes, she whipped her hand back up to her gemstones, a trail of bright electricity trailing behind the motion. Her gemstones began to glow.

 _Let's see what we've got._

–

The electrical string pulled from the gemstones, a bright white bar trailing between the current. At the end, an absolutely massive mace ball formed, spikes jutting out sharply as it shaped itself out, falling to the ground with an alarming thud. The sheer weight of the massive mace ball created a sizable dent in the dirt below. Dio raised a brow, their lip curling into an even more inquisitive grin. The bar that connected to the mace exploded into shards of light, leaving only the trail of electricity between the spiked sphere and Dio's palm. The current flowed around the mace ball itself, surrounding it with an electrified aura.

" **Nicccceee**." she hissed out with amusement.

* * *

 _"Hey, Hema! Can you hear me?" Blue's voice called out from seemingly nowhere in a wide, teal abyss. The dark azure surface of the watery-looking floor met the horizon of a glowing blue-green sky, clear and without clouds. However, above in the most vibrant parts of the sky were millions of glimmering stars._

–

 _Hematite looked around as he stepped onto the rich blue, watery floor. His eyes were wide with wonder, and his mouth was parted slightly. Was that Blue calling to him?_

 _"Blue?" As he turned his head, Hematite suddenly spotted the azure gem and smiled, rushing over. "Blue! This is incredible!" The service gem was beaming, feelings of excitement, pride, and a warm fondness coming off of him in waves. He was absolutely_ _ **over the moon**_ _._

–

 _Blue looked gleeful herself, her hands sprawled out to her sides._

 _"Ya did it kid! Isn't this great?! How do you feel?" She said, eager for his response. The water around her feet seemed to illuminate just a little bit, small flecks of glowing sea foam gently floating upwards from the bright ripples. They both were bathed in a hue of a cool teal, lit up by the light of the fading day and stars above._

–

 _The service gem glanced at the ripples underneath both of their feet before he looked back up at her, his fists balled up in front of him._

 _"I'm great, this feels..._ _ **amazing**_ _!" Hematite's eyes shut as he gave an excited leap into the air, his feet quickly touching back down. "I feel so energized! So... I don't know how to describe it! I feel like I could spar for hours like this!" He gave her a wide-eyed, bright grin. "Is this how you always feel? I've never had so much energy!"_

–

 _Blue nodded eagerly and looked up to the stars. She pointed, glancing back down at Hematite._

 _"Do you recognize any of those? This whole place is a construct of our own minds merged into one being! This whole place can change on a dime, too! Look!" She said, and suddenly the light from below glowed brighter. The Diamond, without changing expression, fell abruptly beneath the surface of the water with a loud splash. For a few seconds, she was gone completely! Though, it wasn't long before she hopped back up out of the water behind Hematite, throwing her arms in the air excitedly. "YEEEAaaahh! This is awesome! Oh man, I've never seen a plane like this before!" She stared up at the sky again, wide eyed. "It's beautiful here!"_

–

 _Hematite had jumped in surprise as Blue vanished below the water, and jumped again when she appeared behind him. He spun around with a laugh as he looked up at the stars. His eyes widened, his mouth opening silently._

 _"... I_ _ **do**_ _recognize them." Touching his gemstone, Hematite smiled in disbelief. "They look like the stars in my gemstone's dimension..." As he spoke, a few of the glimmering lights above sparkled brighter. Hema let out a faint, shallow exhale. "But I rarely see them so clearly... And there's so_ _ **many**_ _."_

 _Blue sat down on the water, the glowing flecks still rippling beneath her. She took a deep breath and chuckled._

 _"Welcome to the fusion plane, kid! It's a lot like a pocket dimension, buuuut it's also not! Heheh, hey... wanna see somethin' neat?" She said, placing a palm to the surface of the water. As her hand touched the waves, they rippled out and started to create a strange 'window' on the surface. On the face of the water, they could now see what Dioptase was seeing!_

–

* * *

"HYAAAH!" The electrified mace came plummeting down mere feet from the quick-footed fusion. With a crazed look of satisfaction, Dio remained confident and collected. She clutched the tangible energy and gave it a heave, pulling the massive mace ball back.

"Come on Citriiiiine! LET'S GO LET'S GO! GIMME YOUR ALL!" she cackled, swinging the weapon violently towards her opponent once more.

* * *

–

 _Hematite blinked in wonder and sat down next to his superior, his eyes locked on the 'window' she'd created. This was so bizarre... He could feel them both controlling Dioptase's actions, and yet it was like the fusion itself was another personality with its own will. It was a strange feeling to him, and yet he couldn't help but smile. His smile quickly turned into a grin when he realized Dio was winning her fight._

–

Citrine barely leapt out of the way of the crashing mace, though she felt a few stray sparks of electricity hit her legs. Thinking on her feet, the shorter fusion spun around and swung her ax at Dio's mace 'chain'. Her expression sank as her ax passed right through it, some of the electricity shooting up her weapon and into her arms. She winced and stumbled back, but kept moving. She couldn't stay in one place for long with this gem. If she got hit hard enough with that weapon, she'd be poofed for sure.

But she was honestly running out of ideas.

 _Then it hit her._

 **Dioptase couldn't use that mace at close range.**

Suddenly chucking her ax at the bigger fusion, Citrine rushed forward without warning, her fists bursting into bright red flames.

–

Dio gave a shrug of her shoulder, clutching onto the energy string. She swayed to the left, narrowly avoiding the flinging ax. With a cocky chuckle, Dio let go of the ball and chain completely and clenched her fists.

"C'mon fireball! **Don't make Dioptase have to cool you down!"** she roared, throwing her hands up in the air. The crowd took a stand, shouting and cheering in excitement. Blue and Hematite both knew how to put on a show, but now? _Together? That was something to behold!_

* * *

–

 _Hematite tossed his arms up, giving an energetic cheer._

 _"This is amazing! The crowd loves it!" He looked at his superior, his face beaming._

 _Blue placed her hands close to her, still clenching her fists and grinning ear to ear._

 _"Hell yeah, kid! You always knew how to steal the show!" she said, giving him a hearty nudge with one of her palms._

* * *

Citrine had gone completely silent at this point, the grin gone from her face. Her second pair of eyes was now wide open, and her gaze never left Dioptase. Getting in close, she started throwing punches, keeping her arms close to her body between them, should Dio try to land a hit.

The taller fusion grinned and blocked the strikes as they were delivered, and while they certainly hurt, she didn't back down. Dio's fists sparked with electricity, and she suddenly began throwing punches back, Hematite's experience with close quarters combat coming quite in handy. Citrine winced at any of the hits the taller fusion landed, her body flinching involuntarily at the electricity. Dioptase suddenly gave a hearty laugh as she landed a direct hit to Citrine's abdomen, sending her backwards some distance.

–

The crowd hadn't been this wild in a long time. Gems from across the stadium, both in the crowd further away as well as other fighters had stopped and gotten closer to the end of the Coliseum to watch this particular display. They looked on in awe, eagerly awaiting for every hit to land.

"Fire, fire!~ Are you _tiiiiired?!_ " Dio taunted in a sing-song manner, placing a foot on the spiked ball. With a cheeky grin, she waited for Citrine to make a move. Holding out one of her hands, she cocked her head up a little and motioned for the other fusion to come at her.

–

Citrine glared angrily at the taller fusion as she stumbled backwards. The fusion retreated back quite a distance, trying to get away from any possible attacks from Dio after being launched so far. To her relief, the teal gem didn't come after her. Glowering, Citrine stopped some distance away from her opponent. Her fists clenched, her knuckles cracking. Despite the fury that burned in her eyes, she still remained silent. Gemstones glowing, Citrine suddenly rushed forward, pulling out _two_ fire axes from her gems. She swung them around once before clenching them tightly in her fists, going in for a heavy hit. The axes suddenly burst into bright flames, _completely_ on fire now.

Dioptase felt an eerie grin creep across her face as she watched the angry fusion rush across the field toward her. She didn't budge an inch at first.

–

But then as Citrine closed in, Dioptase got into a more defensive position, holding out her hands as the smaller fusion advanced upon her quickly. Narrowing her eyes, she gnashed her teeth together and chuckled, ducking low and grabbing a _direct_ hold of the hilts of Citrine's axes. With a dark, pained sneer, Dio lifted up and brought the two axes and Citrine off the ground 10 feet or so. Her eye twitched as she stifled the pain and glared right at the smaller fusion, face to face.

* * *

 _Blue blinked a time or two, looking over to Hematite and laughing nervously._

 _"AH probably not my brightest idea, eh?!" She joked, waving her hands a little with a smiling grimace._

* * *

Citrine's eyes widened in shock, and as she came face to face with the larger fusion, she grinned nervously. She hadn't let go of the axes. For a moment, she glanced down at her dangling feet, noting how far off the ground she was. Her eyes as she looked back into the bigger fusion's gaze.

"Hhheeyyy. Diooooo. Dioptaaaase. Your hands are on fire," she said in a rather rushed, 'friendly' manner, her nervous grin widening slightly.

* * *

 _Whatever Blue said, Hematite didn't hear her. He suddenly leapt to his feet, his fists balled up above his head._

 _"DID YOU SEE THAT?! WE JUST GRABBED TWO FIRE AXES LIKE IT WAS NO BIG DEAL, OH MY STARS WE'RE AWESOME!" The service gem hopped around in place, throwing his arms into the air with an energetic flurry of cheers. He let out a hearty, confident laugh, joyous waves of energy coming off of him and filling the fusion plane._

* * *

Dioptase grinned widely, narrowing her eyes. She chuckled lowly before suddenly breaking out into a full-on laugh that mirrored Hematite's. She suddenly stood straighter and reeled her head back before aggressively headbutting Citrine toward the ground. She was sure to tilt her head just slightly so she didn't hit 'Blue's' gemstone with the strike. The smaller fusion immediately lost her grip on her weapons with a loud 'OOPH' before she hit the ground, _**hard**_. A cloud of orange dust appeared shortly, leaving Puff and Rubes on the ground, dazed.

Dioptase was dizzy for a short moment, but she quickly recovered and tossed the now dormant axes aside.

* * *

 _The service gem stopped jumping around, and stared at the 'window' with wide eyes, a smile still on his face. There was a long pause. Without changing expression, he inhaled slowly through his nose, staring at the Jasper and Ruby now on the ground._

 _"... Oops."_

–

 _Blue erupted into laughter, swinging her arms around the service gem and spinning him around._

 _"WE DID IT, KID! I TOLD YA IT'D BE A BLAST! Man, we WRECKED em!" she cheered, dropping him back down, pumping her fists up in the air._

–

* * *

Dio raised her hands high as soon as she shook herself back from her little stunt. Nodding to the crowd, she grinned, relishing in the praise. The abundance of gems that had gathered roared in a mix of emotions, most of them positive it seemed!

 **"DIIIIO! DIIIIO! DIIIIO!"** The crowd chanted, and Dio's expression shifted to one of endearment, no longer looking quite as cocky as she did before. No, now she just seemed to be enjoying the sound of so many excited gems. Gems that were happy to see her fight, gems that were happy to see her win!

In the midst of all the commotion, a familiar pink gem made his way casually over to the group, brushing a hand through his messy hair. He looked as though he'd been roughed up himself, but carried a smile nonetheless. He stopped near the Jasper and the Ruby, cocking a brow.

"Heeeeeeey, fuzzball! Lil' red! I see you're having fuuuun," the sultry voice called down jokingly, looming over the two that lay on the ground. He spared them a cheeky grin of his own.

* * *

–

 _Hematite laughed and clung onto Blue as she spun him around, a bright grin on his face._

 _"Haha, yeah we did! That was_ _ **amazing**_ _!" The service gem leapt up into the air with a cheer when Blue put him down. The sounds of the crowd filled the plane around the two of them, and Hematite stopped jumping around and closed his eyes, holding himself tightly. His cheering had stopped._

 _A wide smile was on his face, and his head was tilted down just slightly as he took in the cheers of the audience. A strong mix of emotions was radiating from the small gem, and they suddenly focused into one, almost_ _ **audible**_ _thought. Hematite's lips parted as he mouthed the words,_

 _ **Stars, I missed this...**_

–

* * *

Rubes was laying face-first on the dirt floor, her arms out in front of her. Slowly, she turned one of her hands over, giving Morganite a silent thumbs-up. Puff on the other hand was laying flat on her back, staring up at the pink-haired warrior, sparing Dio a glance.

"Yeaaaaah. Fun. Hoooo." She exhaled deeply, the end of her breath coming out as a laugh. "Those two make one heck of a fusion."

* * *

–

 _Blue felt a warmth around her, her smile becoming less excited and more of a calmed contentment. He was happy. He was genuinely happy. She enjoyed seeing him like this, knowing that he was free from worry, at least for the extent of today. She sighed, nodding to him with a proud sense of joy._

 _ **You did good today, kid.**_

–

* * *

Dio placed her hands on her hips and looked down smugly on the group. Leaning down, the much taller fusion gave Morganite a curious smirk.

"Good evening, I do believe you're a familiar face!" she joked, Morganite raised a brow, the comment going over his head at first.

"Oh, you must be this... Dio?" he said, looking up. Suddenly, he looked bewildered, noticing the gem placements _and_ shapes. "Hey, wait a second..."

–

Dio chuckled in amusement at the warrior gem as she waved a hand.

"What, you haven't figured it out yet?~" She placed her hands on her knees as she leaned a little closer to Morgan. "I don't blame you, I am rather new around here." A cheeky grin plastered itself to her face, as if she _knew_ the pink-haired warrior was putting the pieces together.

Dioptase spared Puff and Rubes a glance, paused for a moment as if looking the two over, and then returned to smirking at Morgan. To anyone watching, she just seemed to check her two opponents over.

* * *

–

 _Hematite could feel Blue's pride, and he looked at her warmly, the smallest tears in the corners of his eyes._

 _"We should do this again some time. We make a great team... And maybe next time, who knows... we might find out more about this fusion." He stood up straight again, his arms falling back to his sides, relaxed. The service gem turned to the window where he could see what Dioptase was seeing, and as he gazed at Rubes and Puff on the ground, his expression faltered for a moment at the sight of his two defeated opponents_

 _Something within the fusion flared for a few seconds, and Hematite was unable to repress it fast enough to make sure it went unnoticed. A sharp, deep-seeded instinct had honed in on Rubes before Hema pushed it deep down. Sparing Blue a nervous glance, he tried to keep smiling, as if the feeling had never happened. But he_ _ **knew**_ _she'd notice it. He couldn't hide that while fused._

 _His harvester instincts were piqued for a moment._

–

 _Curiously, Blue's own expression twitched for a second, but she soon found herself giving Hematite a rather mischievous look. Placing a palm on his shoulder, she looked down at the window slowly._

 _"I wouldn't do that nnnoooowww if I were you.~" She chuckled, still watching the water._

–

* * *

Morganite smiled up at the taller fusion, crossing his arms in amusement.

"Well I'll be... What on Homeworld made you two decide to do this?! Juuuust couldn't help yourself, huh Blue?" he laughed as the fusion stood up tall again.

"Weeeeell you could say that! Blue figured, why do theeeey get to have all the fun? Surely she and Hema could try it out! You know they both love a good fight here!" she said with a small hint of sass. Glancing back down at the two on the ground, she shifted her weight and looked them over. "Ey. You two okay?"

* * *

–

 _Hematite's face turned a darker shade of grayish purple, and he looked away in embarrassment._

 _"I-I'm not going to do anything! That just. Happens sometimes." He coughed. "Okay it happens a lot," he muttered. "No big deal."_

–

* * *

Rubes slowly lifted her face, giving Dio a hard stare. She was silent a long moment.

"Remind me never to fight you two like this again."

Puff on the other hand chuckled, running her hands through her hair.

"Don't listen to her, she's just grumpy cuz we lost." The orange gem gave Dioptase a wide grin and a thumbs up. "That was an awesome fight, you two."

–

A familiar light enveloped the fusion for a few short seconds, before it phased out and dropped both Blue and Hematite onto the ground. Blue, landing on her feet, threw her arms up in the air and cheered loudly, which the crowd followed up with. Morganite offered a hand to the duo on the ground, smirking with amusement.

"You all sure showed this place how to fusion fight! I was off fighting one myself when the big guy stopped suddenly to see what was going on over here. Heh, if only I saw it from the beginning!" he said almost enviously.

–

Hematite was also able to land on his feet, and looked out at the crowd with a bright smile and a wave. In the back of his mind, he already pined for the feeling of being fused again, but he kept the thought to himself. Fusion had a time and place, and for now, he and Blue were done, and Dioptase would have to wait for another day.

Puff gratefully took Morganite's hand and hoisted herself up with a slightly pained groan. She stood straight and placed her hands on her lower back, popping it as she did so.

"Aaah man. Citrine really took a beating. I'm exhausted." The Jasper looked down at Rubes, who was already standing up on her own and dusting herself off. Puff smiled playfully and knelt down, scooping up the Ruby in her arms. "C'mere you, let me help.~" With a chuckle, the larger gem started dusting her partner off, fixing her hair afterward. Rubes' sour expression softened, and she leaned against Puff's shoulder with a faint smile.

"Thanks, Puff." Rubes relaxed in the Jasper's arms and closed her eyes as she continued cleaning her up best she could.

Puff placed a quick peck to Rubes' forehead before she turned to Hematite and Blue with a chuckle. The gem in her arms opened her eyes to look at the duo as well. Puff used her free hand to snub her nose with her thumb.

"You two owe us a rematch one day! I'm sure Citrine would love to have another go at it."

Rubes nodded with a quiet noise of agreement, despite her earlier comment.

Hematite turned and smiled at the two of them before giving Blue a warm grin.

"Well that's up to Blue Diamond here," he teased, gently nudging her with his elbow.

–

Blue winked at the group, crossing her arms with a small smile.

"Oh, I'm sure that can be arranged sometime. Besides, Diooooo needs an encoreeee!" she said in a sing-song tone, spinning around confidently. She was honestly glad to see that Hematite was happy again, at least for the day. Perhaps things were turning around for him, finally! She looked over to Morganite, but her eyes widened suddenly, the smile fading from her face. Morganite's brow raised, having noticed Blue's expression change.

"Hey, you alright ma'am?" he said with a nervous grin.

–

Puff blinked at Blue's sudden change in demeanor and turned to the pink haired gem to her side. Hematite turned as well, tilting his head curiously.

"Hm?"

–

Just out of view, Blue spotted a figure hopping down from the wall. Tall, sleek, and making their way quickly towards them, the form slowed their approach as they neared. Blue tried looking away with a stifled grin, awkwardly putting her hand to her chin. Morganite turned to see what was behind him, and quickly stepped out of the way upon realization, saluting.

"Having fusion fights with my Hematite I see?..."

–

Puff's eyes widened, and she stepped back a few paces, saluting respectfully as best she could while holding her partner. Rubes did the same, bowing her head just slightly.

Hematite, on the other hand, was frozen in place. His smile faded, and he stood at attention, his arms folded behind him.

"Wh-white Diamond. I uh." He glanced to the side, biting his lip. "I can explain."

–

"No need, Hematite." She held up her hand, and raised a brow at Blue.

"... And why wasn't **I** invited?" She smirked, and Blue crossed her arms indignantly. She muttered something under her breath and a deep blush spread across her cheeks. White smirked faintly. "Come on, Blue! He's never fused before! ... At least to my knowledge." She glanced over at Hema, narrowing her eyes a little. At least she kept her smile! Returning her gaze to Blue, she furrowed a brow. "I knew Hematite would be here today, but I didn't know he'd be fusing! I just thought he'd be fighting, like _**you**_ **told** me he would," she said, tapping her foot. Blue spread out her arms defensively and looked up at White.

"Baaaaah I wasn't lying! He did fight! Just... he... also fused! ...With me. I thought it'd be fun." She looked away, shrugging her shoulders.

White chuckled and placed her hands on her hips, taking a few steps forward.

"No need to get so riled up. Neither of you are in trouble, I'm just... a little surprised, is all!" She looked at Hematite and placed a hand on his shoulder, grinning down at him.

"So? What did you think? Blue doesn't let just anyone fuse with her, and you haven't even fused before. Was it hard? How did you fare while dancing? Was the fusion plane intimidating to you? Did you sync well? You must tell me everything over tea tonight-!" She caught herself, placing a hand to her mouth and looking away. Right, Hematite's ban on tea was still in place. "Er, well... You didn't hear that, Blue."

Blue sneered good-naturedly and chuckled through her teeth.

"Suuuuuuure thing, White! I didn't hear aaaanything."

–

Hematite's eyes widened as White listed off all her questions, and he stared up at her with undisguised wonder. She was so curious about how his fusion had gone, she _cared_ , she wanted to know everything. The service gem's shoulders slowly relaxed as he gazed up at his leader, and slowly, a bright smile spread across his face.

"R-right! I'll tell you all about it then."

Rubes felt the smallest of smiles tug at her mouth. She looked up at Puff and leaned on her shoulder before turning her attention back to the group. Puff held the small red gem a little closer, a warm smile on her own face.

–

White smiled again and looked out to the crowd.

"They really seem to like you. And they seem to like... ah, what was her name? Dioptase? Yes, Dioptase." She paused, eyeing the service gem. "It's good to see you smile, you know. To know you have something that you can do on your off time that makes you happy. I didn't get to see all of your fight, just the end parts of it... but you did well, from what I could see. No falters, no mess ups, no incidents." She placed a hand on her hip and looked at Blue, who was averting her gaze from White. After a moment, she returned to looking down at the ivory-haired gem. "I'm proud of you, Hematite," she said softly. Morganite's brows raised, and he looked over at Rubes and Puff with a look of genuine joy.

–

 _It's good to see you smile._

 _It's good to know you have something that you can do in your off time that makes you happy._

The service gem felt the arena around him go quiet.

 _ **I'm proud of you, Hematite.**_

Hema's eyes brimmed with tears, and though his face momentarily looked like he'd been hurt, it quickly turned into a smile, and he wiped at his eyes with his sleeve.

Puff and Rubes' smiles grew, and they returned Morgan's joyful look with warm grins of their own. They'd never seen Hematite this happy, ever since meeting him. It was _nice_ , to say the least.

–

Blue turned quickly and gave Hematite a nudge with her elbow, peering up at White.

"Aw come on, I'm pretty proud of em' too! He did great, White. _Really_..." She smiled, giving White a hopeful nod, which the taller Diamond responded to with a faint look of intrigue.

"Well then, unless you'd like to stay for another match, Hematite, perhaps you'd like to go back and talk. It's up to you, really. If you stay, I might just stick around and watch this time," she said, waving her hand.

The shorter service gem smiled at Blue as she nudged him, and he playfully nudged her back with a sniffle. He looked up at White and pursed his lips. Turning his head, he stared at the crowd. At the sight of the audience, his breathing hitched just slightly, an anticipatory tightness in his chest.

… _Why leave now ..._

Hematite turned back to his leader and gave her a look that said a thousand words before he respectfully stepped away and turned to the crowd, putting his arms out at his sides.

"Who else would like to take on The Harvester!" He called out in a powerful voice, the crowd rising in a new swell of cheers in response. The small service gem grinned from ear to ear, his eyes bright and filled with life. He turned back to the group behind him, the joyous gleam still in his eyes. "Sorry, White. I'm afraid our talk will have to wait a little longer." His head turned back to the crowd, and he inhaled deeply through his nose, eyes shining.

 **"I've got a show to put on!"**


	32. Bottled

_Summary: Hematite reports to Blue Diamond after a harvesting mission._

A faint pinkish-silver bubble hovered just over Hematite's hand as he walked down the hall toward Blue Diamond's office. Some time had passed since their spar as Dioptase, and the service gem had barely seen her since then. He received a mission from White to harvest a gem for his blue superior, and he was all too happy to comply. The Amethyst in the bubble had put up quite a fight, but thankfully the job had gone off without too much of a hitch.

But this was his first harvesting job since his little blowup with Yellow Diamond, and being back in the field cropped up rather... conflicting feelings. All he could think about during his mission was how Yellow had stared at him back in her office, how terrified she'd been, how much she _hated_ him. He still had a job to do, that hadn't changed.

But it still troubled him.

The service gem couldn't help but remember Morganite's advice. He couldn't let this get bottled up, not again. He didn't want a repeat of the incident at the Sky Arena, and if that meant having an uncomfortable conversation with Blue, then so be it.

Stopping at the office, Hematite knocked on the door and waited to be let in.

–

The door hissed open quickly. Standing in the opening was a semi-familiar blue-tinted gem with messy hair that laid over her eyes. Blue's pearl bowed her head politely to the service gem and stepped aside, allowing him in. Blue was, for once, working on something on one of the diamond pads. She seemed serious, but as soon as she looked up and saw Hematite enter the room, she immediately perked up with her usual grin.

"Heeeey Hematite! Got somethin' for me?" she said, eyeing the bubble in his palm.

–

Hematite gave the Pearl a polite nod back with a smile. He stepped inside the office and folded his free arm behind him.

"I found that Amethyst you were having trouble with. I can see why your guard gems had issues. She was hiding out well, and seemed used to avoiding authority. Thankfully she slipped up." He looked at the bubble with a slightly guilty frown. "I wish she hadn't been poofed, but her gem is undamaged."

–

"Ah, excellent!" Blue said, taking the bubble. She peered in at the gem inside curiously, narrowing her eyes for just a moment. "Yep, it's fine. She'll be rehabilitated soon enough, I'm sure." She said, sitting back down in her seat. Tapping the bubble once or twice, she pressed her finger against its surface gently. She placed it on the table next to her for a moment and crossed her arms. "Thank you, Hema!" she spoke at least semi-professionally.

–

Hematite nodded and smiled to himself as Blue thanked him. He folded his arms behind him, and after a moment, he scuffed his foot on the ground. His smile faltered.

–

His motions didn't go unnoticed, and she leaned back in her chair with her arms crossed.

"I know that look." She said, her smile fading. She looked over to the pearl and gave her a motion with her head. The pearl quickly saluted and left the room. Blue's eyes glanced back at Hematite and she gave him a curt nod. "Alright, what's on your mind?..."

–

The service gem's professional stance faded, and he rubbed the back of his head. He seemed nervous.

"Sorry, I know you're busy. But." Sighing, he walked over to the desk and stood nearby. "I can't talk to Morganite about this sort of thing, and White, well... She'd be disappointed that something she told me to do didn't go right." He paused for a moment. "I'm sure you've noticed Yellow Diamond has been off lately."

–

Blue seemed momentarily taken aback, her eyes widening.

"Er, yeah... Sparky's not been doin' too hot..." She frowned, looking away. "What do you mean though, what didn't go right?" she asked, looking back at him.

–

Sighing, Hematite dropped his hand from his hair.

"Well, a while ago, White asked me... to apologize. You know, for what I did last year." He coughed and avoided Blue's eyes. Hematite didn't like thinking about what he did, especially after seeing the effects it had. "But even though I said sorry... well." The service gem sighed and frowned. "I should start back before that." Clearing his throat, Hema gathered his thoughts.

"I went on a mission in the blue district, but it led into the yellow district. I was tracking a rather dangerous gem monster that'd been tunneling underground and avoiding detection. It got worryingly close to the residential areas, but thankfully I stopped it near some ship hangars... But Yellow was there with another gem. She was so jumpy and irritable, I thought it was just because, you know. She doesn't like me." Hematite's fingers rubbed together. "And before I went down into this tunnel that I'd tracked the monster into, I asked her to tell White if I wasn't back in an hour..." He looked away.

–

Blue leaned on the desk, placing her elbows on the surface and resting her head on her palms. She squinted, huffing with frustration.

"She didn't say anything, did she?..." She rolled her eyes. _Typical Yellow..._

–

Hematite shrugged with a shake of his head.

"No, she didn't. I handled the mission just fine, but. I don't know. It still hurt." There was another pause. "I thought she did it to be spiteful, and only for that reason. I thought she was just angry about what I did. But when I tried to apologize to her..." The service gem sighed and looked helplessly at Blue. "She refused to accept it. She was scared of me, she _**is**_ scared of me. I went in there to say sorry, and she shot lightning at me out of nowhere!"

–

Blue raised a brow, but tapped her fingers on her cheek.

"Hah! Naaaah that can't be right, Sparky ain't afraid of anyth-" She stopped, looking right through Hematite.

 _Wait... really?..._

"Ah, I mean...uh, ya know... Wait... What?" She moved her hands down and on the top of her desk, looking at Hematite with legitimate confusion. "You really think she's afraid of you?" She looked away, deep in thought.

 _Maybe it was_ _ **possible**_ _? I mean, he DID make it seem like he was gonna kill her. Still, that was done and over with almost a year ago! Nothing shook Yellow Diamond! Hell, she prided herself on her fearlessness! Surely_ _ **Hematite**_ _of all things wouldn't have her shaking in her boots like this! ..._ _ **Right**_ _?_

–

With a confused shrug, the service gem looked away.

"It sure seemed like it. You didn't see the look she gave me. Yellow looked like I was about to shatter her right then and there in her office. She's... not all _there_ right now." There was a long moment of silence, and Hematite's face slowly scrunched into a guilty frown. "And I think it's my fault."

–

Not all there? That seemed to be an understatement.  
"Man, I'll say..." She frowned at Hematite's last statement. "... If what you're saying is true, hmm..." She found herself staring at the training dummies in her room. They were beat up, probably stitched together a thousand times over. "What do you suppose you should do? I mean, White and I can't fix this... It sounds like you're gonna need to try and talk to her again. As much as that sucks..." She frowned.

–

Hematite couldn't help but wince.

"Do you have any lightning proof armor laying around?" he joked weakly, giving a single, breathless laugh. Rubbing his fingers together, he sighed. "I'll try. I don't think it'll do anything, but. I'll do my best."

–

For a moment, Blue thought he was serious, but shot him a soft smile when he laughed.

"Hah... Don't ever change, Hema." She reached across the table, standing up to ruffle his hair. "So what are you gonna do now?..."

–

As Blue ruffled his hair, Hematite's eyes widened before he relaxed, slightly leaning into the contact. A small smile crossed his face. He seemed to zone out for a moment, but then quickly regained his composure at his superior's question.

"O-oh right." He cleared his throat. "I have another mission to get to. It _should_ be shorter, though... I'll go talk to Yellow after that."

–

Blue sat back down in her seat and crossed her arms behind her head.

"Alright then, Hematite. Stay optimistic, alright? You got this!" she encouraged warmly.

–

Hema nodded with a smile and regained his professional stance.

"Will do, Blue!" He saluted and turned around. "Good luck with your work today!" With that, he walked out of the office, the door hissing shut behind him.


	33. Balancing Act

_Summary: Yellow Diamond relives an old memory from a new perspective._

 _Ugh, come on, focus. It's simple paperwork. Now, let's see. The Weather Station needs to be inspected next month- no, wait. This month? What month is it... 10? No, that can't be right. I'll have to double check on that. Then again I suppose two inspections can't hurt._

A deep, frustrated sigh carried throughout Yellow Diamond's office. Flickering quietly above was her broken light. Yellow had haphazardly tried to fix it a few days ago, but in her less-than-composed state, she hadn't done a very good job. Papers laid across her desk along with a few diamond pads. The floors were a bit cleaner than the last time anyone visited her, namely Hematite, but they were still far messier than usual.

For the moment, Yellow's Pearl was out of the room, off running some errands for her in the White District. Yellow didn't want to risk running into _him_ while she was out and about, so, as of late, she had her Pearl fetching most of what she needed from the other two districts. She couldn't let anyone see her like this. Dull, unfocused, with little to no proper poise and professionalism; she was a terrible sight. But she had to power through. She'd been through worse; she'd worked through Pink Diamond's betrayal, over time. This would be no different.

Except... it was. It _was_ different, and _she knew it._

With Pink Diamond... none of what happened was Yellow's fault. Neither she nor White nor Blue could have seen what happened with her coming, even if they wished they could have _stopped it_. They all grieved the war and their losses, both in a dear friend and a member of the Diamond Authority, on top of all the death and destruction her betrayal caused. Each of them took their time with getting over Pink's traitorous acts, and each dealt with it in their own way. And over time, they each recovered, more or less. It wasn't their fault, they couldn't have known Pink would turn on them. That, and they never had to deal with Pink Diamond again, so the wounds had their chance to heal.

But this? She had to see Hematite on a regular basis, either in passing or directly. _His_ behavior, she could have seen coming. She _**did**_ see it coming. The Hematite gems before him were horrid, why would he be any different? She had to do what she did that night, she couldn't think of any other solution to scare him into behaving. There was nothing else she could think of to put him in his place in an effective enough way.

But even her 'best' idea backfired. It made things worse, and now she was stuck with these horrid nightmares and hallucinations, if they could even be called that, and what shred of damaged respect White and Blue had left for her. On top of all that, now every time she saw Hematite, she felt...

Strange.

Just the mere sight of him sent chills up her spine and made a heavy knot settle in her stomach. She always felt as though she needed to talk to him, that she needed to say something, but her fear and anger towards him _always_ stopped her. This was _his_ fault, _he_ was the untrustworthy one, _he_ was the gem that attacked her in broad daylight, upset or not.

So what was this foreign feeling that kept cropping up as of late when she saw him, especially the time she ran into him out in the hangars? She hadn't experienced it when Pink Diamond betrayed her and her fellow diamonds... so why was this different?

With a frustrated frown, Yellow leaned up from her desk and put down her stylus to her diamond pad. Lifting her hands, she pushed back her seat slightly and moved her fingers to her temples, rubbing them in small circles. She had to focus, this work needed to be done. Her paperwork was backed up a few days, this was unacceptable. Why was this still bothering her? Why couldn't she get Hematite's voice out of her head? Why did the afternoon he tried to apologize to her keep playing back in her mind? He wasn't truly sorry, and she knew it! White was probably suspicious of her behavior and told him to come put on some act for her. That had to be it.

It had to be.

Yellow Diamond huffed through her teeth and narrowed her eyes down at nothing in particular. _Right, Weather Station inspection. Danburites, perhaps a few Alabasters? Mmm._ Squinting her eyes even more, the diamond rubbed at her forehead. She finally let her eyelids drift closed for a moment. _Stars, it felt nice to rest them._ After a few seconds, she let herself relax, all the tension leaving her form. Her eyelids were heavy, and she kept them shut for what felt like minutes. But, she still had work to do. No time for a nap, even if she wanted one.

 _Which she certainly did not._

With a soft, near inaudible grunt, the yellow gem cracked open her eyes, staring vaguely ahead. The faintest image of her office laid deep in shadow all around her. She was still in her chair, her desk littered with papers as it had been before. Brows furrowing, Yellow groggily blinked, frowning faintly in confusion. _Wait... why was it suddenly so dark?_

 _Tap._

 _Tap._

 _ **Tap.**_

The temperature slowly dropped.

For the moment, time froze. Yellow couldn't move or speak; she could only look around. Her mind silently cried out in vain to try and get her body to budge, but every part of her felt numb and locked into place. Her breathing slowed involuntarily, and she felt her nonexistent heart _sink_. Glancing down, Yellow Diamond spotted her gemstone glimmering faintly. The image of her office slowly faded in and out until everything finally went black... and she began to fall.

Down she went, plummeting for what both felt like an eternity, and at the same time, barely a second. She landed heavily on a hard, flat surface, the air being knocked quickly out of her. She sat up and groaned, holding her head as she looked down at the surface she landed on. It was solid black. But something around the diamond felt _off_. As if her field of vision outside of fifty feet or so was fogged up with shadows, she could no longer see her office around her. _Oh. Oh stars, no, had she fallen asleep?!_ In a panic, Yellow looked down at her hands. Oddly, her color was nearly gone this time, while in the other nightmares, she'd looked perfectly normal. The diamond looked up, her breath catching in her throat as her eyes flicked to and fro around the black abyss surrounding her.

It was eerily quiet.

–

Yellow staggered to her feet, coughing and clutching her hands to her arms. A shuddering breath fogged up in the air in front of her face. Looking down at her feet, she noticed the change of color. Odd... But here she was again. Why did she start in her office? Why was she here _now_? She hadn't gone to sleep, had she? Why were things different this time?

She started to move, the anxiety already prickling in her chest. _He's coming. I know he is. He always does. It's just a matter of when, and how..._

–

 _Tap._

 _Tap._

 _Tap._

 _ **T a p.**_

Something was making the ground tremble, as if being sharply struck with a hammer. It wasn't like the tremors from the previous nightmares. It was intermittent, more aggressive, but also... not. It didn't seem to be getting any closer.

As Yellow walked, the area ahead of her started to feel emptier. All of a sudden, she found herself nearly walking off of what appeared to be a sheer drop. Thankfully, a stark-white line showed the edge of whatever platform she was on.

–

Yellow looked nervously at the white line. Leaning down, she waved her hand over it. Yep, it was a drop. Sighing, she clenched her hands nervously and took a step back. She didn't want to know what would happen if she jumped, but she definitely didn't want to look behind her either. _Nothing good ever happened when she did that_. Looking around, she bit her lip, the faintest of sweat forming on her brow. If she couldn't jump, and this edge led infinitely in either direction... She tensed up, realizing she was left with only one real option. Slowly, hesitantly, she turned around.

–

Nothing.

There was nothing there.

 _Nothing and no-one._

The distant tapping stopped.

There was a long stretch of silence, until...

 _"Yellow? Yellow Diamond, are you there?!"_

It was Hematite's voice.

–

Blinking, Yellow felt her heart drop. Daring to turn her head again, she looked around desperately. Wait, that was _his_ voice! Not that THING'S voice! But where was he? Why was _he_ here suddenly?!

"Hematite!" she called out in worry, gritting her teeth as she looked around.

–

The sound of distant approaching footsteps filled the icy air, and out of the shadows came the service gem's black and white form. Oddly enough, he seemed to be his normal size. He had even less color to him than his nightmarish self, with only a blackened form and a white outline. The only things on him that had any color were his eyes. They stood out starkly against the darkness, bright pink among the void of black. Stopping a significant distance from the Diamond, Hematite stood at attention and saluted.

 _"H-hematite reporting, Yellow Diamond!"_

–

Yellow stared in shock at the service gem now faced before her. She flinched, but regained a more calm stance soon after. She found it amazing that something different was happening, were things finally starting to get better? Or maybe this was a trap. Maybe it _was_ him... but... No, it couldn't be. _Could it?_ She stared back into his pink eyes, unable to look away.

"Hematite, what are you doing here?!"

–

The service gem smiled weakly, visibly nervous. He took his hands from his back, holding out a diamond pad. When the gem opened his mouth, he spoke with a voice that almost sounded... distant. Eerily far away and... small?

 _"I brought something from White Diamond!"_

–

Her eyes widened in horror. She took a few steps back, shakily moving her hand up to her mouth. Her lips parted, she was unable to look away. It was starting to dawn on her what was going on... _No, no this can't be, not this!_

"H-Hematite, can you hear me?!"

–

Blinking, Hematite lowered the diamond pad just slightly. He cocked his head to the side, frowning in confusion.

"Yes, why?"

Tap.

 _Tap._

–

She stopped, feeling the anxiety spike again as the ground beneath her feet trembled faintly.

"I-I... Um, no reason," she said, lowering her hand and fidgeting with her glove. She stared nervously down at the diamond pad, then back up to him. "Er... thank you. You can just leave it here!"

–

The smaller gem blinked curiously, but then smiled brightly and put the diamond pad on the ground in front of him. He stood back up, saluting her politely.

"Is there anything else you needed?"

–

She looked down at the device, her stress easing off slightly. Her expression dropped, as did her gaze. It rested on the floor, her eyes distant.

"Ah, no, there's not," she said, not looking back up at him. Her brows furrowed in pain, her lips drawing into a tight line.

 _Was that how easy that night could have been, all those years ago?_

–

Tap.

 _ **Tap.**_

Giving another smile, the gem relaxed slightly. When he opened his mouth again, his voice returned to its eerily distant sound.

 _"Well, if that is all, I should be getting back to White Diamond's office."_

 **Scraaaape**

The air was suddenly heavy. **Oppressive**. Even colder than it was before. There was some presence there now, and it wasn't _just_ Hematite. It slowly closed in, until the air around the two was near suffocating.

Slowly, from the shadows behind the service gem, a huge, clawed hand reached out toward him.

–

Yellow looked up, eyes widening again as she gasped out in horror. **No... NO!**

"H-H-..." she stammered, taking a shaky step back. "S-STOP!" she cried out in panic. She reached forward, but found her legs locked in place.

–

Hematite's eyes widened in surprise, and he tilted his head slightly.

"What?"

The service gem let out a startled gasp as something hooked onto the back of his suit. Slowly dragging him back, the clawed hand began to lift the tiny gem off the black surface, into the shadows.

From the place where the hand had emerged, a voice suddenly rumbled through the cold air, as if whoever was talking was huge and _very_ close by.

 _But that wasn't the worst part._

No, it wasn't _**his**_ voice. Nor was it Hematite's.

 **It was Yellow's.**

 **"Not so fast, now."** The tone was dark, low, and malicious.

–

Once again the anxiety struck, this time worse than ever. She took a step forward, eyes widened in horror.

"Wh-what's going on?! What is this?!" she called out to no-one in particular. She recognized that voice. She absolutely did... _And she knew_ _ **what this was.**_

–

As she took a step forward, the shadows hiding what was ahead retreated just slightly. For a moment, she could see Hematite being lifted away before he vanished again into the dark.

 **"I'm sure White can wait a little while. Besides, it's such a long walk back you know."**

–

The gem blinked in shock and terrified realization, panic rising steadily.

"No, STOP!" She took another few steps forward, her legs heavy and trembling. She didn't _want_ to go forward. She didn't _want_ to see what was on the other side of the darkness. But she had to, she couldn't just let him get carried off like that! _Not a second time, he didn't warrant it!_

–

The further she went, the more the shadows around her retreated.

 **"Especially at your..."**

A dark chuckle, all too familiar, rang out around Yellow Diamond. The dark fog that had been obscuring everything from view suddenly vanished, revealing _all_.

 **"Puny size."**

The 'ground' underneath the diamond's feet appeared to be a huge desk, papers scattered around the edges. The faintest features of Yellow's office were just barely visible through the blackness that filled the place.

But most importantly...

There, no more than a hundred feet away, sitting behind the huge black desk, was the familiar nightmarish form. His chin was propped in his free hand, and he was dangling Hematite in front of his face. The bright yellow target on his visor was looking over the tiny gem, clicking and whirring away.

–

Yellow placed her palms to her mouth, tears welling up in her eyes.

"NO! STOP! Put him down!" she shouted, daring to take another step forward. She knew all of this was some weird, horrible trap, but she couldn't stop. Chasing her down was one thing, but this? _How could her nightmares turn into something like this?!_

–

If he'd noticed her by now, the nightmarish harvester wasn't making any show of it. An eerie, twisted grin crossed his face as he turned Hematite over in his clawed hands. The tiny gem protested quietly, the sound still far-off. Broken sentences echoed in the distance, all in his voice.

 _Of course you're too busy!_

 _I-I didn't-!_

 _Yeah, it is... were you considering giving me a lift back?_

 _I didn't mean anything by it!_

 _I apologize!_

 _I would never!_

Teeth parting ominously, the huge gem behind the desk brought Hematite just slightly closer to his face.

 _I would never question my position!_

 _I'm sorry!_

 _I'm sorry!_

" _ **I'm sorry..."**_

The last sentence came out different than all the others. It was closer, clearer, calm and **sad**. It still sounded like a memory... but it was far more recent.

–

Yellow froze in place, staring up in horror. Why was this happening? What sort of game was the nightmare playing? Why did this make her feel worse than _any_ of her nightmares before? The tears that stung her eyes now flowed freely down her cheeks, but she could do nothing to make any difference now. She stood, slowly lifting her palm to her gem and covering it.

–

Slowly, the dark form lowered his free hand to the desk, resting his clawed fingers on the surface.

Tap.

 _Tap._

 _ **Tap.**_

The desk trembled as the huge gem drummed a single claw on the surface, the insignia on his visor darting over the tiny form in his hand. A low chuckle escaped the nightmarish hunter as he slowly licked his teeth.

 **"You're so used to being big..."**

Suddenly, the target on the monstrous gem's visor clicked aggressively, locking onto the diamond on the desk, though the hunter didn't turn his head.

 **"You forget how small you really are."**

–

A sharp shudder rang through her body, and she fell to her knees, unable to look away from the target now fixated on her. Holding her arms to her chest, she kept stammering and muttering something quietly, but no discernible words came out. In fact, it almost sounded like _shivering_.

–

The target returned to staring at Hematite, and the tiny gem let out a sharp cry as he was brought closer to the monstrous form's face. His voice still sounded distant.

 _"Y-yellow diamond, what are you doing?! I have to get back to White!"_

The harvester's teeth parted, and he slowly lowered the trembling gem closer to his face, earning a chorus of echoing, terrified cries. Among them, only one sentence could be heard. But just barely.

 _Somebody, help!_

–

Yellow couldn't watch much further; her eyes screwed shut and she threw her arms over her head so she wouldn't have to watch what played out. _She_ _ **couldn't**_ _..._

The noises, the words, every single sound rang through her and sent more stabbing anxiety through her very core. She couldn't take this. This was unbearable. Why did she feel this way?! It wasn't just fear, it was horror! It was sorrow! It was anger! Small drops of tears dripped onto the desk.

"PLEASE, STOP!"

–

 **Poff**

The cries stopped abruptly at Yellow's outburst, and the space around her went eerily quiet again. A gray cloud of smoke slowly disappeared near the giant gem's face. Leaning his chin on his hands, the nightmarish harvester grinned down at the tiny diamond, his teeth just slightly parted. It looked like there was something glinting between them.

–

Shaking violently, Yellow opened her eyes at the sound of the smoke, lifting her head and staring in horror at his teeth. She felt a breath catch in her throat, and the hair on the back of her neck stood on end.

"H-... Hematite?"

–

Yellow's voice rumbled around the room once more.

 **"Don't forget where you stand... or else."**

 **CRICK**

The sound of Hematite's shattering gem filled the icy air, unbearably loud. Closing his mouth, the huge gem smirked and tilted his head back just slightly, making quick work of the shattered gem.

He lowered his gaze again to the tiny diamond before him, and when he spoke, it was the same, warped, familiar voice as it usually was.

"Service gems can be so troublesome.~"

–

She was frozen. Completely and utterly frozen. She couldn't even make the terrified whimpers that she made before. Suddenly, with trembling arms, she pushed herself up to get to her feet and backed up quickly.

"Y-Y-YOU... WHY DID YOU DO THAT?! WHY _HIM?_ WHY THIS?!" she cried out, the flow of tears still dripping down her cheeks.

–

"Why him? Yellow Diamond, I'm _surprised_. **He's nothing. He's worthless."**

The nightmarish Hematite tapped his finger again on the desk. A stark white line suddenly stretched out from the tip of his claw, right underneath Yellow's feet.

 **Isn't it better if he leaves you alone?~**

The desk underneath the diamond unexpectedly fell away, leaving only the singular line under her feet. Suddenly going a bit slack, the white marking morphed into a thin wire that stretched out over a black abyss.

The huge harvester vanished with a dark chuckle.

–

She didn't have much time to register fully what he had said before she found herself gasping in surprise, wobbling to regain her balance. _Oh stars, this wasn't good._ Steadying herself, she froze in place and dared not to look down. Her eyes drifted around the room steadily, the horrific black void returned once more.

 _Oh, fantastic... she knew it wasn't over._

She swallowed nervously and took a step forward. Best probably not to just stand there, right? One step after the other, she had to force herself to stay calm. One, two, three... Was she even making progress? She couldn't tell, she couldn't see where the line ended.

–

 **We'll be waiting.**

 **Waiting for you to slip up.**

 **If you ever even think of turning on us.**

 _ **Whirrrrr. Click.**_

The glowing yellow target loomed far below the white wire, watching Yellow's every move. A stark-white grin slowly revealed itself as the nightmarish harvester slowly lifted his head closer. He was still rather far below her, but he looked absolutely massive this time. Bigger than he'd been in any of the nightmares so far.

–

Upon seeing the huge gem below her, she shook for a moment, wobbling before soon setting herself straight again. Her eyes widened, choking back new tears. She kept going, sweat dripping down her brow. _Just don't look down, right?_ Well...that didn't really help, he was hard to miss.

"Where is the end of this?!" she called out, as if expecting some sort of answer. She kept looking forward into the endless blackness, hoping against hope that she'd wake up or this nightmare, or, whatever it was, would end soon.

–

"The end?"

A low chuckle rumbled below Yellow Diamond's feet before it grew into a maniacal laugh that shook her very form.

"There is no end. Not unless you **make** one."

–

–

 _"Yellow? Yellow Diamond, are you there?"_

Hematite tapped his foot. He'd been standing outside Yellow's office for a good minute or so with no reply. At first, he thought Yellow was just ignoring him, but as the seconds ticked by, he could have sworn he heard... voices. Specifically, Yellow's rather distressed voice.

" _PLEASE, STOP!"_

Hematite tensed up and bristled, quickly putting in a manual code on the gem pad next to the office entrance. _Oh stars, was someone in there with her?!_ After a moment, the device gave a beep, and the doors quietly hissed open. The sight that met the service gem made him freeze in his tracks. Yellow was sitting in the dim lighting of her office at her desk, yes, but that wasn't what caught his attention. From her gemstone, an image was being projected out in front of her. She'd fallen asleep sitting up in her chair, her hands resting on her temples.

Hematite's eyes widened at the muffled sound of a warped laugh.

 _ **It sounded eerily familiar.**_

–

–

Slowly, the huge form below Yellow's feet reached his clawed hand up, hovering it just next to the wire.

"So let's do that, shall we?"

–

She stopped and gasped, her balance being off-put yet again.

"WAIT, NO!"

She shot her arms out to the side, regaining her balance one last time. She started to breathe heavier, staring helplessly at the clawed finger. She couldn't move, or she'd fall. And if she did move, well, it wouldn't matter... she was about to fall anyway.

–

 **Snap.**

With a quick snap of his wrist, the nightmarish Hematite clipped the wire, watching Yellow plummet down toward him. The target on his visor narrowed ominously, his grin unsettlingly wide.

–

–

Watching with wide eyes, Hematite slowly lifted his hands to his mouth, his lips parted in a silent gasp of horror.

 **Wh... What on Homeworld was Yellow dreaming about?**

A few beads of sweat began to form on his brow, and Hematite took a single step back, anxiety boiling in his stomach.

 **No... no.**

–

–

Yellow screamed out in horror, flailing her arms violently to grab hold of the snapped white wire. Fortunately or not, she managed to snag one of the paces. She whimpered sharply as she clung to it. Wrapping her arms and legs around it, she closed her eyes for a moment, shivering. After regaining her composure, she looked up. The wire seemed to extend up into the ceiling now, still endlessly. Half defeated, she knew she couldn't give up. She dared not look down... and instead, she started to climb.

–

–

Hematite winced heavily at Yellow's cries of terror, but he found himself unable to look away. He felt as if he were frozen in place, unable to stop what was happening. His voice caught in his throat. As Yellow began to climb, Hematite could do no more than silently cheer her on.

–

–

Inching ever closer, the harvester slowly opened his mouth, extending his tongue.

 **"You're slippiiiiiing.~"**

The creature suddenly lunged forward, his teeth glinting brightly.

–

–

Eyes widening in horror, Hematite felt his voice find itself again, though it wavered as he finally spoke up.

"YELLOW!"

He took a few quick steps forward, waving his hands at the hologram in the hopes that he could stop it.

–

The Diamond slowly looked down in horror, faced with the monster's open mouth waiting below. Before she had time to process his words, She cried out and flinched again, shutting her eyes. _Here we go again! It's over!_

 _"YELLOW!"_

Gasping sharply, Yellow straightened up, eyes shooting open. She was breathing heavily. Sweat dripped from her brow, and it took her a few seconds to come back to reality. Her eyes were wide and horrified, staring at nothing in particular. The groggy hold on her mind lifted, leaving her face to face directly with _him_. Slowly, she went from horrified to livid, her lip quivering into a snarl. She clenched her hands and slammed them on the desk, standing up over him.

"What do you think you're doing in here?! Who let you in?!" she shouted angrily, the hair on the back of her neck bristling.

–

Hematite's expression went from panicked concern to fear within an instant, and he took a few steps back, remembering the last time she'd been like this. He raised his hands up in front of him defensively.

"I-it's okay, I'm sorry, you weren't answering, and I wanted to talk... but, then I heard you yelling and I thought someone was in here so I used the emergency code." His own lip quivered, and he hesitated before swallowing nervously. "Are you alright?"

–

"NO! I'M NOT! ESPECIALLY NOT WITH **YOU** AROUND!" she hissed out, piercing yellow eyes staring daggers into him. But something faltered again, much like before. _No, this time it was stronger._ Her face twisted into pain, the odd, foreign feeling returning to her. She gripped the desk with her clawed fingers. "I... I don't want to hear anything you have to say. I told you this already," she said, half angry and half exasperated. "I am **exhausted** and you are not supposed to be in here. **Leave immediately,"** she ordered, sitting back down in her chair and running her fingers through her hair. She looked away from him, furrowing her brows.

It was taking everything she had not to explode at him. If he stayed much longer though, there was no telling what she'd do. She just wanted him out of here. She needed time to calm down.

–

Hematite continued to back away toward the still open door. His eyes never left Yellow. He stood in the doorway before pausing, opening his mouth.

"..."

Though he wanted to ask her something, he slowly backed out of the office, the doors hissing shut in front of him.

–

Yellow blinked once and sighed heavily. Her arm fell onto the desk, followed by her head. Now face down on the surface, she groaned in agony. Something was biting at her now, and it wasn't just the stress of the nightmares. No, now there was even more of something on top of that. _Was it guilt? Regret maybe? No, maybe not? She couldn't tell._ All she knew was that Hematite needed to stay away from her. She needed to stay awake. She _needed_ to relax... but she couldn't. She was exhausted. Now, she was starting to see things, hear things, even. Even in her waking moments, she couldn't escape it, couldn't escape him.

She'd just have to wait it out... it surely couldn't keep up forever. After all, it had only been a year or so.

–

His back against the door, Hematite stood, eyes wide, staring at nothing. Mouth parted slightly, the service gem let out a shaken exhale of disbelief.

 _ **You're slipping.~**_

 _ **That**_ _was what was shaking her so bad._

 _ **That was the problem... She hadn't gotten over the incident. It was haunting her.**_

Covering his face with his hands, Hematite tried to keep himself from shaking, but had no such luck. A trembling sob escaped him.

That _creature_ was how she saw him. _That monstrous combination of teeth and a visor was all she saw when she looked at him,_ _ **wasn't it?**_

This **was** his fault. _He_ had done this to her. Before, he thought maybe something else was bothering her, perhaps he was simply looking too deeply into things. But now.

 _There was no denying it any longer._

Glancing back at the door, teary-eyed, Hematite rushed away from the yellow tower, quickly making his way back to White's. He couldn't tell her what he'd seen. He couldn't tell _anyone_. If Yellow ever found out he shared what he witnessed... he'd be a dead gem.

So he would hide it. Nobody had to know.

He and Yellow were through, there was no fixing this.

They were too far gone to ever move past this.

Yellow would stay 'broken'.

 _ **And it was all his fault.**_


	34. Warm

_Summary: Morganite and Puff receive a proper thanks from Hematite._

Days turned into weeks, and Hematite fell into his usual routine. Do a mission, come back to the towers, do a mission, report to White, do a mission. Not much changed, and nothing groundbreaking happened in the capital. Life went on normally, and jobs came and went at a good pace.

Until suddenly, there was a lull.

There were no jobs for Hema, no harvesting missions, nothing for _him_ specifically to destroy that the other of his kin couldn't do. The other Hematites had taken all the current jobs, and Hema was left to his own devices for three days. At first he didn't know what to do with himself. He tried hanging about the towers, wandering around the Blue and White districts, but that only entertained him for a day. White suggested that he try out something new, a possible side job she wanted him to try out.

Patrolling.

She'd given him a route to try, should he get the time. It led around the Blue district, to the outer walls, and then to the area outside the capital. Hematite accepted his leader's offer. The service gem planned on patrolling part of the route... if his 'guests' he was going to pick up were willing. He'd called two gems up that afternoon to make sure they had the night off for a special surprise. White's route led right to one of his favorite places in the Blue District, so why not knock out two things at once? After all...

He still had to properly thank Puff and Morganite for what they did back at the coliseum when Diaspore attacked him.

Currently at his normal height of five and a half feet, Hematite strolled down the streets leading to Morganite's bar. He looked up at the sky with a contented, faintly eager expression. The sun was just approaching the horizon. Soon enough, it would set, and the skies of the Blue District would be set aglow with its brilliant display of stars it was so well known for. _I hope both of them showed up,_ he thought to himself. _We won't have long to wait around if we want to get there at just the right time._ With a new pep in his step, and an even stronger drive to get to Morgan's than before, Hema hurried down the street, turning the corner to the next road.

–

Puff stretched with a long sigh and a smile. She was sitting on the hover-bench outside of Morgan's bar. Looking around, she raised a brow, wondering when Hematite would be there to pick her up. Seemed he still wasn't around, just yet... Ah well. Leaning back, the Jasper crossed her arms behind her head and stared up at the sky with a contented look on her face. She crossed one leg over the other, bobbing it in place.

–

It wasn't long before Morganite showed up around the corner, quickly noticing the gem in front of his bar. He smiled brightly, waving his hand to the Jasper sitting near his establishment.

"Heeey fuzzball! What are you doin' here? You know we're not open tonight, right?" he said with a curious grin, making his way down to her. He'd expected to see Hematite there by now, not the familiar Jasper.

–

The Jasper smiled with a chuckle as she turned to the approaching gem. She uncrossed her legs, scooting over in case Morgan wanted to join her on the bench.

"Yeahhh, I know! I'm meeting Hematite here. He said this was the best place to meet him, so." Shrugging, she looked around. "What are _you_ doing here?" she asked with an inquisitive smile of her own. "If you're not open, then what? Going for a walk?"

–

Morgan raised a brow in surprise, grinning even wider.

"Is that so? No, actually Hematite is supposed to meet _me_ here as well! Looks like he wanted us both here at the same time then," he said, placing a hand on his hip. Glancing out to the streets, he took note that a lot of gems were pacing around the streets today, more than usual. Despite that, he hadn't spotted the service gem yet. He hoped he didn't get lost in the droves of civilians.

–

Puff blinked at his response before smiling to herself.

"Really? Hah... Weird. I wonder what for." The Jasper joined the pink-haired warrior in looking around. Alive with the bustle of busy gems, the streets were particularly crowded tonight. Idly, Puff wondered if Hematite was among the passerby, or if he'd be in one of his 'taller' forms so they could see him easier. Surely it couldn't have been easy getting around at his normal size while the streets were this busy.

Trying to avoid bumping into anyone, Hematite smiled awkwardly as he weaved through the dense crowds of gems flocking the streets.. Everyone was either heading home or walking to their late-night jobs. The sun would be setting in an hour or two, and this was the busiest time of the evening. Clouds drifting by, the sky was painted a gentle shade of pinkish orange. Looking up at the horizon, Hematite silently hoped the weather would be clear by the time they arrived at their destination.

After wading through a sea of busy civilians, the service gem soon saw Morgan's club come into view, and he smiled brightly at the sight of the two in front of it. A tad carelessly, he rushed over, bumping into a few gems here and there. He lifted his arm up and waved to the two as he neared.

"Morganite, Puff!"

–

Morganite turned his head, spotting Hematite down the street. Raising his hand for a wave in return, he called out to him.

"Hematiiiite! Evenin'!" he said eagerly, just loud enough for him to hear. The gems wading past him moved quickly out of the way, giving him enough space to walk. "What brings you here tonight? You were pretty vague on the communicator! You didn't tell me Puff was tagging along! What surpriiiises are you planning?" he hummed out.

–

Puff stood from the bench and crossed her arms as she looked to Hematite.

"Yeah, Scrap, what's all this about. You didn't tell me either that Morgan was coming." She chuckled and grinned at the warrior beside her. "Not that I mind."

The service gem gave the two a warm, though faintly nervous smile as he stumbled to a halt in front of them.

"Sorry, it sort of slipped my mind.~" He gave them a look that said that was _clearly_ a fib. "I wanted you two to both be surprised. I hope you've got the rest of the night off." He folded his arms behind him and rocked on his heels. "We're going on a little field trip."

–

Morgan looked curiously between Puff and Hematite with a suspicious grin.

"Well I don't work today, so you're in luck. What kind of 'trip' have you got planned, big guy?" he asked, looking back down at Hema. He shifted his weight to the opposite and wondered what the ivory haired gem could possibly mean. He'd need to be back before tomorrow night, so he knew he shouldn't head out too far. Hopefully Hema was keeping that in mind.

–

Puff seemed just as clueless as Morgan on the matter, and she arched a brow at the shorter gem.

"Field trip? Don't you have work to do?" For a moment, Puff's expression faltered, but she attempted to shrug it off. "I hope you're not dragging us along for one of your _jobs_."

Hematite's brows raised, and he looked away in shy surprise before turning back to the two.

"No, no. Well." He looked up, pursing his lips. " _Yes_ , but not one of _those_ jobs. I can't tell you what it is, but..." The service gem rubbed his index finger and thumb together behind his back. His expression changed into something expectant, hopeful. "I think you two will like it."

With that, he unfolded his arms and motioned for the two to follow after him. He made his way through the bustling gems, heading further into the Blue District, toward the coliseum.

Puff looked at Morgan with an amused smile before she followed after Hematite.

–

Morganite gave her a shrug and stayed quiet. Whatever Hema had planned, he didn't mind following along. He was pretty open minded, after all. Still, it was a little strange for Hematite to just show up like this and want to take him and Puff somewhere. His interest was piqued when he noticed the direction they were headed in, but he tried not to jump to any conclusions _just_ yet. _What was he planning?_

–

The closer the group got to the coliseum, the more the city began to thin out, and the further the bustle of busy gems became. Soon enough, they were all walking in silence toward the arena. Hematite hadn't said another word since they left the bar.

And if either Puff or Morgan paid attention, they'd see that the service gem was busy brushing his fingers together as he walked, one wrist held in the other.

Though it had been about twenty minutes or so, the sky was just now beginning to darken. Hematite looked up and smiled thankfully. The clouds had thankfully cleared away since they began walking..

The group was still some distance from the arena when the service gem stopped in his tracks. He turned around with a nervous smile at the two. Puff was glad she'd been paying attention, or she would have run right into him. She stopped when Hema did, and put her arms down at her sides. Giving him a curious stare, she narrowed her eyes just slightly.

"What's up, Scrap? Something the matter?"

–

The pink haired warrior looked up at the coliseum that laid in the distance, and smirked to himself. _Did he really want to spar_ _ **now**_ _? No, that probably wasn't it. Still, if that wasn't the case, why were they headed towards the coliseum?_

"Alright, I'm with Puff on this one. I simply can't figure this out," he chuckled a little awkwardly, reaching up and placing a palm on his own shoulder. He rubbed at it quietly, keeping his smile.

–

"Yeah, are we going to the arena, or what? I'm pretty sure it's not available tonight..." Puff pointed out simply. Hematite took a deep breath to try and quell the anxiety rising in the pit of his stomach. He gave the two taller gems a shy smile.

"W-well. We're not going to the coliseum." He crossed his arms, his right hand gripping his left sleeve. "There's something I really wanted to show you two, tonight... I do have a little patrolling to do for White, but it's on the way." The smaller gem's hand clenched subtly, the fabric of his suit bunching between his fingers. "But it's a long walk. A _really_ long walk, if we go by foot like this." Glancing away, he took a deep breath. Puff's brows raised, and she glanced at Morganite. Hematite continued. "If you two would be willing, I'd... Like to give you a 'lift' to where we're going."

–

Morgan curiously ran his hand down his arm and grazed over his gem before letting go of his hand. "You mean like, carry us while you're big or something?" he said, raising a brow and returning Puff's glance. "Well, I mean...I wouldn't mind, as long as we're back before tomorrow of course!" He grinned warmly at the smaller gem.

–

At Morgan's response, the ivory-haired gem brightened, though his expression was still bashful.

"Y-yes. I know it's a little odd, but. Blue and I travel that way sometimes, and she seems to enjoy it... So I figured that'd be a good way for us to walk there and get you back before morning." Looking away from Morgan, the service gem turned to Puff. The Jasper drummed her fingers on her arm as she gazed at Hematite. Her expression was unreadable. The smaller service gem's smile faded ever so slightly.

 _Would she say no?_

Puff pursed her lips slightly before she gave a thoughtful hum.

"Mmm I don't know, Scrap..."

Hematite's hand gripped tighter at his sleeve. The Jasper looked back at the shorter gem and suddenly gave him a devious smirk.

"Do you think you can manage to carry both of us?~"

Blinking in surprise, Hematite paused for a moment. His smile suddenly returned, and he gave a soft, genuine laugh.

"Well, I don't know, Puff! You never let me carry you around when you were my bodyguard!"

Puff gave her own hearty chuckle and thumbed her nose.

"Cuz I couldn't have you distracting me! That _was_ a job you know." She reached forward and ruffled the smaller gem's hair. He snickered and gently pushed her arm away. He looked up at the two with a bright smile.

"Okay, just give me one second!" With that, he turned and scurried away a little distance, giving himself room.

–

Morganite crossed his arms and chuckled at the scene before him. He was honestly glad that Puff was so well spirited about this whole thing. He had a vague idea of Puff and Hema's history, so he knew the idea of being carried around by the service gem had to have brought up some conflicting emotions. Still, he was left to wonder where they would be headed that was so far. If the Coliseum was out of the question, then he had absolutely no idea whatsoever what the service gem had in store for them both. _Oh well, at least he'd get to ride on a harvester! That was pretty neat, right? At least in theory, anyway._

–

The service gem took a deep breath and closed his eyes as soon as he was a good distance away. His fists slowly clenched as his form began to glow. As he shifted up, he didn't take as much time as he did when he was with White. The change was far less dramatic, as he didn't want to unnerve the two smaller gems anymore than they probably would be. Oddly enough, as his form shifted size, he didn't seem to be standing anymore. The service gem took to a casual crouch, and remained in the pose as his body stopped glowing. He looked far less intimidating when he wasn't standing straight looked as if he was about half his potential size. Big enough to travel quickly, but not _too_ big.

Hematite nervously smiled and reached out his hand, low enough for the two to climb up. He remembered White's words when he'd done the same with her.

 _Just make sure you know what you're doing._

"Don't worry, I've done this before," he assured before either of them could say anything.

Puff stared up a the huge gem, the smallest twinge of nervousness keeping her in place. Her arms crossed while she watched him size shift, and her fingers now drummed on her skin. She hesitated, expression unreadable.

–

Morgan had watched in awe as Hematite shifted up, and grinned with wonder as the gem completed the change and reached down his hand. Admittedly, it was _quite_ the sight to see when it wasn't in the heat of battle. Giving a hearty chuckle, Morgan patted Puff on the shoulder, and without a second thought, he trotted up to Hematite's hand, placing his palm on one of his fingers. Staring into Hematite's palm, he felt something strange flutter in his chest for a moment, but he quickly brushed it off. Standing so near to the gem's hand, he suddenly felt far _smaller_. _Ah, but that was to be expected, yes? No need to be nervous._ This was _exciting!_

–

Puff watched Morgan walk over to the gem's hand, and her eyes widened slightly.

 _C'mon, Jasper, you can do this. It's just Scrap. He's not going to pull anything._

Taking a deep breath, the orange gem forced her arms to uncross as she walked over behind the pink haired warrior and stood on her tiptoes to peer into Hema's palm.

Noticing his hand was still a little too high, Hematite lowered it entirely onto the ground.

"Sorry, here!"

Puff stepped back ever so slightly when Hema's hand moved, but she smiled faintly when she saw he was just lowering it. Carefully, she stepped closer to his palm. It seemed Hematite was just big enough to hold both her and Morgan comfortably,

–

Using Hema's finger to hoist himself up, Morganite stepped up into the giant gem's palm, easily steadying himself. He felt a small rush of excitement flare up within him. This was all so new to him; in all his years of being a warrior, he'd never experienced anything like this. _And Blue Diamond got to do this all the time?_ Admittedly, he wasn't sure how he'd fare once they were higher up, but it was worth checking out at least _once,_ nonetheless. He looked quickly back at Puff as she stepped up to his hand and gave her a nod of encouragement.

–

Swallowing with a sigh, the Jasper finally stepped onto Hematite's hand. She was a tad unsteady at first, and stumbled slightly on the oddly soft surface. Hematite's brows raised, and he carefully curled his fingers behind her, catching her before she fell.

"It uh, might take a little getting used to."

Puff leaned on Hema's fingers for a moment before she righted herself and stood straight, one of her hands holding onto his ring finger for support.

"Right, right. Okay. I'm good now!" She chuckled and gave a thumbs up with her free hand.

Hematite smiled warmly at the two smaller gems.

"Okay, so this might be the worst part," he warned softly, starting to shift in place. Carefully, Hema moved his free hand to cup close to the one Morgan and Puff were in, in case they stumbled. Slowly, he began to lift the two up, closer to his face. Though Puff did make a face at the slowly changing gravity, she noted it didn't feel _too_ much different from a tower-lift back in the Yellow District. _Heck, this was even slower than that, now that she thought about it._

–

Morgan clutched Hematite's finger and watched the world around him shift, the ground soon becoming further away. His eyes widened slowly, and he grinned ear to ear. He looked to the side at the Jasper with excitement, almost _unnervingly_ so. He didn't get to see much that surprised him anymore these days, but this was different. This was new. He looked almost childlike in demeanor as he quickly looked back down and around. This wasn't nearly as alarming as he'd first thought it'd be! _Actually, it was pretty fun so far!_

–

Hematite smiled brightly at Morgan's reaction to the whole situation. Puff seemed a little bit more on the nervous side, but he could absolutely understand that. The last time he had her in his hands wasn't exactly on good terms. Nonetheless, she seemed to be holding it together rather well. The service gem stopped lifting the two closer, as they were now level with his chest, and he began standing up straight. He held his palm close to his chest and cupped his free hand in front of the two so if they stumbled, they'd land against his hand or him. Thankfully, he went slow enough that balance wasn't much of a problem. The huge gem soon stood straight and moved his free hand down again so the two could look out over the city.

Though Hematite was still dwarfed by some of the distant district buildings, he stood tall over many of them. The lights were just starting to flicker on in the various homes and businesses as the sun began to set. A few stars had already appeared, faint and far away in the darkest part of the sky. In the distance, at this height, the White district could be seen glimmering on the horizon, and the Diamond Towers stood tall just past the bulk of the Blue District.

Puff let out a soft, breathless gasp, grasping Hema's finger a little tighter.

–

Morgan soon followed Puff's reaction, completely taken aback by the scenery. Though he'd seen Homeworld and many of its cities thousands of times, he'd never quite seen it like _this_. Sure, maybe he'd stood out and looked out from a roof, but something about where he was now provided a new perspective. A new _feeling_ to it all. It was breathtaking.

–

Puff couldn't take her eyes off of the city. She could see the Diamond towers far in the distance, dark against a soft pink sky. The gentlest breeze blew by, making the Jasper brush her hair aside.

"Hematite..." she started, breathless. "Is this... Is this what you get to see all the time?" She looked up at him, a curious gleam in her eyes. The giant gem smiled brightly, nodding with undisguised enthusiasm.

"When I'm like this, yeah!" His voice was soft, even at his changed size. It seemed he was used to adjusting it for this sort of thing. "Isn't it amazing? Blue loves seeing the city like this..." He looked out over the area around him and gave a content sigh.

–

Morganite felt a warmth fall over him, and he relaxed, sighing to himself. He leaned into Hematite's finger and stared out into the city, watching all the seemingly tiny gems go about their business far below. Slowly, his gaze drifted upwards to the deep sky. Since they were so high up, the lights from the cities didn't block out the view quite as much as they normally would have. The stars in the Blue District already looked amazing, even at this hour, but now... Well, he didn't think they could look anymore beautiful than they already did.

–

There was a long pause as Hematite gazed out at the sight before him, but he soon let out a quick exhale through his nose as he nodded.

"Well, we've still got places to go!" With that, the service gem turned from the main part of the Blue district and continued on toward the coliseum. He didn't walk directly toward it, but instead made his way past it.

Puff let out a quiet _"Wow..."_ as Hema began to walk, and she narrowed her eyes contentedly against the wind. Moving forward at such a 'speed' and such a height caused the air to pass by more noticeably than it would at a normal pace. It gently brushed back Morgan and Puff's hair, and the Jasper found herself leaning into it just slightly.

"Hmm. Guess Blue's been holding out, huh Mor'?" Puff spared the warrior a mischievous smile.

–

Morgan kept looking up at the sky. While the ground beneath them passed by quickly, the sky above remained stationary and beautiful as ever. He was quiet, for a few moments, he didn't say anything to Puff in reply. It took him a long pause to realize she'd even asked him anything.

"Hm? Oh, yeah..." he said quietly, closing his eyes for a second. He took a deep breath and looked back down as soon as he opened his eyes. A faint chill ran up his spine as he stared at the ground 'racing' by below, despite Hema walking at a seemingly normal pace.

–

Hematite made sure to walk with measured, even steps, just as he'd done with White. At a slower pace, it was far easier to keep his gait steady and smooth. A warm smile had found its way to the giant gem's face. Puff chuckled and leaned back against Hematite's chest, her arms crossed.

"Gotta say, this sure does beat walking. Heyyy, maybe you Hematites should quit your day jobs and become escorts, huh?" she snickered. Hematite glanced down and gave a soft 'hm' in reply.

"I don't know about that, I've never seen the other Hematites doing stuff like this."

–

"That's quite a shame, you know. I bet lots of gems would kill for an experience like this," Morganite muttered, sitting down, still holding his hand to Hematite's finger. "I would have never expected to have a friend like you, you know. Not many can say they got carried through a city by a huge gem, much less a harvester." A small chuckle followed.

–

Blinking at Morgan, Hematite felt something in his chest tighten. _A friend?_ Sure, Morganite had referred to him as such before, back in the bar, but that had seemed... different. The two of them barely knew each other back then, and it was more that the pink-haired gem knew Hematite was Blue's friend. He supposed that counted by extension, but Hema just thought Morgan meant it in a casual, general sort of way. But...

 _For him to say that directly._

He managed to nod quietly.

"W-well, unless any of the others like me have done this... it's just you two, Blue, and White..."

Scoffing in happy disbelief, Puff nudged Hema with her elbow.

"Aaah, this is some special treatment then, huh? That's certainly something to brag about." She balled a hand into a fist before clutching it in her other palm. "I'm sooo gonna tell Rubes all about this when I see her next, heheh."

Hematite smiled shyly down at the two gems.

"W-well I wouldn't say it's anything to brag about, this is just... an easier way to travel. No big deal."

–

Sitting back a little bit, he placed his free hand down on Hematite's palm and kept himself steady. He found himself looking up to the stars again, a familiar warmth flowing over him. The further they got away from the city, and the later it got, the more the stars sparkled into view. Despite only being about seventy or so feet from the ground, Morgan felt as though he might as well be in space. Somewhere, deep inside, he felt a tightness well up. This reminded him of something... something important to him. No, not just something, _someone_.

"Hm..." He grinned, his hand tightening around Hema's finger. "I dunno, I mean... Rubes can't say she's had a ride on a Harvester before, can she?" he remarked.

–

At Morgan's comment, Hematite glanced up to the side thoughtfully.

"Well, I mean. I guess not." He shrugged. "I'd give her a lift if she needed one, but. I'm not sure she'd be too crazy about it." An uncomfortable chuckle escaped him. Puff laughed before stretching and folding her arms back behind her head. She was fully leaning against Hema's chest now, much more at ease than a few minutes ago.

"Pfff, don't sweat it buddy. Rubes likes you well enough. She just doesn't say it much. She's gotten over the whole. You know. _Thing_." The Jasper shrugged. "She's not mad or anything. I'm sure she'd be all over something like this. She loves looking at the city from rooftops and stuff. Who knows. You two might be able to, you know."

Hematite looked down at her curiously.

"Might be able to what?"

Puff chuckled and shrugged again. _Bond, completely clear the air, talk?_ She wasn't sure where she was going with that.

"I dunno." A sly smile crossed her face, but she said nothing else.

The giant gem looked forward again as he continued to walk. A protective warmth settled in Hematite's chest, and he sighed contently as he passed by a few individual buildings. The city was really starting to thin out now, and the urban parts of the district became fewer and further between.

–

Morgan listened to the conversation, but didn't contribute much as it went on. He was still enjoying the view, tranquil memories filling his thoughts. Though, after a while, he noticed that they were heading a while away from the main city. He still wondered where Hematite was taking them, really. At this point however, he didn't really seem to care.

–

Within an hour or two, Hematite brought the three of them to the 'wilder' part of the Blue district. They'd traveled an impressive distance with the giant gem's help, and now stood far outside the main city. Hematite made sure to stop by a few checkpoints that marked his patrol route. But, thankfully, unlike most nights in the Blue District, things were peaceful, and the citizens were behaving themselves well. No riots, no crime, no gem monsters. Everything was lining up perfectly.

In the distance, an odd hilly area rose up from a rather flat field. There were plants here and there in this area, but they were sparse and seemed to collect closer to the hills. As Hematite neared, the ground became less even, and more covered with surprisingly lush greenery. Slowly, the giant gem made his way through taller and taller rock formations that seemed to have been cut straight out of the 'hills' by jagged machines. Rocks and rubble laid below the thick layer of plants, though some cropped up into view here and there. The sheer walls soon loomed above Hematite's head, but he continued on. It seemed as though the three of them were heading down _into_ the ground, into a large chasm, but the ground never sloped downward. The faintest sound of rushing water echoed off the rock walls.

–

Morganite felt an odd chill go through him, though it wasn't entirely a _bad_ chill. He hadn't seen wilds like these in thousands of years. After all, he'd had no reason to wander this far out of the main city, with his bar being so close to the center. He peered down carefully, observing the changes in landscape. Incredible; he often-times forgot that there still _were_ natural places on Homeworld much like this. They weren't common outside of the Pink District, making them quite a sight to behold.

–

Puff was looking around as well, her eyes wide. It'd been years since she'd been somewhere like this. The last time she could remember was back when she and Rubes would travel with- … _Well_.

Shaking her head to try and dislodge the old memories, Puff opened her mouth as if she would say something, but Hematite broke the silence first.

"I found this place while I was on a recon mission. There's something... well. There's something really special about it." He smiled brightly and glanced up at the stars. They were out in full at this point, filling the sky with brilliant points of light. So far out from the city, it was like entire galaxies could be seen now. "I just hope it works like it did last time."

–

Morganite felt the tingle up his back return, his mouth parting open. Slowly, he took a stand and stared at the sky, transfixed by its beauty. He hadn't seen it like this since the days of the war, when he and Cinnabar would camp out in the open fields of the Blue District between battles. This was... incredible to see it again. He never went out into space himself, but he had heard stories of what the sky was like out in the open cosmos. Stars, planets, cosmic arrays as far as the eye could see, he'd heard it all. This was the closest he believed he would ever get to seeing such things. He felt a faint stinging in his eyes, but promptly placed his palm to his cheek. The burning went away as quickly as it came.

"Hematite... This is amazing."

–

The service gem looked down at Morganite with a warm smile on his face. Excitement slowly started to rise in his chest. _They weren't even at the best part!_

"It's breathtaking, isn't it? But that's not what I wanted to show you two..."

Puff pulled her gaze away from the stars to look at Hematite's face.

"What do you mean, what else is there?"

"Well..."

Suddenly, the giant gem rounded a corner, the sound of rushing water growing louder. There, stretched out in front of the three gems, was a huge, cavernous room with no ceiling. The stars shone brightly overhead, no longer obscured by the closed-in walls that Hematite had been walking through moments ago. A thin, but tall waterfall cascaded down the opposite wall from the gems, leading down into a deep azure pool that covered about a fourth of the room's floor. The rest of the ground was blanketed by a thick layer of plant life that partially climbed up the walls. Deep green in color, with pale little highlights dotting their leaves, the blanket of plant life appeared to be some sort of Homeworld-native clover.

Puff's eyes widened, and another breathless exhale escaped her. She put a hand to her mouth.

–

Morganite stood speechless, staring wide-eyed at the scene in front of him. _Was this real? Was he dreaming? Surely something this amazing couldn't exist here on Homeworld anymore! Especially not so close to the main city!_

He found himself at a loss for words, tears stinging again at the corners of his eyes.

–

With a soft sigh, Hematite suddenly started lowering the two gems in his hand to the floor. He carefully placed them down beside him.

"This is the place." As he stood straight, the service gem closed his eyes, his form starting to glow. But instead of shifting up, he began to get smaller. Puff watched curiously as the giant gem shrank. She was surprised when he stopped around 15 feet or so, the same size he'd taken to using around the city. Hematite's form stopped shining, and he took another deep breath. "Alright, let's see..."

Tentatively, the ivory-haired gem took a step forward. The greenery at his feet was easily disturbed, and as soon as he placed his foot down, the plants around him began to _shimmer_.

Bright, greenish-blue 'dots' rose from the plants and flitted away from the service gem, setting off an enchanting light show. The other plant life was soon set aglow with similar lights. As a few of the dots flitted closer, Puff blinked in surprise. They appeared to be tiny gem... creatures? They didn't exactly look _monster_ -like... She lifted a hand up and turned her palm over, eyes widening as a few flitted closer. One of the tiny things landed on her palm, two little tendril-like 'legs' wrapping around her finger. The minuscule creature bore three pairs of glowing, crystalline wings and a line of shimmering round gems on its front and belly. It stared up at the giant gem with four, deep-blue eyes set among light green fur. Its muzzle was pointed and delicate, its head almost a teardrop shape. A tiny, fluffy 'tail' swayed out behind the creature, flicking to the side every once in a while. The Jasper stood up a bit straighter at the light, foreign sensation, a flash of remembrance flickering across her face. _Oh, wait... she recognized these!_

Hematite looked up and around, gazing at the glowing critters as they flew away from him.

"They're Jadewings. I studied up on them a while back... They live wherever there's lots of water, and they often flock around any place where there's greenery to hide in."

–

Morgan's eyes widened, and he stepped forward without a word. He mouthed something akin to ' _wow_ ' but no sound came out at all. Lifting his hand slowly, he gently held up his palm around the glowing creatures. They fluttered about, floating away from his hand quickly, though some weren't as shy. Turning his hand gradually, Morganite smiled as one landed on top of his gem and flickered softly. His eyes held tears, but he felt warm. He felt a kind of happiness in his chest that he didn't get to feel anymore. It was a deep sort of peace, contentment from beauty, something he hadn't fully felt since leaving his home in the Pink District.

–

Hematite continued to carefully walk toward the pool of water at the other end of the room. He held his arms out at his sides, as if balancing. A soft laugh escaped him.

"They only come out at night... so I figured, you know. Since you were both free tonight. Maybe you'd like to see them."

Puff looked at Morganite with a surprised, warm grin. She stepped forward, humming a soft note as the Jadewing on her palm fluttered away with a soft chirp.

"Hematite, this is beautiful! Do you always find places like this?"

"Mm, not always. This one kinda happened by accident." The service gem raised his gaze from the plants in front of him to the pool ahead. The light from the moon glimmered off of the waterfall and dark pool, sending little spots of light on the surface of the rocks surrounding them. For a moment, the ivory-haired gem paused. His eyes widened in surprise. Deep in the shadows near the waterfall, he could swear he saw three particularly bright ... _eyes_ staring at him. At first he thought they were Jadewings, but the gem creatures weren't that big _or_ bright, nor did their eyes glow. As soon as he'd spotted the lights, they flickered, as if 'blinking', and vanished. Hematite's eyes widened as they locked onto a flash of movement a second later. There was a blur of pale green before whatever he'd just seen was gone. Frowning, Hematite took note of it. Whatever it was, it wasn't large enough to be a threat to him or his companions, so he tried to put the momentary disturbance aside.

Hematite forced himself to smile again, and he turned his attention back to the pool as he stopped in front of it. "Come over here, there's one last thing you gotta see!" Puff glanced at Morgan again before following after Hematite.

–

Morgan was too busy messing around with the Jadewings to pay much attention to anything else around him. The air here felt odd, humid, far cooler than the light outside. He certainly wasn't used to the new sights, smells, and sounds. And yet, it was certainly not unwelcome. As soon as he realized Hema called him over, Morgan bounced back into reality, smiling and making his way over to the other two.

–

Hematite waited for his companions to walk to the pool, and he leaned over as Morganite stopped beside him. Picking up a rock, he smiled.

"You know... the Blue district's aquarium is missing... a few specimens."

Standing straight again, the service gem bounced the small stone in his hand. Carefully, he judged the distance, and dropped the rock just over the edge of the pool. It splashed into the water with a soft 'plop' before tumbling down the side of the craggy wall.

As soon as the stone began to sink, the waters were suddenly set aglow with bright, white-ish light. Slowly moving aquatic gem creatures darted away from the rock, their bodies aglow with a sparkling shine. The light revealed more of the creatures, all swimming about lazily or darting to and fro. Crystalline rocks jutted out from the walls of the pool, which was now revealed to be deceivingly deep. The end was finally revealed as the rock came to a stop and settled in the sand at the bottom of the pool. The entire body of water was aglow with the light of its inhabitants.

Between that, and the light of the Jadewings... the cavernous room was quite the sight to behold.

–

Morganite's eyes widened again, unable to hide his glee. He got to his knees and watched the pool, a bright light illuminating the gems that watched on in admiration. Slowly, he reached out and touched the water, flinching at its cool touch. He dipped his entire hand in, the rush of cold water sending another chill up his spine. He was in awe.

–

Kneeling down, Hematite dipped his own hand in and shivered at the cold water.

"I did the same thing the first time I came here." He chuckled softly. Puff stared in undisguised wonder at the deep pool. Slowly, she knelt down and stared into the waters, eyeing the slowly moving aquatic life below. The three were quiet for a long moment. Hematite didn't say another word, but watched the creatures swimming about. One or two of them even swam up to his fingers, inspecting them. There was a warm smile on the service gem's face.

–

Morgan closed his mouth and sighed through his nose.

"Thank you, Hematite..." he said, moving his hand around slowly in the water. He'd never been somewhere this mesmerizing before. Or at least, not for a long, long time. He was happy that of all the things he could have done on his day off, he decided to come with him.

–

The service gem turned his attention to Morgan.

"... You're welcome. But.." Looking back at the water, his expression faltered for a moment. It was impossible to tell why. "I brought you two here to thank you. I never... properly was able to, you know." He shrugged. "Let you know how grateful I am for what you both did back at the coliseum."

Puff's brows raised, and she turned to look up at the ivory-haired gem.

–

Morgan's attention quickly changed from the pool to Hematite, looking at him with an unmistakable confusion. _But... didn't he already thank me at the bar a while ago?._.. He didn't think about it too much. But, nonetheless, he gave Hematite a warm, genuine smile.

"It's incredible, thank you, Hematite." He didn't really feel like he needed to say much else, not that he could think of anything more. _This was amazing!_ The ride here, the scenery, the experience... everything was _incredible_.

–

Sighing softly, Hematite withdrew his hand from the water.

"I'm glad. I thought at the very least, I could show you this place. Maybe show you something new." He looked to the two gems by his side. "I hope it was worth the trip here."

Puff gave the gem a huge smile and nodded enthusiastically.

" **More** than worth it. Thanks, Scrap. We should do this again some time, huh Morgan?" she said, looking over at the pink-haired gem.

–

Morgan blinked and placed his palm to the dirt next to him. Glancing at Puff briefly, he looked back to Hematite with a look of new found joy, his eyes bright and filled with a new light. A soft, content sigh escaped him as he took in the atmosphere around him. _Was it worth it? Would he do this again? Hah... there was no other answer._

"Absolutely."


	35. Haven

_Summary: White Diamond makes some renovations to Hematite's room._

Weeks passed without anything special happening. Missions, recon, sparring, etc. Nothing changed, nothing unusual occurred. Yellow was quiet and reclusive as she had been as of late, but other than that, nothing out of the ordinary happened.

Well, that is until Hematite arrived back at the White tower from a rather strenuous two-week mission. He was tired, battered, and _tiny_.

It seemed he'd overdone it again, like he did so many years ago. Such a thing had happened a few other times, but usually it happened on missions where he didn't have to immediately report to White. So the small service gem almost always had a chance to retreat to his living quarters in the tower to rest and return to normal. Though, now that he thought about it, he hadn't even BEEN to his room in over a month, which was the _last_ time he shrank down and needed to relax before reporting to his superior. However, this time, he had to go straight to White's office. No time for resting and recovering.

No time to return to normal.

The doors to the White Diamond tower elevator hissed open, and the tiny service gem scurried out past a confused looking common Pearl. They sighed through their nose and turned their attention away from Hematite. _Best not to pay him any mind._

Little footsteps echoing down the hall, the ivory haired gem quickly made his way to his superior's office. Stopping at the door, he looked up.

"Mmm." He frowned slightly, a faint prickle of anxiety starting to rise in his chest.

 _C'mon, it's just White. Calm down._

 _But why specify I come directly to her this time? She can't possibly know I overdid it..._

 _It's alright, it's probably unrelated to this._

 _But what if it's not?_

 _Well, only one way to find out._

Giving the lightest of knocks, Hematite stood at attention and waited for the doors to open.

–

The door hissed open, revealing the familiar warmth of White's room. The soothing smell of tea filled the air, warm hues painting the room in a colorful array of light pinks, oranges, and reds.

"Hello Hematite," a voice called calmly from across the room. White sat at her desk, holding a fresh tray of tea in her hands. _She must have just settled down, no wonder the smell was so alluring._ "You took longer than usual... and you are small again. Is everything alright?" she asked, placing the tray down and grabbing the teapot to pour her drink.

–

Hematite smiled faintly at the sight of White's office, and he gave a silent sigh of relief. _Good, he wasn't unlucky enough to catch her at a bad time._ He saluted politely and scurried into the room further, the doors behind him shutting.

"Sorry, there was a bit of a hangup toward the end. The target I was after had unexpected backup." _Well, that was certainly evident by all the scuffs and tears in his outfit._ "They got the jump on me."

He had stopped close to White's desk, but he remained far enough that she could see him over the surface of it without leaning forward.

–

White poured her tea into her glass, steam rising in graceful wisps from the liquid that filled the porcelain.

"I see. I'm glad you have returned intact, then! There is something important I wanted to show you, and what better time than now." She closed her eyes with a soft smile, bringing the cup to her lips and taking a long, quiet sip.

–

Hematite tilted his head curiously.

 _Something important? What could she show him at this size that she would prefer to his normal height?_

The tiny gem crossed his arms, subtly grabbing at the fabric on his sleeve.

"May I ask what that is?"

–

White sat her cup down gently and took a stand without a word. _This wouldn't take long, she could finish her tea later._ Moving out from behind her desk, she walked over to the small service gem and knelt down a few feet from him, so as to not spook him

"Oh, it's just a little surprise that I've been working on since your most recent departure." She held out her hand slowly, uncurling her fingers to allow Hematite to step up into her palm.

–

The tiny gem took a single step back as White approached him, but he quickly recovered as her hand opened up in front of him. He looked up, brows raised, and uncrossed his arms.

White had never let him climb onto her hand on his own... But, now that he thought about it, in all reality, he'd never willingly climbed into someone's hand... _at all._

Swallowing, Hematite took a quick breath and tentatively stepped forward. He lifted a foot onto her palm and hoisted himself up, grabbing her thumb to steady himself just as he'd seen Morganite do some weeks ago. The surface of her hand was both solid _and_ soft, and it messed with his sense of balance. The tiny gem let out a soft, curious noise as he tried to stand straight, both his hands holding firmly to White's thumb.

–

White carefully curled her fingers behind him, keeping him steady as she stood slowly. She was careful not to make a sudden movement at the risk of him losing his balance and falling out of her hand. Cupping her other palm under him as soon as she stood up straight, she started heading towards the door.

"Do let me know if you'd rather walk. I do not wish to make you feel afraid or uncomfortable by carrying you," she said simply.

–

As White lifted him off the ground, Hematite clung tighter to her thumb, all but hugging it at this point. When gravity evened out again, his grip loosened. He peered over her fingers at the ground below curiously. _Being picked up by his own will was far less stressful..._ He looked up at his superior and gave her a reassuring smile.

"I'm fine. This works!" He turned himself forward and took a step toward White's fingers. Carefully placing his palms on them, he peered around as she walked. He was reminded of Puff and Morgan's reactions to being carried. _Huh... this_ _ **was**_ _rather nice! No wonder they and Blue seemed to enjoy this so much!_

–

White made her way out of the door and took a left. Occasionally, she would glance down to make sure that Hematite seemed alright. After pressing a button to open the small lift, White stepped into the elevator located at the end of the curved wall, pressing a button again to go down to a lower floor.

"I've taken it upon myself to do some... minor renovations to your room. I hope that you will find it suitable to your needs," she said, holding Hematite a little closer to her. Gravity started to shift, and the elevator went down. For a few moments, White seemed to stare ahead at nothing. She was remaining as professional as she could, but it seemed like she was definitely hiding something.

–

As the two stepped into the elevator, and White held him a bit closer, Hematite looked up at her with a sudden curious gleam in his eyes.

"Renovations? What sort of renovations?" He smiled widely, narrowing his eyes slightly. The tiny gem wanted to pry, his impatience getting the best of him, but he managed to bite his tongue. After all, he was sure he'd see soon enough.

Silently, Hematite let his eyes half lid, still smiling, and turned forward again. His tiny, half-gloved hands patted idly against White's fingers as he hummed quietly to himself.

–

White looked down briefly without a word to Hematite, stepping out of the elevator as it let out a whimsical beep. The diamond kept her hand steady as she walked, keeping the movements of her gait in a way that it wouldn't sway side to side as she took steps. It wasn't long now before they'd be reaching Hematite's room. The light of sunset was beaming warmly through the pillars that lined the outer wall. Walking in a spiral, she passed many doors, looking idly at each one.

"Ah, here we are," she said after a few long, silent minutes. White typed in a code to a little pad , the security system beeped and the doorway to Hematite's room slid open.

–

As the door opened, Hematite looked around at his living quarters.

The room was fairly large, and very open. It had high ceilings on one half of the room, and lower, normal-height ones on the other. Directly across from the doorway was the main section of the room, against the furthest wall. Half of the wall was a tall, wide window that was currently letting in warm, setting sunlight that shone off of the pale, off-white surfaces of the room. It seemed the window was open, as there was the slightest draft. Gossamer white curtains hung down from the huge open pane, blowing subtly in the gentle breeze. There was a large, couch-like piece of furniture beneath the window. It was divided into two parts in an 'L' shape that hugged the corner of the room. Large, soft-looking pillows were scattered about the cushions, though it seemed they'd been tidied since he last came here.

On the opposite side of the room, there laid a small table next to a large bookshelf. This was under the regular-height ceiling. Rows upon rows of archives, books, and gem pads laid on the shelves, seemingly put in a rather neat order. Some were color coded, while others were stacked in order of size. A few trinkets and baubles decorated the shelves; different souvenirs of Hematite's missions that he'd gotten to keep. Around the room, there were a few other places to relax or read. A nightstand there, books scattered among the different pieces of furniture, a diamond pad on a table here and there, the whole room seemed rather lived-in, despite Hema not coming here too often.

It was a very study and rest-inclined space. Just looking at it would make one want to relax or nap. Though, there didn't seem to be a proper bedroom, or bed for that matter.

Hematite didn't see anything that had changed.

–

White walked in and glanced around the room. _Good, the construction workers left everything else alone._ With a grin, she made her way over to a bookshelf to the left of the door and knelt down.

"Apologies, it's nothing too major, but... I figured it might be something you could enjoy at least, if even a little." She looked over the small cubby areas and stopped on one, smirking suddenly. Reaching her hand through, her fingertips touched the back panel of the cubby, but she didn't move it. She lowered her hand slowly to let Hematite down out of her palm.

"Step in here, please."

–

The tiny gem tilted his head in confusion. _Did she... change something with one of the shelves?_ Just to the side of the door, Hematite's room had a second smaller set of cubbies and shelves that held much the same items as the other. Archives, books, trinkets... It was just a tad smaller, and this one was built _into_ the wall.

As White stopped at one of the box-shaped shelving units, Hematite blinked in curiosity. Did she have a present for him?

The tiny gem clutched White's finger as she lowered him closer to the smooth surface of the shelf, and he quickly hopped down. He looked around.

 _Yup... It was. Definitely a shelf._

Hematite arched a brow at his leader.

–

"Hmhmhm! Yes, it certainly doesn't look like much..." She chuckled warmly, maneuvering her hand in next to Hematite. She pressed her fingers on the back panel again, but this time she slid it a little to the side. A small light peered through as the back panel moved away, revealing what seemed tiny hallway.

"… Until you look a little closer."

–

Hematite's eyes widened as a small section of the 'wall' was slid aside. What was revealed appeared to be a long, narrow hallway that lead into the wall, with some sort of room at the end. Glancing at White, the tiny gem smiled excitedly and rushed inside, heading down the narrow hall. It seemed it ran parallel with the wall. Hematite looked around in awe at the room that opened up to him at the end of the passage. It had the same tone as the main room. Well-lit, warm, somewhere that'd be perfect for studying...

There was a long, couch-like cushion against one of the walls. It looked rather soft. To Hematite's left, there was a noticeably blank looking wall with nothing on it or along it. Though, he found it odd that it seemed to be partially made of a glass-like material, and there was what appeared to be a small speaker on the corner of the wall beside it.

But the thing that caught the gem's attention the most was the farthest corner from him. Nestled near the wall was a large teacup, filled nearly to the brim with a soft-looking material. He walked over curiously. Beside the teacup was a small nightstand with a cubby to store things in. On the other side, propped up against the wall, was a normal-sized diamond pad. Hematite tapped the screen and smiled when it chirped on. He tapped it again, shutting it off. Looking around, he walked along the room idly. It was so... secure, warm, quiet. It seemed there was even a dial on one of the walls to adjust the lights, should he need to rest.

–

White leaned down to get a better look inside of the cubby hole. Biting the inside of her cheek, she waited eagerly for any response from the tiny gem. Peering inside, she started wondering if she should have added more stuff in there for him.

"I know it's not much, but... I thought it would give you a little more of a safe haven when you felt... well, small. It could give you a place to rest easier, should you feel uncomfortable anywhere else." She tapped her finger on the edge of the shelf, frowning faintly and looking away. The slightest twinge of doubt rose in her core. _Did he not like it?_

–

Hematite could hear White's muffled voice down the narrow hallway he'd gone through, and he turned around. Because of the angle, he could _just_ see White's face.

The tiny gem smiled brightly and rushed down the hall, back onto the shelf with the hidden entryway. His eyes were shining, and his hands were balled up into fists in front of him.

"Not much? It's incredible! I never thought of having a place like that for when I'm, well." He motioned to himself, but kept his enthusiastic energy. "I love it! It's just as cozy as my main room!"

–

White felt something welling up in her chest. Wide eyed, she smiled again and clenched her hands against the 'floor' of the cubby.

"Oh that's such a relief! I'm glad to hear that you like it!" she said, raising a single finger slightly, tapping it back onto the shelf.

"I know that you can get a little stressed out and overwhelmed sometimes, so, I thought maybe you would enjoy having a smaller place tucked away where no-one can bother you. Well...except me, of course." She chuckled.

–

Hematite's smile faltered just slightly, but not entirely in a bad way.

The more time he spent with White, the more he began to question why he was ever afraid of her.

Back when he first was working for her... he thought she was just as intimidating and threatening as Yellow Diamond. As the years went by, however, he started to see another side to her... And especially after the past year or so, Hematite was starting to understand that perhaps, there was more going on in his leader's mind than she let on. She _cared_ , she genuinely was proud of him and the things he'd done, at least as of late. White was fair and wise, and Hematite would even venture to say that she had a rather nurturing side to her he'd never fully noticed before. But the more he reflected on it, the more obvious it became to him.

This was a gem that truly cared for his well being, that saw worth in keeping him safe, comfortable, happy. Sure, she had to step her foot down when he messed up... but that was her job.

 _And he wouldn't have it any other way._

"Thank you, White... It's amazing. I'm sure I'll put it to good use, should this happen again." He glanced at himself again with a quirky smile. His expression changed to something a bit more confused after a moment.

"Oh, but. It's not really... easy to see into there." He tapped his chin. "What if I'm asleep in a more hidden part of the room, how will you know?"

Hematite knew he had a tendency to pass out for long periods of time. It was part of how his powers worked. If he used up all his energy, he had to sleep, or be completely at peace for hours before he could take on his regular size. There were many times when White found him passed out on his couch, or in one of his chairs. How would she know if he was in there, if she could only see the tiniest sliver of the room from the shelf's hallway?

–

It was heartwarming, to say the least, to see him so pleased. She was honestly worried he wouldn't be too enthralled.

"Oh, right! You see, the number pad on your door..." She looked up briefly, away from the smaller gem. "If I put in a separate code, it will move a panel of the wall and allow me to see into the room. I can also speak to you if necessary! Fortunately, only I know the code. So I wouldn't worry too much about people barging in on you." She said, moving her hands closer to each other. She placed one hand on top of the other and shifted herself more comfortably.

–

Hematite listened intently and nodded at White's explanation. Ahh, so that glass-like wall made far more sense now... If it was a hidden panel that turned into a window... well! That was certainly a smart way to go about that problem!

"That sounds good to me." He chuckled sheepishly. Yes, he wasn't too fond of the idea of certain gems being privy to such a secure place for him, especially if he'd be sleeping there. Nobody needed to know where to find a tired, tiny gem.

Hematite gazed up at his leader with a warm smile. He thought about all the times he'd shrunken down like this after a job, or because of being over stressed. All the fear and uncertainty being this size caused... it was terrible. And before now, he'd had to find different areas to run and hide until he returned to normal...

But now.

She'd given him a safe place. Somewhere he could call his second home and relax and hide away when he wasn't on the job. White had made this for _him_.

The tiny gem felt his chest tighten slightly, and his warm smile faltered. Hematite suddenly rushed forward a few paces, hopping up onto White's folded hands that were rested on the shelf. The little bit of extra height was all he needed. With a soft hum, Hema wrapped his arms best he could around the diamond's cheek, giving her a tiny 'hug'.

"Thank you, White."

–

White jumped a little, her eyes widen. For a moment, she said nothing. She was a little surprised that he had made such a bold move, especially considering the rule against making any unauthorized physical contact with a Diamond. And yet... she relaxed, her mouth opened subtly as though she were going to speak. Nothing came out. Gently, she raised her hand closer and cupped the small gem closer to her face, as if she were returning the affectionate gesture. She felt content, no... She felt _happy_ that he was so grateful. She felt as though she had done something _right_. Looking somewhere in front of her, she avoided eye contact with the service gem, still gently holding him close to her face. Warmly, she sighed and half shut her eyes, staring at nothing in particular.

"It's the least I can do for you."


	36. A Long Week

_Summary: Hematite chases one of his targets into a local business._

It was a particularly busy night at Morgan's club, and gems made their ways in and out of the club at a steady pace. The stars were out in full, and the night was going strong in the inner city. Gems bustled and chatted throughout the lounge or danced among one another in the dimly lit half of the club that was filled with the sounds of thumping techno music. Yes, the air was alive with the buzz of anecdotes and laughter, but even so... there hung a heavy air near the bar. A single azure gem was hunched over towards the end of the counter, out of the way of most other customers. Nobody was sitting near her, nor was anyone foolish enough to wander close to her, even in passing.

"Gimme another, Morg," a gruff yet feminine voice growled out from behind the counter. It was Blue, who seemed to have been drinking heavily throughout the night. Sliding the Diamond another glass of some kind of alcoholic beverage, Morganite grinned and turned to his next customer. Unfortunately, he didn't have a ton of time for talk tonight. Even if he did, Blue didn't seem to be in the mood for much talking herself. _He knew better than to bother her when she was like this._

She looked grim, yet held a dark grin on her face. Eyes narrowed, she stared at nothing, the world around her seeming to move more sluggishly than normal. The drink wasn't her usual. No, this was something stronger, and from the looks of it she had downed quite a few. She was quiet, and seemed distant. Wrapping her hand around her drink slowly, it seemed as though she were going to bust the glass. One would even say she looked angry. However, that wasn't the case.

–

 _Run, run, don't stop, don't look back, don't trip._

Panting heavily, a small-set, dusty-brown gem skidded around the corner of a building. He very nearly lost his footing, his feet skidding out from under him for an instant. _It was the Axinite from years ago that Hema caught._ Quickly recovering, he sprinted down the street, bumping into a few passerby.

 _There were heavy footsteps following behind him._

Looking around, the small gem desperately searched for a place he could hide in that would be hard to be spotted. Somewhere crowded, somewhere _**that thing**_ wouldn't think to look. He shot off down the road again, shoving gems of all shapes and sizes out of his path. Skidding around another corner, the fleeing gem spotted the brightly colored sign of Morganite's bar. From the looks of it, that place was the busiest one on this street!

 _Perfect!_

The gem scurried over to the building, pushing a few people out of the way, slipping right past the bouncer that stood near the door. She frowned and sharply looked over, lifting a hand as if to stop the small gem. But, a short moment later, she rolled her eyes and crossed her arms again. _Ah well, she'd take care of that one if he started causing trouble._ Axinite looked over his shoulder at the massive bouncer, narrowing his eyes.

 _Good, she wasn't following him. He didn't have time for security._

Hiding in a corner, the short gem pressed himself up against the wall, partially hiding behind a small partition in the wall. He peered around the corner, looking out the windows of the bar.

–

The smaller gem's sudden entry had not gone unnoticed. A few gems peered over to stare, one of them being the owner himself. From behind the counter, Morganite grinned and stepped back to get a better look at the gem.

"Hey!" he called out in an amused tone. "You alright there?"

Blue was the only one nearby who didn't turn her head to look at the gem. She stayed perfectly still, lifting up her glass to take a sip. She wasn't particularly interested in whatever was going on.

–

Chest heaving, the smaller gem shot Morgan a dirty look, holding his index finger up to his lip.

"SHH. He's gonna hear you," he hissed quietly, going back to looking out the windows.

The footsteps were getting closer.

The dusty brown gem grimaced and pressed himself further against the wall, holding his breath.

Within view of the bar, a _certain_ service gem's feet came into view. They weren't terribly big at the moment, but it was enough to make a few gems get out of his way with unsettled murmurs. Suddenly stopping, the gem turned toward the bar.

Axinite gasped softly, but bit his tongue immediately afterward.

–

Morganite grinned, glancing out the window. He grabbed a hold of the cup he'd been reaching for before and chuckled too quietly to hear. _Great, another troublemaker._ He'd have to keep his eye on this one. As long as he stayed out of _serious_ trouble here, he didn't really care if he stayed. If that was who he thought it was outside, the dusty brown gem would be taken care of soon anyways. Turning away to pour a glass for another gem, he swirled a colorful drink in the bottle and hummed to himself.

–

After a long, tense moment, the service gem outside the club turned away and continued down the street, his footsteps fading down the path.

Heaving a huge sigh, the small gem looked around and frowned grumpily. He almost seemed to sneer.

Stepping away from the wall, the dusty White District gem walked over to the bar and managed to hop up into a chair. He was looking around suspiciously, as if his pursuer would show up at any second. Despite being so on-edge, he didn't even seem to notice that the Blue District's leader was sitting right at the bar. Looking at the pink-haired warrior behind the counter, Axi huffed.

"I assume you're the owner of this place, huh? 'Morganite', was it?" he said in a nasally, almost bratty tone.

–

The pink haired gem twirled on his heel to face the newcomer, holding out his palms with a warm smile.

"That would be me, yes! Welcome." He raised a brow, a bit more of a devious look on his face now. "I trust you're going to stay out of trouble here, hm? You wouldn't want to make the mistake of breaking any rules here, just a fair piece of advice!" A strand of hair fell between his eyes, and without really changing expression he slowly parted it away again. "Now... care for a drink?~"

–

The shorter gem frowned and narrowed his eyes at the faintly masked threat. At least, he was pretty sure it was a threat.

"I won't make trouble so long as _he_ doesn't follow me in here." Glancing at the window again, the gem grit his sharp teeth. "Lousy pebble walking around like he's so great," he muttered, just loud enough for those at the bar to hear.

–

Morganite frowned and turned away. _Alright fine, no drinks for you._ He walked off, starting to serve a few other customers. But, he wasn't the _only_ one that heard the smaller gem's snide remark. The blue gem that was hunched over the bar felt her grin grow wider, and she slowly looked towards the gem beside her without moving her head at all.

"What was that, now?"

–

The gem blinked in confusion as he stared at the window. _Did someone just speak to him?_

Turning his head, the dusty brown gem gasped with a start, his eyes widening.

"B-blue Diamond!" _Of all the lousy luck!_ "I-I uh. Uhhh. Gooood evening?" he said with an awkward, wide grin.

–

She never turned her head to face him. No, she just lifted her drink up again and took a sip, placing it down on the table with a loud _clack_. Morganite looked over his shoulder for a brief moment, but quickly turned his head and walked to the other side of the counter. Maybe someone over _there_ needed another drink. Blue's eerie, dark tone drifted on the air once more as she glared sidelong at the smaller gem.

"Who are you runnin' from, _clod_?"

–

The smaller gem fidgeted nervously, his eyes darting around the room. _Well, Morganite was gone, great. No help from him._ Grinning so widely that his cheeks hurt, the dusty brown gem gave a forced laugh through his teeth.

"Oooh, pff. Nobodyyyy." He shrugged and twirled his hand at the wrist as he made an amusing, but not too convincing face. "Haha, nobody at all. Who's running? I'm not running! Nope! I'mmm just. You know. I like the music here. Yup," he said quickly, eyes wide and glancing around anxiously.

–

Blue slowly twisted the drink in her hands, running her fingers alongside the rim of her glass. Her lips were curled into a twisted, closed smile. There was an almost primal look in her eyes.

"You lying to a _Diamond_ , kid? You suuuuure have a lot of nerve." She propped her foot up onto the bar of her chair.

–

The gem glanced away for a moment, small beads of sweat starting to form on his brow. _Ohh, he didn't like how she was acting._ He'd only seen Blue Diamond a handful of times, but it was enough to know that this wasn't normal. Keeping his smile, the smaller gem scooted back in his chair just slightly.

"Alright alright you caught me, my buddy and I are playing a little game. I didn't want him finding me so I hid in here. He thinks he's just the beeeeest at finding me so I wanted to actually beat him for once." This time, the gem's tone was far less nervous, more casual. He propped one elbow up on the bar, as if relaxed. His grin softened into a confident, though vaguely skeevy smirk.

–

Blue picked up the drink and downed the rest of it. Looking into the empty glass, she idly wondered when Morgan would bring her the next one.

"I see. Is that so?..." Placing the glass on the countertop, the azure gem sat up slightly in her seat. Morgan quickly stopped by and nabbed the cup, not making any sort of eye contact with the diamond before once more walking off.

 _Creak._

Blue turned in her seat now, glaring down at the small gem furiously, her brows furrowed, a wicked smile on her face.

"Listen, dirtball. I've had a veeery long week, and I'm not here to listen to your petty little _bullshit_ lies," she hissed, grinning ominously. "So I have some advice for you. No matter what that Hematite is after you for, they will find you eventually. If you're looking for safety in here, you sure as hell won't find it. And so help you stars if you ruin my peace and quiet tonight, _I'll crack you myself._ You got that, _speck_?"

About that time, Morganite reluctantly placed another drink down for Blue, quickly stepping away without a word. The diamond leaned up and, without looking away from Axinite, grabbed the new drink.

–

Axinite felt the corner of his eye twitch, though the rest of his expression didn't change.

 _Ooookay it's time to leave._

The dusty brown gem smacked his lips, his eyes wide. He kept a rather unreadable, but vaguely horrified expression as he rose out of his seat and took a step back.

"Well. I can see that there are. Better places to hide. So I'm just." He started backing away, his hands behind his back. "I'm just gonna go. And. I hope you have a good night, Blue Diamond," he said in a friendly, disarming tone.

 _Thud._

Just behind the small gem, a very large, very _perturbed_ face appeared in the window. Hematite's eyepiece was glowing in the low light, and he squinted into the window, spotting his target gem rather quickly.

–

Blue watched the smaller gem with undisguised annoyance. Suddenly catching a glimpse of something in the window, she frowned and looked up. _Oh, it was..._ _ **that**_ _Hematite?_ She quickly turned away, giving a nod to Morganite. Morgan slid her another drink, even though she just got a fresh one not minutes ago. He raised a brow, figuring things were about to get interesting.

–

Hematite frowned deeply and tapped on the window.

The small gem jumped with a start and turned around, letting out a rather undignified yelp at the sight of the giant gem. He turned his head to look rapidly between Blue and Hematite, and suddenly realized he couldn't figure out which was worse. _He was between a rock and, well. A bigger rock._

The service gem behind the glass slowly drummed his fingers on the pavement, his eyes narrowed.

–

"Best get going,~" Blue said connivingly. Snickering, she took a sip of her drink again. Morgan looked over, furrowing his brows for a moment. _Stars, she was really hammering these down._ A few of the gems standing near the door backed away upon realization of who was standing outside. They muttered among themselves, moving out of the way. _Best not to get in the middle of this one._

–

Axi frowned deeply and looked back at Hematite again. There was no getting out of this one, was there? _Well, unless..._

His eyes darting toward the dance club part of the bar, the dusty brown gem grinned deviously and made a break for it, sprinting as fast as he could.

Hematite, though it was inaudible from behind the window, let out a half startled, half annoyed _'Hey!'._

–

Morgan and Blue glanced at the Axinite as he ran into the club. Morganite narrowed his eyes and muttered something cross under his breath akin to 'he'd better stay out of trouble'. Blue's attention was elsewhere. She didn't really want to meddle in the smaller gem's affairs right now. It wasn't her problem anymore; she had plenty of her own to worry about.

–

Hematite rubbed at his face in frustration. _This gem was such a pain._ The service gem peered further into the club, and his annoyed expression faded when he spotted Blue. His brows raised, and he blinked in confusion at her rather... out of character demeanor.

There was a flash of light, and the now normal sized gem made his way into the bar. He stopped near her seat, his hand on the back of his neck.

"... Blue?"

–

Blue raised her head slightly, but didn't look back at Hematite. Morgan, spotting the service gem entering the club, waved but had a noticeably nervous look about him, as though he were trying to subtly tell Hematite something.

"Evenin', Hema! I take it you're here for the Axinite?" he said quickly, pointing towards the club door. He nodded his head toward it, glancing between Hema and where the Axinite ran off to.

–

The service gem looked at Morganite, his brows raised in concern. _Okay, what exactly was going on? He'd rarely seen Morgan look like that, and... He'd_ _ **never**_ _seen Blue look like this._

"I... yeah." As he continued, his voice trailed off a bit. His gaze drifted away from Morgan "He was just trespassing in a construction area while I was on... patrol..." He was staring at Blue at this point. "Nothing... too major," he muttered. Hematite went quiet.

–

Blue turned her head, smiling in a welcoming manner.

"Hey kid," she said simply, slowly turning her head back to face Morganite. At least she seemed calmer than she was before. _Maybe she didn't want Hematite to see her like this._ She'd keep it to small talk if she could help it. Morgan spared Blue a look before turning back to the ivory-haired gem standing nearby.

"Ah, I see! Well, he's in the back. If you can find him, feel free to escort him out," Morganite said quickly, turning to make another drink.

–

 _Well at least Blue's response was..._ _ **semi**_ _normal._ Hematite crossed his arms nervously. He could tell he wasn't going to get much out of these two, with how they were acting,

 _And, honestly. He didn't really_ _ **want**_ _to know what was going on._

"Right. Well. I'm going to go find him... You two have a good night." Slowly, Hematite turned away from the two gems and made his way into the club. The service gem waded his way through the crowd in search of the dusty White District gem, but found neither hide nor hair of him.  
Unfortunately, at this point, the Axinite was _far_ gone. Hema wouldn't be catching him today. The service gem scoffed crossly under his breath as he made his way to the other side of the dance club and eventually exited out the secondary door.

–

Morgan sighed quietly with relief when Hema left the room. The gems around the other side of the counter were getting antsy, and the bartender looked over at his rather inebriated leader with a questioning look. Blue, however, frowned again and looked into her drink, shaking her head faintly.

"No more for me tonight, Morg. Thank you."


	37. Tired

_Summary: Yellow Diamond hears a count down._

 _Notes: [This chapter contains intense acts of violence and may be upsetting to some readers. Discretion is advised.]_

 _ **"Hello?..."**_

Nothing.

Her own voice sounded quiet. Faded, even. As soon as it left her lips, it seemed to fall flat in front of her and shatter onto the floor.

 _ **"Is anyone there?"**_

Yellow Diamond slowly turned around in place, her eyes darting around the space surrounding her. An eerie calm washed over her, suddenly drowning the anxiety rising in her chest.

She felt nothing.

She saw nothing.

She heard _**nothing.**_

It was completely black. There was no cold, there was no looming sense of dread, and there was no sign of the nightmarish Hematite. At least, not _yet_ anyway.

She started walking aimlessly into the void. The smallest spark of relief welled up in her mind as she realized her footsteps were making noise. Her eyes kept darting around. _Where is he?... Is he going to show up? Why can't I see anything this time? s_ he thought, the dread starting to sink in. Paranoia, fear, and apprehension circled within her lonely mind. There was no horizon line, no tremors, no pillars or gem shards or cliff sides. Something about this dream felt different. The air almost felt charged with some sort of dreadful energy, as if someone were waiting, watching, and slowly getting more impatient. Was it her, was it that horrid _creature?_ Neither? Both?

Looking down idly, she stopped abruptly and stared at her feet.

She could see them, but... _No. No, this couldn't be._ Panic rising, she held up her hands in front of her face. A stab of anxiety pierced her very core, making her exhale weakly, almost as if struck in the chest. Her breathing stopped, and she stared in disbelief at her hands. They started to tremble.

They were completely black, but just like her feet and, from the looks of it the rest of her, they were outlined in _white. Why was this happening?! She'd always had some color in her other dreams, what was going on?!_

–

The moment Yellow Diamond looked at her hands and feet, the ground beneath her and the air around her became _ice cold_. There was no gradual progression, there was no shift, there was no warning.

The void around her was plunged into stabbing, icy temperatures.

 **"Ten.~"**

–

She looked up and gasped, a puff of stark white steam appearing from her lips. She started walking again, a new found fear in her step. The diamond looked around rapidly as she trotted through the darkness, eyes widening. _Ten? What?_

–

The ground below her began to rumble, sending a faint tremor up the yellow gem's form.

 **"Nine.~"**

–

Her mouth fell ajar, and she started to pick up her pace into a fast walk. _Nine_? _Wait...is this a countdown?!_

–

Growing stronger, the rumbling began shaking the ground, making it harder for the gem to run.

 **"Eight."**

A heavy, freezing breath blew at her back, pricking little ice crystals into her skin and clothing. Suddenly, a huge fist came crashing down upon the tiny gem, earning an abrupt, cut-off cry, poofing and _shattering_ her within an _**instant.**_ It left small black and white shards on the ground.

But the black void remained. The dream didn't end, nor did it falter. A shuddering thrum rang out through the plane, and the nightmare shifted with a sickening _lurch_.

Suddenly, the Diamond was back to running as she had been the moment before she was shattered.

 **"Seven."**

–

 _ **Agony.**_

Yellow phased back into existence, face twisted into indescribable horror. Horrendously shaken from what she'd just felt, she broke out into a sprint. The initial shock rattled her so badly that she stumbled and tripped, skidding against the icy cold ground. She bared her teeth and started to stand back up.

 _What's going on?!_

–

The ground suddenly dropped out below the diamond, and she was plunged into a free fall.

She fell past pillars.

She fell past cliff sides.

She fell past a web of white wires that slowly got closer together, the further she fell. Suddenly, she was caught in them, her arms and legs tangled in the stark white strings. The icy, thin threads dug painfully into the diamond's wrists, ankles, her chest. The more she struggled, the tighter they got.

–

She thrashed about in the wires, panicking to get a hold of anything that could get her moving down again. Horrible terror struck through her, like icy claws ripping into her chest. _She was shattered already, she could feel it! So why was she still here?!_

–

The wires tightened. Suddenly, it felt as though they were coiled around her gemstone in all different directions. The strings began to dig into the surface of the gem.

Yellow screamed out in pain, tears forming in the corners of her eyes. A slow, agonizing pain shot through her entire being. Suddenly, it was over in an instant.

With a snap, they pulled in all different directions, shattering the gemstone once more.

But then she was falling again, whole and 'intact'.

 **"Six."**

–

Once again, she found herself flailing about in the dark abyss. She could feel herself falling, but couldn't tell which way she was going. _Wait, what!? Twice now! Why am I still sleeping?! That should have woken me up!_

–

As if rising up to meet her, the ground appeared abruptly under Yellow Diamond.

 **"Five."**

The voice suddenly sounded _different_. It was subtle, slight, but it almost sounded... _clearer_.

–

Meeting the floor with an excruciating thud, she lay there with her eyes closed, wincing in horrible pain. Slowly she opened them, the world spinning around her. She trembled, clutching the ice cold ground and making an attempt to push herself up.

 _Why is this happening? Why like this?!_

–

 **"Four."**

The voice changed again. It was even clearer, less warped.

Cracks formed below Yellow, and the ground trembled violently as an ear-piercing rumble echoed through the void.

–

Yellow pushed herself up after a moment, gasping for breath. Her eyes widened with terrified fury, and she grit her teeth, pounding a fist against the floor as she looked up.

"GET AWAY FROM ME! AREN'T YOU SATISFIED YET?!" she screamed out into the darkness, standing up as her legs weakly took her forward as fast as they could. Her steps were uneven and sloppy. As she ran, she lifted a hand to her gemstone, covering it desperately. It felt like it was falling to pieces, despite being whole and intact at the moment.

–

 _ **"Three."**_

There it was. The clearer it got, the more obvious it became.

It wasn't the nightmarish gem's voice.

 _It was slowly becoming_ _ **Hema's**_ _voice._

The ground violently heaved, the cracks splitting the floor apart. A booming voice echoed around Yellow, yelling at her with spite and venom.

 **"SATISFIED? OH, YOU'D KNOW EVERYTHING ABOUT THAT, WOULDN'T YOU?!"**

There was a violent presence suddenly, filling the air with dense pressure.

 **"NOTHING EVER SATISFIED YOU. NO MATTER HOW HARRRRD I TRIED, IT WAS ALL A** _ **WASTE**_ **."**

Giving a lurch, the ground below her opened up before slamming shut on her, shattering her once more. She appeared again above the ground, though it was still heaving, threatening to open up again.

 **"LOSS"**

Something from behind slapped her away, _**hard**_. She was sent flying suddenly into the pillared room, the floor thankfully absent of its usual array of shattered gems.

–

"GAAHCK-!"

The wind was knocked clean out of her as she slammed into one of the pillars with a violent force. _That voice... She knew that phrase... Wait._ She staggered again, looking up in horror at nothing. Tears were starting to come back. There that feeling was again, that unwelcome emotion that she had been repressing. She backed up into the pillar with a sharp whimper, clutching her upper arms.

–

 **"AFTER LOSS."**

A fist slammed down against the pillar, absolutely _crushing_ it behind the diamond.

–

Shrieking in horror again, she stumbled forward but got quickly back on her feet. She started to run faster, her breath coming in shallow gasps.

–

 **"AFTER LOSS!"**

A hand slammed down behind her, cracking the ground. A hole suddenly opened up below her, and she began to fall again.

"Two."

–

Yellow swung her arms to grab onto the edge, but missed. With another gasp, she waited for the next impact. _The countdown's almost over..._

–

Yellow was sent sprawling on her back in an empty black void like the one she'd started in. The floor beneath her was icy, yet burned to the touch.

Everything suddenly went silent.

"One."

 _Whirrrr_

 _ **Click.**_

The yellow, diamond-shaped target appeared directly above her, mere inches away from her face. A heavy, icy breath spilled over her as a soft chuckle echoed through the plane.

–

 _"H-AAAH?!"_

Yellow clutched the ground, her nails digging into the surface of whatever it was she was laying on. She was stuck, petrified with fear. _Could she even stand?_ Her whole body went partially numb, and she suddenly couldn't feel her legs. Her tears momentarily subsided, but she felt herself starting to sweat. _Wake up... Please, wake up!_

–

The monstrous form slowly backed away, hovering over the tiny diamond. Tilting his head, the giant gem cracked his neck, the sickening sound echoing through the darkness.

"Hmmm.~"

Slowly, the creature reached a clawed hand closer to the tiny diamond's gemstone.

 _"How quaint."_

–

"Stop, stop stop- No!" She whimpered, watching his hand near her. She tried to move her legs, weakly attempting to scoot further away. Needless to say, it didn't really work. She was so drained, so exhausted, so terrified that she could hardly move. "D-Don't touch me! Get away!"

 _WAKE UP!_

–

The harvester extended a single finger, hovering the tip of the sharp claw mere inches above Yellow's gem.

"You thought you could get away.~"

–

"I-I!"

She stammered, her whole body trembling. Anxiety was rising within her. Fear was rising.

Death was coming.

This wasn't a dream anymore. This wasn't even a nightmare. This was something completely different. She felt all the paranoia from the past months seeping back into her form. She felt completely awake, so why was she still stuck here?!

"S-Stay away!"

 _Stars, please, somebody wake me up!_

–

The claw stopped right above Yellow's gemstone. With an eerily wide grin, the huge harvester suddenly scraped the icy nail along the hard surface.

–

"GYuuAAAAAAH!"

Her world exploded into a hot flash of searing pain. Her entire being cried out in agony. Arching her back and digging her nails into the ground, they scratched harshly at whatever they could grasp. There was a brief ringing in her ears before the pain stopped. Opening her eyes, she stared at the huge claw, which was now hovering over her gem again.

 _No, no this is REAL! This can't be a dream!_

–

The gem's teeth parted as he chuckled darkly in amusement. His claw hovered for a moment before he harshly tapped her gem.

"Tick~"

–

There was another flash of excruciating pain. But it was only a split second. She gasped suddenly, followed by a shuddering breath. Her tears came back, nails easing up from the ground which now had noticeable stark white claw marks in it.

–

"Tick. Tick. Tick."

He continued tapping rhythmically on Yellow's gemstone, the sound echoing around the empty room. "Time's running out, Diamond," he said in a hushed tone. _"You can't hide forever. I'll get you one day, when you or your fellow diamonds are least expecting it."_

–

Her eyes widened again, finally looking up at the dark visor hovering above her. She winced with the pain of the ticking gemstone, and soon she was hardly able to hear anything but the harrowing sound of his claw, much like a ticking clock. She bared her teeth, eyes pleading silently for him to stop. He was drawing this out... tormenting her. Endless, unrelenting pain. And she would soon never be able to escape.

–

The giant gem slowly lifted his hand, balling it into a fist.

 _"It's only a matter of time."_

Without warning, the massive hand barreled down on the diamond, going straight for her gemstone.

–

She stopped breathing, shutting her eyes quickly and turning her head. She realized that whatever came next would be probably worse than before.

 _ **SMASH!**_

Gasping for air, Yellow found herself writhing on the floor of her office, surrounded with fallen papers and a tipped over chair. She stood quickly, grasping at her gemstone. She stared off at nothing, spotting the chair she must have fallen out of. It was warm in here, the lights giving a cool glow to her room. She was awake. She was awake once more, and she was alone. She nodded off at her desk again...

"Dammit..." she hissed, tears welling up in her eyes again. Angrily, she turned and kicked her desk, sending it flying over with the chair. Turning, she went to the window of her office and placed her palms on the thick glass, shuddering. She placed her forehead on its smooth, cool surface and stared out into the city.

She remembered everything she had felt, and everything that she had heard. She could swear that her body was still aching from the pain.

"Hah... hahahah... And to think, I thought things couldn't get any worse."

Yellow slowly closed her eyes, lips curled into a small, defeated smile.

She felt it. She felt the fear, she felt the anger, she felt the crippling agony of impending death. She knew it was coming sooner or later, or at the very least, she had come to accept that these nightmares were never going to end.

She was convinced that this was going to drive her mad, leading her into a spiraling chaos that would end up getting herself or others hurt. _This_ was going to be what did her in, of all things. She'd not felt this defeated in a long time.

She'd either end up being taken out of her leadership status and her life would be ruined forever, or she'd be killed by her own paranoia somehow, if _he_ didn't get to her first.

 _My time is running out... and there's nothing I can do to stop it._


	38. Advice

_Summary: Mago ditches work to seek advice in an unexpected place._

 **CRACK**

Pulling his hand away from the hole he'd just created, Hematite grimaced and shook his fist. _They weren't kidding, this wall_ _ **was**_ _tough._ Idly, Hematite wondered why more of the other of his kin weren't helping with this, but perhaps they were off on other jobs. As far as he could see, only he and three others of his kind were working on this job. Him, Mago, Meta, and Ti. _Well, at least Hemmi and Mite weren't here_. All four of the harvesters were in the kindergarten, helping tear down a particularly stubborn section of the used up cliff sides to make room for more gem production. Funnily enough, if Hema wasn't mistaken, this was the very wall where most of him and his kind had emerged from. Their emergence points were scattered here and there throughout the kindergarten walls, but most of them came from this area in particular. One or two emerged near the warp pad, and he didn't know the location of the others. Nor did he really care to know.

Reeling his fist back, Hema delivered another blow to the stone surface, taking out a sizable chunk. It fell to the floor heavily and shattered upon impact, the sound reverberating through the tall rock clearing. Similar sounds echoed after it as his companions took out pieces from their own sections. A Peridot walked along the top of the wall, tapping her fingers on her projected screen impatiently.

"Pick up the pace, you big clods! We're supposed have to have this done by midnight!" she shouted down, tapping her foot. Hema looked up at the small green gem with narrowed eyes. _These guys certainly love to toss orders around._ Delivering another blow to the wall, Hematite let out a heavy exhale. He wiped his brow with a frown. He was starting to get tired after almost an hour of taxing destruction work. Wistfully, he glanced at the three other Hematites working some distance away from him. Mago and the lithe, taller Hematite, Ti, were working away tirelessly at one section of the cliffs, while Meta was busy taking out large sections of the wall with what appeared to be an oddly-shaped hammer. Her progress was much better, and she didn't seem to be slowing down. She'd lift her hammer, take a half-pace back with one foot, reel forward, and take out a huge chunk of wall before relaxing and repeating. Not a single service gem stood near her or her work station. They seemed far more focused on Mago, Ti, and Hema, but they also seemed vaguely wary of her.

Sighing, the ivory-haired gem turned back to his own work. He struck the wall again and again, making little headway. Every once in a while a small chunk of rock would fall to the floor, but his progress was nothing compared to his kin's.

About half an hour later, a voice suddenly spoke up directly behind Hema.

"Hey pipsqueak, stop _gently patting_ that wall for a moment so I can talk to ya."

With a grimace, Hematite stopped and groaned, rolling his eyes. He didn't look behind him, but stared directly at the beat-up wall in front of him.

"What do you want, Mago."

"Psh, I _want_ you to look at me, that's what."

Grumbling, Hematite turned to the taller, ebony-haired gem. He crossed his arms, frowning in annoyance. His knuckledusters vanished in a flash, and he slowly gripped his sleeve in his left hand.

"What is it, I have a job to do."

Mago was standing with her hands on her hips, which were cocked slightly to the side. She was leaning forward slightly so she could be level with Hematite, a smug smile on her face. Hema wrinkled his nose slightly. _He hated when she did that._ Mago tilted her chin up.

"Yeah, you sure do! And it looks like it's gonna take you a while." Grinning teasingly, the taller Hematite stood straight, her hands still on her hips. "But listen, I got a question for ya."

Arching a brow, Hematite stared in confusion at the taller gem. If she had a question for him, it couldn't be good?

"And what is that?"

Mago's expression was unreadable for a moment before she smirked and shrugged. She turned her head away from him, her bangs partially obscuring her face.

"Do you have anyone that you go to for advice, pipsqueak? I'm asking for a friend," she said a bit quieter than before. Hematite frowned in bafflement.

"You mean like White? I always go to her or Blue-"

"Naah nah nah nah, no diamonds." She shook her head and shifted her weight to her other leg. "No, someone that's not a higher-up. A normal gem. Got anybody like that?" she asked, gazing curiously at the shorter gem.

The shorter Hematite couldn't quite tell what was in Mago's tone of voice that was suddenly making him suspicious, but he avoided prying. He did, however, narrow his eyes slightly. It took him a long moment to think. Who did he have like that? There was Rubes and Puff, but he didn't really go to them for advice.

"Well... there's always Morganite," he said thoughtfully. Mago pursed her lips, narrowing her eyes.

"Who's that?"

"He's a warrior class gem that owns a bar about ten minutes away from the Blue tower. Bright pink neon lights, loud music, lots of people." He paused. "Fluffy pink hair, you can't miss him."

Mago suddenly lifted her hand, palm out to the gem to stop him. Hema stuttered for a second before going quiet.

"Alright thanks pipsqueak, gotta go!" she said quickly, sporting her usual narrow-eyed grin. With that, she left, heading for the warp pad of the kindergarten. Hematite called after her to finish her work, but when he looked over, her section was done. Scorched and smoke-scented, but done. He blinked in surprise.

 _What was she so riled up about?_

 _And why did he get the feeling he just caused Morgan a fair bit of trouble...?_

–

–

The bar wasn't terribly busy tonight, oddly enough. The club was certainly lively, but the lounge area had only a few customers. It was a slower time of the night. Each night, usually, as the first wave of club-goers left, a lull would follow before the really late customers flooded in. This was that time of the night.

With a rather shaken, but stern expression, one of Morgan's warrior class gems, an Amber in half a suit of armor, walked over to the bar and motioned her hand back toward the main club entrance.

"Morganite, there's uh... a gem outside that's asking for you."

–

Morgan spun around just in time to slide one of his bar patrons a drink.

"Hm? Do they not want to come in or something?" he asked with a charming smile. "No worries, I've just handed out the last drink I have queued up. Keep an eye on things for me." He gave a wave of his hand and stepped out from behind the bar, making his way to the door. _Odd, if it was anyone he knew they likely would have come inside for this._ He opened the door, peeking out into the dark, cool night. At first, he didn't see anything that seemed like someone waiting for him... until he looked to the right.

–

A few buildings down, leaned up against a warehouse with no windows, was a giant gem. Her arms were crossed, her clawed fingers tapping on her upper sleeve. Her face was mostly obscured by dark bangs, the visor over her eyes dimly glowing an off-white light. Seemed she was going over some records on her screen.

As soon as she spotted movement from the bar entrance, she turned, lifting her head, her bangs falling to the sides of her face. She shot the tiny gem an intense stare. After a moment, a smirk crossed her face, and she cocked her head away slightly, giving the pink-haired warrior a sarcastic 'salute' with two fingers.

"Yo, are you Hema's friend 'Morganite?'"

–

Morganite blinked slowly, not saying anything for a moment. He'd never seen _this_ Hematite around before! He saluted sarcastically back, cocking a brow with a smile.

"Why yes, yes I am. May I ask who you are?" he called back, taking a few steps forward. The bar door shut behind him. He looked her over, curiosity piqued. _Why was she so big right now? Shouldn't she be a bit smaller in the city? Or did she just not care how she walked around?_

–

The gem chuckled and stood up straight, no longer leaning on the wall.

"The name's Mago. I'm a... hah. I'm a 'friend' of pipsqueak's," she said only semi-genuinely. There was a sarcastic sneer on her face. Turning on her heel, she suddenly took a few steps closer to the warrior gem. Her arms uncrossed as she approached.

–

Morgan tapped his fingers on his hips and smirked himself, taking a seat on the bench outside of the bar.

"Pipsqueak eh? Heh. That's a good one." He chuckled, closing his eyes for a moment. However, as she started moving towards him, he opened them again. Glancing up, he watched her feet as she paced forward. He observed her quietly. She seemed a bit suspicious, but he was willing to hear her out. Even if she was here to cause trouble, it wasn't like she'd get far around here. "So what brings you to me, then?" he asked casually. He brushed his fingers through his hair gracefully with a smile.

–

Mago stopped near the pink-haired gem, her hands now on her hips. She stared down at him, but instead of the cocky demeanor she had moments ago, she seemed to ponder something, a slight pout on her face. There was a pause.

"Alright, yeah, this isn't gonna work. Hold on."

The giant gem suddenly crouched down, deftly picked Morgan up by the back of his shirt, and lifted him off of the bench and into the air.

–

Morgan's smile turned quickly into a baffled frown, and he stammered for a moment, his words coming out as mere confused gibberish for a good second.

"WHA-HEY what do you think you're doing?!" he said, perturbed, holding his arms out. He looked offended, almost. "Do you know how to talk to people? It's not like this, let me tell you!" he huffed, crossing his arms as he dangled from her fingers.

–

The service gem chuckled in amusement to herself, narrowing her eyes slightly.

"Oh calm down, just give me a second."

Mago looked around and quickly spotted a building that was almost at her eye level. Standing straight, she walked over and lifted Morgan up to the rooftop, carefully placing him back on solid ground. Without another word, she turned and crossed her arms, leaning against the building lightly. "Much better."

–

Morganite took a few steps onto the roof and turned, placing his hands on his hips. He squinted at the huge gem and pursed his lips.

"Hmph. Well, now that you're done carrying me around like a ragdoll... care to explain?" He said with mild irritation, his bangs falling between his eyes.

–

The giant gem snickered at his grumpy question.

"It's a lot easier to talk like this. It's not as hard on the neck, plus we have some privacy up here." She shot the tiny warrior a sly smile. After a moment, though, her expression fell into something a bit more unreadable. "... Alright so. Hey." Mago drummed her fingers on her upper arm. "Pipsqueak says you're the one he goes to for advice if he can't talk to the diamonds."

–

Morganite casually tapped his heel on the hard surface of the roof, looking away for a moment. His smile returned to him, and he gave the service gem a nod. _Ok, so, she knew Hematite and from the sounds of it, they were_ _ **probably**_ _friends?_ So that wasn't too shady, he supposed.

"Alright. What's on your mind?"

–

There was a long, tense pause. Mago seemed like she wanted to say something, but all of a sudden couldn't find the words. Her fingers continued drumming on her arm. Taking a deep breath, the giant gem sighed and turned to Morganite fully. Her expression almost seemed... nervous.

"How are you with... r." She coughed, covering her mouth with her hand. "Relationship advice."

–

 _Well now, this certainly was the last thing he was expecting._

He grinned wider now, the faintest of crimson blushes flushing over his cheeks.

"Oh my. Well..." He placed a finger to his lip 'hmm'ing for a few moments. "Ah, well...I myself have been in a rather...shall I say, heartfelt, relationship. Also, I have heard tales from thousands of gems before! I've been told I'm not too terrible with relationship advice." The blush faded, and he craned his head to look up at her slightly. "Why do you ask?..."

–

Mago nodded subtly as she listened to him. Alright, so she got lucky that this was something he'd know about... good. The giant gem awkwardly looked away, still covering her mouth.

"Well. I. Hmm." She tapped her fingers along her upper lip as she inhaled quietly through her teeth. All of a sudden, a look of realization crossed her face. Turning to Morganite, she squinted and pointed one clawed finger at him. _"Not a word of this gets back to pipsqueak."_

–

Morganite gave Mago another nod and let her continue.

"I won't say a word, I swear it on my gem.~" he said charmingly.

–

The service gem relaxed and returned to crossing her arms. Her shoulders were raised just slightly this time, though. Seemed she didn't want to continue. Pursing her lips, she huffed.

"This gem and I... have a _lot_ in common. We work together, spar, hell, they've kicked my ass a few times. They've taught me... a lot."

–

He started to think himself, shrugging his shoulders.

"Hah... I know how that goes." he said a little quietly. For a moment, he seemed lost in fond memories, his gaze distant. However, he pulled himself back to reality, still listening to the giant gem.

–

She looked away.

"They've been... well. They've been by my side literally since the beginning. I never really... I don't know." Shrugging, she scoffed. "I guess I never paid it much attention until recently." There was another pause. "So, what do you do when you... mmm." Mago swallowed, her voice coming out strained. "When you're pretty sure you have feelings for them, and you think they do for you too, but you're not... _sure_."

–

Morgan started to shift his weight, pacing slowly in place. He seemed deep in thought for a moment, but soon his smile returned.

"Well... on one hand, the obvious choice is to just, you know... tell them. But if you don't want to go for the more direct route... I'd say just see if they start to show signs of liking you back. I personally wouldn't rush blindly into something like this, but I wouldn't be afraid to take a chance either. The worst they could do is say no." He shrugged, offering her a thoughtful glance, a gleam in his eyes.

–

Mago looked at him with an almost _vulnerable_ openness to her expression. She seemed to take his words to heart, but there was... something else there.

"Mm. Okay, so..." Tapping her arm again, she bit her lip. "What do you do if that gem... mmm. Asks you to do things you think might get you in trouble." Her voice got quieter. "But you feel like it's _worth_ it, if it's with them."

–

He looked _confused_ now, and bit the inside of his cheek. That wasn't quite what he was expecting to hear. Worse yet, he didn't seem to really even know how to _answer_ that.

"Well...You should always do what is _right_. Don't let them make you feel uncomfortable, and I wouldn't put others at risk for the expense of whatever they ask you to do." He stopped and crossed his arms, concern now filling his tone. "Love can make you do some crazy things... Please don't let it make you stray down a dangerous path."

–

Gazing at the pink-haired warrior, Mago blinked and looked away with... was that _guilt_? Whatever it was, she shrugged it off quickly, returning to her usual smirk.

"Pssh, love shmove. I'll figure it out. One way or another." An unreadable expression crossed the giant gem's face, and she suddenly sat up and stretched, raising her arms to the sky. "Mmmm well, that's all I had to ask, really.~" She turned to the tiny warrior with a coy smile and lifted her hand up to the rooftop, holding her palm out for him. "Thanks for the advice, Morganite."

–

Morgan uncrossed his arms and looked down to her hand. He remembered how Hematite had carried him some time ago. A familiar warmth befell him. He stepped up into her palm and looked to the ground.

"Not a problem. What will you do now?..." he asked, glancing back to the ebony haired gem.

–

Mago shrugged with a smile.

"I dunno, I'm probably going to go back to work. I kinda ditched to come talk to ya, heheh."

Slowly, she crouched down and placed the pink haired warrior on the pavement. She stood straight again and quickly brushed her hair back behind her shoulders. "Well, be seeing you around, Morganite." She turned, heading down the street with a wave. She wasn't looking at him. "Keep an eye on pipsqueak for me.~"

–

Morganite gave Mago a perplexed wave, continuing to do so even after she was gone. He stopped, thinking about their conversation before turning back to the bar. He was deep in thought, wondering if he'd see her again anytime soon. He hoped things would go well, at least. Regardless, that was an interesting turnabout! Certainly not like any standard night on the job! And speaking of, he had his own work to get back to.

–

–

About an hour later, Mago returned to the Kindergarten.

Her steps echoed down the dark pathways through the cliffs. The moon was high in the sky by this time, shining down on the barren place with pale light. The giant gem stopped when she rounded a corner that lead into a small alcove. It was the place she and Hema had been working in earlier.

"Hey!" She looked around, wandering further into the alcove. "Anyone still here?"

Her fingers rubbed together anxiously. Quietly, she called out.

 _"Ti?"_

"I'm right here, Mago," a soft, almost lilting voice replied from a shadowy cliff side. Slowly, a lithe, tall Hematite walked into the moonlight, her silvery forehead gem glinting. Her silvery hair gleamed in the low light, flowing behind her gracefully. Her brows were arched, and she had one finger to her chin. "You left so quickly, I was worried something happened. I know you finished your work early, but you could have stuck around to help me finish. I've been at it for the past hour." She smiled playfully and brushed her long, wavy hair away from her face.

Mago smiled almost sheepishly and chuckled, crossing her arms.

"Nahh, you could handle that yourself, ya freeloader."

Ti gave a soft, charming chuckle. Mago drummed her fingers on her arm, for once, not joining in on the other gem's quiet laughter. The taller Hematite quickly noticed the change in behavior and tilted her head just slightly, her smile fading.

"Is something the matter? Usually you would have retired for the night by now," she asked curiously, concern painted all over her face. Taking a deep breath, Mago looked up at the taller Hematite, a strange look in her eyes.

"Ti, we need to talk."


	39. Howl

_Summary: Hematite encounters a gem type he's never seen before._

 _Notes: [This chapter contains themes and scenes that some readers may find disturbing. Discretion is advised.]_

A warm, pink glow beamed in through the large, circular window. The smell of fresh tea filled the air of White Diamond's office; the familiar, cozy room felt especially welcoming this morning. White was turned in her chair and facing out the window. She enjoyed watching the sunrise, sometimes. Even if she _had_ seen it hundreds of thousands of times. A gentle rattling sounded behind her, and she turned to see that her Pearl had made her a fresh batch of tea. The service gem saluted and smiled warmly at the Diamond, stepping back a few paces.

"Thank you, Pearl. That will be all." White said, still observing the view. She'd requested for a particular brew of tea to be prepared for her and a guest. It was a special day, so everything had to be just right.

–

A soft yawn echoed down the long hall to White's office.. Hematite rubbed his right eye sleepily. He'd just gotten back from a mission in the Pink District the previous night. He'd shrunken down when he got back to his living quarters, and finally got to properly use his room in the wall that White made for him.

But now he was fully rested and on his way to White's office. She'd contacted him in his room early that morning, before the sun had even come up. Hema now knew that the diamond pad in his miniature room also functioned as a communicator.

His footsteps echoing down the hall, Hematite looked out at the rising sun that shone between the openings in the ornate wall that lined the hall. It was particularly beautiful this morning. He soon stepped around the bend and made his way to White's door. Knocking softly, he waited for the doors to open. He stepped inside.

Hematite smiled warmly at the sight and smell of the familiar office, his breath catching in his throat. Soft dawn light tinted the room pink, and the scent of fresh tea was heavy in the air. But not just any tea. Hematite's brows raised, and his smile turned into an excited grin.

 _It was peppermint!_

Saluting with a smile, Hematite began to walk over to White's desk.

"Morning, White."

–

White turned in her seat and waved. She took a stand, placing her palms together.

"Good morning, Hematite. Did you rest well?" she asked, grabbing the tea tray. With a soft smile, she started to walk over a bit to another part of the room. There was another window, a little smaller than the main one, on the other side of the office. It wasn't nearly as impressive as the one behind White's desk, but it did its job.. There was a small area with two soft chairs, a mini table, and a footrest.

–

"Very well, thank you." He nodded with a smile. The service gem watched White make her way over to the small table, and he felt something in his chest tighten. But it wasn't a bad feeling... No. He'd been waiting for this.

–

She placed the tray on the table and sat down in one of the chairs.

"Come, Hematite! Join me!" She said, reaching over to the teapot.

–

Barely containing his excitement, Hematite briskly walked over to the table and sat down in the chair opposite to his leader. He tucked his legs under the table as he looked out the window.

"What a perfect morning for this, huh?"

The ivory-haired gem beamed at White with a bright smile.

–

White chuckled softly and nodded in agreement. She poured him a glass first, filling the teacup with piping hot peppermint liquid.

"Now, don't get too excited or you'll burn your tongue," she said, placing the teapot down and scooting his saucer towards him. It didn't take long for her to repeat the motion with her own cup. She sat back with her cup in hand, holding her free palm an inch below the glass.

"The weather really couldn't have been better for this, honestly. It's even getting cooler outside! I rather prefer it that way, personally. I don't care too much for sweltering heat." She closed her eyes, taking a small sip. She looked entirely content.

–

Hematite picked up his teacup carefully and gave the top of the tea a gentle blow, steam wafting away from the cup. The service gem looked out the window.

"Same here. I love when it starts to cool off." After a long moment, Hematite finally took a sip of his tea. A contented sigh escaped him, and his expression softened into something more peaceful. Not taking the cup from his lips, he smiled. "I missed this." He lowered the cup and looked out the window. "It's hard to believe it's been a year..."

–

White was quiet for a moment, hovering her hand around the bottom of the cup. It resonated with a calm warmth. Her eyelids were half shut as she stared into the tea that filled her cup.

"It has been a long time, hasn't it...strange, how no matter how long our lives are, that the shortest of years can be so eventful."

–

Hematite's feet tapped together under the table. He gazed at the city, which was painted reds and purples by the rising sun.

 _No matter how long our lives are..._

The service gem's smile faded just slightly.

 _The shortest of years can be so eventful._

Placing his cup down on the saucer, Hematite brushed a finger on its warm porcelain surface.

–

She sighed heavily, placing her cup down for a moment.

"It's good to see you at peace again, at least. I always thought having tea with you was rather pleasant. You make good company, I hope you know that." She gestured casually to him before placing her hands on her lap.

–

"Mm. As do you. This is one of my favorite things to do..." he said a little distractedly. After glancing at White for a moment, Hematite smiled and continued to gaze out the window. "I'll be sure not to get into trouble anymore. I'd hate to lose this again."

–

White noticed the gem's sudden change of tone, but brushed it away. _Had she said something wrong? Oh well, at least he didn't seem to dwell on whatever it was._ Maybe he wasn't bothered at all, and she was just reading him wrong.

"Ah, thank you... And, yes, please stay out of trouble." There was a pause as she picked up her cup and took another sip. "Actually, Hematite, that reminds me... I have a special mission for you today."

–

Picking his cup back up for another sip of his own, Hematite looked to his leader, brows raised. Seemed his somber mood was already lifting at the mention of a special job.

"Oh? What sort of mission?" Perhaps she needed him to run errands, or find something in the archives. The service gem felt himself mentally twitch as he ran through the options. _Stars, he hoped it didn't have anything to do with Yellow._

–

White's eyes narrowed, but she grinned. Taking a final sip of her drink, she placed it down and waved her hand over her gem. With a bright gleam, she summoned a diamond pad, which she promptly turned on. Placing it on the table between them both, she clicked on a map of a certain area of the Pink District.

"Now this is very important, so listen up Hematite. We've gotten word that there is a notorious rebel clan hiding out in the Pink District. Now, while normally we would send out a Hematite to break apart the base and bring them in for trial, these aren't your everyday rebels."

–

The sudden change in his leader's demeanor caught Hematite off guard, and he found himself sitting up straighter. As she took out the diamond pad, he quickly finished his cup of tea, setting the dish aside. He leaned forward slightly, peering at the map curiously. With a nod, he glanced up at her, listening intently.

–

White tapped her finger on the screen, causing the map to zoom in. There was a small, white, diamond-shaped target that appeared over a specific area.

"These rebels are a band of rogue warrior-class gems, for the most part. They cause trouble, steal, commit forgery, vandalize, and have even committed acts of violence in some cases. Normally, such a group wouldn't be anything my soldiers couldn't handle, and it wouldn't be that big of a deal. However... If all their crimes weren't bad enough, this particular band of criminals has been known to fuse, and fuse rather masterfully, thus creating a plethora of problems for anyone sent out to take care of them... Despite their numbers being abysmally low, as we've heard from reports." She stopped, pointing at the map. "That is where you come in. No, actually...this is where _we_ come in. I will be going with you for this mission. We've been tipped off from a reliable source that rebels are commonly seen here. Our mission is to find the rebel base and break this rowdy group up once and for all. Harvest if necessary. However, we're going to _try_ to resolve things peacefully. It's a long shot, but perhaps they will come back with us without putting up a fight." She glanced up at Hematite sternly.

–

Hematite nodded once in a while at White's explanation. Alright, seemed like a standard mission. Towards the end of White's explanation, he froze, eyes widening.

 _No, actually, this is where_ _ **we**_ _come in._

Looking up in surprise, Hema stared at his leader.

 _I will be going with you for this mission._

Blinking, the service gem sat back in his seat as White explained the plan. Right, Harvest if necessary. Seemed simple enough.

"So this will start as an I.D. mission." I.D. Or for those who weren't privy to Hematite mission codes, Intimidation and Diplomacy. It was one of a few codes Hematites sometimes used to describe their jobs. I.D, C.A.H, D.T.D, R.A.R, the list went on. Catch and Harvest, Destroy and Document, and Reconnaissance and Relocation were only a few of many of a Hematite's mission codes.

–

"Yes, indeed! We will be each other's backup. If things go awry, I'm certain we can both handle them." She smiled, grabbing the diamond pad and turning it off. With another flash, she placed it back into her gem. "Very good then! Shall we depart? It will be a while before we reach our destination," she stated, pressing her fingertips together.

–

Nodding, Hematite stood up from his seat and folded his arms behind him.

"Right! Will we be traveling the same way we did last time we had a mission in the Pink District?"

–

"If you wish! I certainly wouldn't mind," she responded, taking a stand herself. "However, once we get out there, I will need to you shift down halfway to the destination. We do not want to risk anyone seeing us approach."

–

With a surprised blink, Hematite nodded. Well, he didn't _want_ to shrink down when they got closer to the rebels but he supposed it was for the best... If they had scouts and the like, it'd be best not to be spotted. And, well, he wasn't exactly hard to see.

"Got it. Lead the way, White."

–

–

With a brilliant flash of light, Hematite and White stood in the Pink District, standing upon the warp pad. Wasting no time, the service gem stepped forward ahead of his leader and quickly size shifted up to his half-height. Turning, he crouched and offered his hand to the now tiny gem.

–

White hopped up into Hematite's hand like she had done once before. Strangely enough, however, this time she didn't change into her stealth outfit.

"Alright, you should have the map in your visor. The destination is 376 miles away, South East Area code 2571b. Remember to stop halfway," she recited incisively.

–

Hematite nodded and carefully lifted White up off the ground. However, this time he didn't lift her to his shoulder, and instead kept her near his chest. If he had that much distance to cover, he couldn't risk running too quickly and having her fall off.

With a chirp, Hema's eyepiece whirred to life, and he brought up the coordinates of where he was headed. Right, looks like this was going to take a while. Sighing, the giant gem curled his fingers just slightly, cupping them around White.

"Alright, hold on, this is going to be a long ride."

The service gem started heading down his usual path, his pace slowly quickening. After a minute or so, he was at a full-on run, keeping White as steady as he could.

–

White knelt down and looked ahead, placing her hands on his fingers. She peeked through and kept an eye on the terrain. _She wouldn't really admit it, but she always thought this was rather exhilarating._

–

–

Though it took many hours and various resting breaks along the way, Hematite finally approached the halfway point. His breathing was slightly ragged, and his face was scrunched up as if he had a headache as he cut back on his pace.

 _It's a good thing we're at this point, I need to rest..._

Slowing down, the giant gem stopped in the middle of a large field. He carefully placed White on the ground before shrinking back down. However, this time, he stopped shrinking down when he was a little shorter than White herself. His form stopped glowing, and he crossed his arms, his face tight with a tired frown.

"Okay White... Are we going to walk the rest of the way there? I might need a minute." He opened one eye, which was slightly squinted in exhausted pain. _Why didn't he ever pace himself?_

–

White placed a finger to her chin and looked carefully into the distance. _Good, they seemed to be in the right spot, and no one was around._ Turning to the service gem, she crossed her arms with a twinge of concern in her expression and tone.

"Are you alright? Take a small rest if you need to. We will be walking, yes... But, actually, you shouldn't have to worry about your energy for the rest of this trip, if all goes well." Quite unexpectedly, she grinned.

–

As White finished her sentence, Hematite was already sitting down on the ground, his arms propped up on his knees. Looking up at his leader, he noticed the grin, and arched a brow curiously.

"What do you mean?" He was still breathing heavily, though it was steadily getting more even.

–

With her hands on her hips, she looked down analytically at the smaller gem.

"I mean I have a plan that will help us take care of these rebels. I'm going to be blunt, this isn't the type of group to go down without a fight, so we need to be ready for anything. Not to mention, where we are going, we might need some..." She closed her eyes, smirking. "Extra advantages."

–

Hematite cocked his head to the side, squinting slightly. It seemed he hadn't quite put the pieces together, or he felt he was missing something.

"Mmmmeaning? Should I shrink down so you can sneak me into the base, or... what?"

–

"It means we're going to fuse, Hematite." She rolled her shoulders and swung her arms forward, placing her palms together and cracking her knuckles. She grinned, her fangs showing. "Take a moment to rest up, then tell me when you're ready." She took a few steps past Hematite and looked out to the horizon. This would be _interesting_.

–

Hematite stared at White, and continued to stare at the same spot, even as she moved out and away from his view. He was left facing the sky, a rather unreadable but vaguely stunned look on his face.

 _Fuse._

 _Fuse with_ _ **White**_ _._

 _He was going to_ _ **fuse**_ _with_ _ **White Diamond.**_

Slowly, Hematite turned to look at his superior, though her back was to him. The service gem turned forward again, staring out the opposite direction.

Fusing with Blue was huge enough to him, and that had been so recent! But fusing with White Diamond, _**the**_ White Diamond. His leader, his designer, his role model. He just couldn't wrap his head around it.

Hematite rested silently for a few minutes.

What if he couldn't do it? Maybe he and Blue's stability was the only fusion he could pull off. He certainly hadn't been able to do it with Celestite or Smoky Quartz, and they had danced plenty of times... But _White_?

Slowly, Hematite rose to his feet as he clenched and unclenched his fists.

 _Alright, well. He had to at least try. There was no point in hesitating. Despite the fact that he'd never even considered this opportunity arising..._

The service gem smirked, excitement gleaming in his eyes.

 _He certainly wasn't going to pass it up._

Hema spun on his heel, turning to White with a new, eager light in his eyes.

"I'm ready, White."

–

For a moment, she didn't respond. And then slowly, one of her arms raised up to the sky. In one graceful movement, she turned around and swung her arm down, her palm facing Hematite. She looked to be posing for the moment. She was smirking rather deviously, her gemstone glowing brightly.

"Glad you are.~"

–

Hematite's smile widened, and he furrowed his brows, adjusting into his own pose. It vaguely mirrored hers. His own gem began to glow, and his eyes narrowed.

Feet taking little steps forward, Hematite began his dance much like he had with Blue, only this time it was smoother, slower, and far less erratic. Halfway through his dance, he opened one eye, keeping his gaze on White. His dancing began to mirror hers as they got closer together.

–

White's movements were graceful, powerful, and flowed smoothly. She had her own eyes closed through the majority of the dance. As they had neared, she swayed her arms and shoulders, spinning around slowly. She extended her hand out to meet Hematite's at the middle, opening her eyes at the last moment to watch him.

–

The service gem spun around slowly as well, his hand extending to meet hers in perfect unison. His fingers laced with hers, and he gave a polite sort of bow, his free hand gracefully extending to his side.

 **I'll make you proud, White. Let's make this a mission to remember.**

–

White had managed to give Hematite a warm smile just before the light encased them both.

 **We can handle this. Together.**

With a brilliant flash of light, their forms merged together and their gemstones started to float. Slowly, they took on a new appearance, both gems becoming stark white with charcoal streaks throughout the gem. Their form started to take shape, bigger... and bigger... Until _finally_ , it stopped.

–

The fusion's body finished forming with a bright shimmer of spark-like lights, her hair being the last thing to take shape. It fell gracefully behind her shoulders, the white locks settling neatly into place. Slowly, she lifted her hands, taking a deep breath, palms facing upwards. They stopped at her upper chest. With a long, calm exhale, the fusion slowly lowered her hands again, holding them at her sides, her fingers moving slightly to get a feel for the air around her. Her eyes slowly opened, though they remained half lidded.

She began to look herself over with a calm, though faintly curious expression. Lifting one hand to her face, she brushed two clawed fingers under her left eye. An elongated, angular visor appeared in a brilliant flash, and the gem lowered her hand again.

 _Identify._

The eyepiece silently booted up. No chirps, no whirrs, no clicking. A small hud appeared on the surface. The gem gazed at it thoughtfully, her lips parting faintly.

 _ **Howlite.**_

 _It was so bright. Squinting slightly, Hematite put his hand up over his eyes, waiting for them to adjust. This was far brighter than the fusion plane Dioptase had. Looking around, the service gem took a few steps forward, his footsteps echoing on what appeared to be a white, marbled floor. The horizon beyond the flat surface was glimmering with the light of hundreds upon hundreds of stars. It also seemed there was some white fire-like something or other slowly waving in the distance. It reminded Hematite of the grass fields back in his pocket dimension._

 _"White?"_

–

The fusion twisted around slowly, looking down. _They were pretty high up._ Shifting her weight, she now faced the direction of which her destination was. The visor silently brought up the map again, the same white diamond insignia from the diamond pad appearing on the screen over a certain area.

 _Got it._

She started off towards it quickly. Oddly enough, despite her size, even her footsteps made minimal noise. It was as if she was, by default, _unnaturally_ quiet.

–

 _The plane had a heavenly glow to it, illuminating both of the gems. The taller of the two stood formally behind Hematite with a proud, calm look._

 _"Hello Hematite!" she said, standing at attention._

 _Normally, Hema would have jumped at such a surprise, but he merely blinked and turned around to look at his leader._

 _"There you are." He looked around, a look of undisguised awe in his eyes. "This is incredible... it's so much different than it was with Blue. There were stars then too, but the ground was like an ocean... and it was a dark teal color everywhere." Hematite's mental state seemed rather calm. A single, clear thought passed through his mind._

 _ **It's so much like her office.**_

 _White offered Hematite an encouraging smile and held out her hand._

 _"Isn't it though? Fusion planes will often adapt and resemble things about the gems that make up the Fusion. For example, with Blue, she had water in her fusion plane. This fusion has marble stone floors and a warm feeling to it." She looked to the sky and sighed quietly. "Perhaps the stars are something special to you?" She started to walk in one direction, uncertain of where she was headed. She just wanted to walk with him._

 _Watching White walk off, Hematite quickly followed after her. There was a sudden perk in his step._

 _"M-maybe! I mean, Blue said she'd never seen a fusion plane like Dioptase's." He looked around with a bright gleam in his eyes. "So perhaps they are... I mean, I often see stars in my dreams, or in my pocket dimension!" His enthusiasm finally broke through the calm, and was emanating from him in waves. Excitement, adoration, awe, anticipation... and something much more powerful than all those combined._

 _Was it..._

 _"I'm so glad we were able to fuse, I was nervous I couldn't do it a second time."_

 _White raised a brow and chuckled at his zealous nature._

 _"Then that is very likely, Hematite. Often times, my planes carry marble floors." She stopped, and tapped her fingers on her hips. "It's very warm in here. Very peaceful... perhaps, would you like to take a seat?" she said, snapping a finger. Suddenly nearby, two chairs, a footrest, and a mini table had appeared in a puff of white smoke. They looked exactly like the ones in White's office._

 _Looking over, Hematite raised his brows in surprise. He didn't know fusion planes could do that! Walking closer, he tentatively touched the table. Yep, it was solid... Sitting down in one of the seats, he looked around. Now that he had a closer look, the fire-like material in the distance appeared to be... hair? It was long and white, and swayed in an unfelt breeze. It definitely reminded him of the grass in his pocket dimension._

 _"So, how will we see what Howlite sees? With Dioptase, we had a sort of window on the water's surface..." As if on cue, there was a flash of light to the right of the table. Hematite looked over, his eyes widening at the sight of a huge, upright visor piece._

 _And though neither of the two knew it, it looked the same as Howlite's visor._

 _An image flickered onto the screen. Seemed Howlite was quickly and quietly making her way toward her destination. A faint map overlaid the terrain beyond the visor._

 _"Well that's one way."_

 _The diamond smirked, glancing over to the large screen._

 _"Fusion planes are fascinating, are they not? How do you feel? Are you less tired than you were? This isn't stressing you out, is it? If you feel like you are getting overwhelmed, we can always stop," she said, placing her palms together. Surely, she knew that this was necessary, but she didn't want to risk the fusion becoming unstable if he couldn't handle it. Then again...he handled a fusion well with Blue, so that was something._

 _Hematite was still looking at the screen when White asked her questions, and he sat up a bit straighter, turning to her. There was a bright smile on his face._

 _"Are you kidding me, this is great! I'll never get over how much... mmm." He hopped out of his seat, his fists balled up excitedly in front of him. "_ _ **Better**_ _I feel when I'm fused with someone! I have more energy, I feel more stable, almost... Not to mention, I don't know!" He looked around, motioning to the fusion plane. "There's something about these places that... tch. How do I put it." He was still smiling. "I feel like I can get stuff across better. Though, I guess that sort of explanation isn't the best example of that last part." A soft, almost awkward laugh escaped him. "Don't you worry about me! I'll do my best to keep this up!"_

 _She smiled, his words filling her with pride. He was handling this well so far, at least! Good, this was what she was hoping for._

 _"I'm glad to hear it, don't worry; I understand!" She said, sitting back in her chair and crossing her arms. "Relax, Hematite. Come, sit back down."_

 _Smiling back, Hematite plopped into his seat, watching the large visor screen. This was going to take a while._

–

The sun had set by the time Howlite arrived at a system of huge looming cliff sides. From the looks of it as she'd approached, the chasms formed a sort of maze. Her destination was somewhere in here, but she could pinpoint it no further.

The signals of many different gem monsters and even some gem plant life were jamming the fusion's eyepiece from seeing a clear base location. If she went into this maze, she'd be going in completely blind.

 _"Alright, well... this is where they're supposed to be, somewhere in those chasms, right?" Hematite looked over at White._

The large fusion placed a finger to their eyepiece, adjusting it very slightly. Silently, she started to sneak through. Just as she'd expected, her visor reception started to fizzle in and out. Blinking slowly, she glanced around for any signs of life.

 _"Unfortunately, but not to worry. Our destination is in here somewhere. We just need to keep looking." She said, leaning over a little and placing her arm on her leg. She propped up her elbow on her knee and hunched over, her chin resting in her palm. She seemed locked onto the screen._

 _Hematite glanced between White and the screen. He mimicked her pose and furrowed his brows, watching the visor._

–

Every once in a while, a gem monster or creature would scurry into Howlite's path, making her frown and shoo it away. She had no time for those. The fusion continued on, deeper into the system of cliffs. It was fairly similar in appearance to a kindergarten, but the walls had far more footholds and paths, and the rock was a more reddish color instead of a faded gray.

Soon enough, the gem signals became so muddied that the eyepiece's mini-map was completely useless. Howlite was totally reliant on her senses now.

–

The large fusion remained calm, collected, and focused. She hadn't said a single word since she formed. _Couldn't be long now, could it?_ She'd been walking for a little while now, glancing around at the chasm walls.

 _Crack._

Howlite stopped abruptly in her tracks, tensing up and narrowing her eyes. Her gaze shot in the direction in which she heard the noise. It was faint, probably a little farther away from her... but she could still pick it up. She knew it wasn't her. She hunkered down low near a dip in the wall, eyes scanning the chasm for the source of the movement.

And then she saw it. There, scurrying quickly away, was a much smaller gem. They seemed frantic and were definitely trying to get away from something.

 _She'd been spotted._

–

 _Hematite's half of the fusion was the first to react. The service gem immediately dropped his pseudo-serious demeanor as he straightened up. He'd spotted that. Within an instant, the fusion plane suddenly went quieter. All of Hematite's senses were strained on the noise, and the gem that was quickly scurrying away._

 _The air was tense. Both gems could feel every crack of rock, every footstep, every movement the retreating gem made. Hematite's eyes didn't leave the screen. His instincts were in full effect._

–

Without so much as a sound, Howlite slipped out quickly from her hiding spot in the cliff side She shot after the scout, her eyes never leaving their retreating form. They seemed rather apt at navigating the cliff sides, as they kept ahead of her rather well.

 _But it didn't last long._

Skidding around a corner, the huge fusion looked up to see the small scout gem climbing higher into the rocks. Eyes wide, Howlite crouched low.

 _And then she pounced._

Landing deftly on the sheer cliff side, the fusion parted her feet so she had a heel dug into each of the opposing rock walls, suspending her halfway up the cliff sides Her hand darted forward toward where she'd seen the scout retreat, but she just missed them. The tiny gem yelped and scampered across a small outcropping of rock and crouched low to leap across a large gap, Howlite unnervingly close behind her still.

–

 _White sat back, eyeing both the screen and Hematite now. She felt exactly what he felt. Was this what it was like? To feel such raw instincts? Interesting...very interesting. She smirked and allowed Hema to hold control for this part._

–

The tiny scout gem panted heavily, eyes wide and focused on what was ahead. They dared not look back, they didn't even need to. They could feel Howlite hot on her trail. The fusion's sharp vision kept her locked onto her target. The world went quiet around them, hyper focused. They slowed ever so slightly just for a moment, and the gem before them took a massive breath.

Then she leapt again. This time, her powerful leap landed her with agile precision right in front of the smaller gem. She spun around, her piercing eyes glaring down at the smaller gem who had skidded to a screaming halt. Before they had much time to turn and run, Howlite hunched over them and cast them in shadow.

–

 _As Howlite closed in on her target, Hematite's expression slowly shifted. What was once a wide-eyed look of focus became a satisfied, almost devious smile. Resting his hand on the table beside him, eyes trained on the visor, Hematite suddenly clenched his fist._

–

In an instant, Howlite snatched up the tiny gem in her clawed hand, trapping her in complete darkness. The fusion stayed in her current position for a few long moments. Kicking and shouting in protest, the scout in her hand tried with all their might to pry open the giant gem's fingers from the inside.

Howlite took a slow, even breath, her eyes falling half-closed again. The world around her regained its sound, and her body relaxed. Slowly, she lifted her hand and stood up, the scout still caught entirely in her fist.

–

"Let go of of me! Y-you-" The scout gem stopped, pushing desperately against the fusion's fingers to no avail. Howlite took a slow, deep breath and eased up her hand very slowly. The scout was able to push a single arm and their head out of the fusion's fist, but found themselves stuck. They stopped squirming and their heart sank. "Wh...Who are you!? _What_ are you!?" She asked, cowering. Howlite remained steady, their expression unchanging.

"Where is your base." She spoke, unnaturally sharp teeth hiding behind her lips. She looked like she could bite through _steel_.

"Huh?" The scout blinked, anxiety rising in their chest.

"Your base. Where. Is it?"

"Like I'd tell you that!"

Howlite's grip slowly started to become tighter around the small gem's form. Suddenly, the smaller being started to squirm again, yelling out panicked gibberish.

Howlite stopped squeezing, narrowing her eyes at the smaller gem.

"Talk."

 _Hematite narrowed his eyes, drumming his clawed fingers on the surface of the table. The sound echoed around the room, which was still heavy with the smaller gem's hunter focus. Something else was starting to creep up at the back of Howlite's mind. Another, much stronger_ _ **harvester**_ _instinct._

–

The giant fusion's expression still didn't falter as the scout continued to struggle.

"I can't! I won't! You'll never find it!" she shouted indignantly, gnashing her teeth as she tried to pull herself out of the massive hand with her free arm. If she could just get to her gem for a weapon...

Howlite slowly quirked a brow.

"Perhaps. You didn't hear me correctly," she said calmly, her voice chillingly low.

–

 _Hematite's eyes narrowed, and he suddenly began to mouth something silently as Howlite spoke._

–

In that moment, the fusion's mouth closed, but a _second_ mouth directly below it parted, unnaturally sharp teeth glinting in the pale light. The scout's eyes widened in horror. As Howlite spoke, her voice was just _slightly_ different.

"I asked you where your base is."

–

 _White crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes, watching the screen intently. She felt a strange sensation prickling at the base of her neck. Her grin grew wider, and she glanced over at the service gem. She wanted to say something, but preferred to see how this would play out._

–

"I-I'll never tell you! They'll kill me if they found out I lead someone like _you_ to their base!" She growled, trembling. Howlite's lips twisted up eerily slowly into a small grin.

"I'll give you one last chance to tell me. I will find them one way or another. You should choose wisely."

 _Deep in his chest, Hematite felt the same prickling sensation. He, however, was used to it. The feeling moved up to the base of his jaw, and he narrowed his eyes._

–

The tiny gem in Howlite's fist paused for a long moment, her breathing ragged.

If she refused, she'd be shattered.

If she told this fusion where the base was... she'd still be shattered.

Hell, she was sure that this gem would crush her the moment they got their answer anyways.

Shaking her head, the scout suddenly brought her arm up, covering herself protectively. When she spoke, her voice was trembling with terror.

"I-I can't."

 _The heavy weight filling the fusion plane let up suddenly. Hematite's expression shifted noticeably. He swallowed and glanced away from the screen for a second. It was quick, subtle, but the moment of hesitation was there, followed by a rather strong emotion._

 _ **Empathy and sympathy**_ _._

 _Not_ _ **just**_ _simple sympathy, no. This feeling was far stronger. Hematite's emotions flared up in response to seeing the tiny, cowering gem so desperately scared. The most oppressive part of his instincts backed off for the moment. Looking back at the screen, Hematite began mouthing more words._

–

"Fine. Have it your way." Slowly, Howlite brought the gem closer to her lower mouth, her teeth parting slowly.

 _White drifted her gaze to the service gem, watching him entirely now. She seemed curious now, catching a small hint of the empathetic wave that washed over him. That was surely interesting. Did he always feel this way when he was on the job?_

 _"Hm..." She turned back to the screen, watching the small gem within the fusion's hand. "Go on then."_

–

The small gem's panic flared up, their fingers clawing anxiously at Howlite's hand.

"N-No, Stop!" She stuttered, shutting her eyes tightly. The fusion, however, didn't flinch or slow down. Steadily, her mouth widened, a black clipped tongue extending past her lips. She loosened her grip slightly on the smaller gem, hovering their catch above her mouth. For a moment, the tiny gem opened their eyes, feeling the weight under them shift slightly.

 _They wished they hadn't looked._

 _Glancing at White, Hematite stiffened slightly at her simple sentence._

 _ **Go on then.**_

 _Setting his jaw, Hema turned his attention back to the screen. He frowned, the prickling feeling rising near his gem again._

–

The fusion lowered the tiny scout into her mouth, carefully using her tongue to pull her in past her teeth. Alright, so far so good. After she was sure the gem was out of the way of her teeth, Howlite moved the gem back towards her throat, tilting her head back. She readied a single clawed finger over the gem on her neck, which began to glow.

–

The tiny gem writhed and yelled out in fearful protest, clinging onto the gem's slick, ebony tongue. Closing her eyes briefly, the fusion swallowed thickly, putting a quick end to the tiny scout's cries. The gem on her neck flashed brightly, and soon faded back to normal. Howlite swiped her tongue over the top of her lip. Turning, she faced the direction that the scout had been running in before. _It must be this way, then._

 _White crossed her arms and looked back to the Hematite with the same curious look as before, except now at least she was smirking again._

 _"Had a hard time with that, did you?" She asked, raising a brow. "Don't worry. They will be safe and handled appropriately upon our return to the city. Now... We just need to find that base." She looked sternly to the screen once more._

 _Hematite was sitting with his arms crossed, his view turned away from the screen. He glanced up when White spoke, and his brows furrowed slightly._

 _"I didn't have..._ _ **trouble**_ _with it. That just happens sometimes. I'm getting better at dealing with it. It won't be a problem again this mission."_

–

Howlite began to creep once more in the shadows, her visor still turned off. She knew that the deeper she went into these chasms, the worse the signal would become. Might as well keep it offline.

 _White found his tone a little concerning. Problem? He thought it was a_ _ **problem**_ _? She looked away, deep in thought. No, she shouldn't dwell on that just yet. They had a mission to focus on. But, even so..._

 _The more time ticked by, the more her urge to say something to the service gem grew, until it was impossible to ignore._

–

Howlite made her way through the chasms, placing a palm on the wall for a moment. The rocks felt cold and damp to the touch. Prowling silently, she found a large turnoff in the walls that looked almost like a cave. Sharp rocks jut out from the sides in places. Walking over, she glanced around it's entrance, then inside. It didn't look like it went anywhere, it was just a massive hole in the wall with a few jagged rocks here and there. She looked behind her suspiciously, then back into the cavernous hole in the wall.

 _At this point, Hematite had gone quiet. He focused all his energy on Howlite's senses. Her hearing, her sight, her sharper, inexplicable hunting senses. The ones that told her if someone was nearby or not. For the time, Hematite couldn't get a read on anything. It seemed nobody was around._

 _The service gem, as Howlite continued into the chasms, started to glance at White. He could tell something was up._

 _"White, is there something you want to say?" His tone wasn't aggressive, but it did seem mildly curious. Brows raising, he started to uncross his arms._

 _White blinked quickly, looking over to the other gem._

 _"Ah, right. Well..." She stopped, placing her fingers together. "Why do you think... that what you did was a problem? I thought you handled that very well, honestly." She raised a brow with genuine curiosity. Perhaps she was missing something?..._

 _Hematite blinked in genuine confusion. Well, that certainly was a weird question._

 _"B... because." He looked toward the screen. Seemed Howlite was thinking about something and pacing around her immediate area. "..." Drumming his fingers on the table, he frowned and looked to the side. "A hunter isn't supposed to feel pity toward their target. A harvester shouldn't have such..._ _ **conflicting**_ _emotions distracting them." Hematite was reciting the words as if someone else had spoken them to him._

 _ **It makes me a weaker hunter.**_

 _White stared at him in a strange bafflement for a moment, frowning._

 _"Hematite..." She looked down to her hands, pressing her fingertips into one another, holding her hands steady. "You hardly seemed distracted at all. Feeling these things doesn't make you any less of a skilled harvester. In fact, they're what make you a great one." She looked at him again encouragingly. She smiled. "It keeps you grounded. It keeps you morally in check. And on top of this all, you still get your job done. You should be proud."_

 _ **You don't give yourself enough credit, honestly...**_

 _Hema's brows raised, and he looked at White directly now. He'd caught that last part, even if it was faint. His shoulders relaxed, and he glanced away, almost bashfully._

–

Howlite stopped in her tracks, a hand raising to the gem on her neck. She blinked in surprise, letting out a soft exhale.

"…"

 _The service gem fidgeted quietly._

 _"Do you... really think I'm a great harvester? But the other Hematites are so much more efficient." His tone seemed like he was taking White's words to heart, but that there was more self doubting than actual hatred toward his empathetic nature. He didn't seem to actually think his emotions were a problem, but instead, seemed afraid that_ _ **others**_ _thought they were a problem._

 _White leaned over and looked at Hematite's eyes, more level to him now._

 _"Efficient in what way? They are careless. They rely too much on instincts. Emotions like empathy are what keep gems from becoming drone-like. We might as well have robots for that kind of stuff. You, Hematite, are careful. Thoughtful. You think critically, and feeling empathy towards gems makes you far more trustworthy in my opinion." She leaned back once more, sitting up straight. "There's a reason I picked you and no other. You shouldn't doubt yourself, Hematite. You are just as capable if not_ _ **more**_ _capable than any of the other Hematites."_

 _Though he had to brace himself, Hematite managed to keep himself level with White without flinching back. He gazed at her, wide-eyed._

 _ **Makes you far more trustworthy in my opinion.**_

 _Hematite rubbed his arm and looked away._

 _ **You shouldn't doubt yourself.**_

 _The service gem's expression became unreadable._

 _ **You are just as capable if not more capable than any of the other Hematites.**_

 _Clearing his throat, Hematite looked back at the visor screen. A strange mix of emotions was coming from him, but he suddenly seemed to be... hiding something. There was a hint of pride there, excitement, but there was something_ _ **else**_ _._

 _Something that, unbeknownst to White, Hema had felt before. He'd felt it when he first defeated Blue in the arena. He felt it when Morgan admitted that Hema would have beaten him in their first spar, had it continued. He felt it whenever he managed to finally capture a particularly difficult harvest target._

 _There was_ _ **no**_ _word for this emotion. It was fear of himself, it was apprehension, it was a deep-seeded distrust of himself. He didn't_ _ **want**_ _to feel powerful, he didn't_ _ **want**_ _to know what he was capable of, he didn't_ _ **want**_ _others to tell him how good he was at his job._

 _ **But he also did. He absolutely did. And that scared him more than anything.**_

 _But despite this cocktail of conflicting emotions, Hematite kept himself well in check, and the feeling passed within a moment, barely registering in the fusion plane. It was there, certainly, but not long enough for White to get a full read on it._

 _"Thank you, White... Let's catch these rebels, eh? They gotta be around here somewhere."_

 _White felt more of that than she would have admitted. It didn't exactly make her uncomfortable, but she could tell that despite her words, something wasn't sitting right with him. Maybe someday he would understand...maybe someday she would understand how_ _ **he**_ _could think like this. Of all her years working with him, there was still so much to learn. Still, she said nothing, offering him another warm smile._

 _"Ah, yes. Now... I think I know what we should do. Wandering around isn't doing us much good." She squinted, placing a finger on her chin, perplexed. She had an idea._

 _Looking fully at White, Hematite crossed one leg over the other, bobbing his foot in place._

 _"What else can we do? We've been searching this place for a while, we could be here all night. Maybe if we tracked that scout's gem signature for more like it, or if we made some racket around here, they'd come out..."_

 _"No, that won't work. Hematite, how about I teach you a trick." She smirked, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. The focus of the fusion felt as though it were changing. The air shifted subtly, but hardly enough to notice._

–

Howlite shifted suddenly, turning her head to face the walls. The cavernous holes had become more and more frequent now, one every mile or two. She stopped, staring into the next one that she came across. She turned, walking into it. Darkness soon shrouded the huge fusion, concealing them from the outside. Anyone who wasn't paying very close attention could easily miss her. She crouched low, behind a few rocks that jutted up from the ground. Narrowing her eyes, she watched quietly and carefully.

 _Looking around, Hematite noticed the change in control. It happened rather easily. He leaned back in his chair and watched curiously, his brows raised. Hopefully he'd learn something new about hunting..._

 _As Howlite hunkered down into one of the dark holes, Hema arched a brow in confusion._

 _"We're going to... wait? White, we'll be here all night!"_

 _"If that's what it takes." She smirked, opening her eyes and sitting back in her chair Idly. "You must have patience. As much patience as you need. Watch, if someone is headed to the base, we will find them and track them quietly. We'll let them lead us to the camp," she said, a little slyly._

 _Blinking, the service gem looked between the screen and White, and then back again. After about five minutes of silence, the smaller gem tilted his head back over the edge of his chair, his arms hanging limply at his sides._

 _"Uuuugh," he groaned, sounding more like a child than a gem on a mission. He wasn't known for being patient, and he hated waiting around and doing nothing._

 _After his momentary, non-verbal complaint, Hematite leaned forward again and rested his elbows on the table, holding his chin in his hands._

 _This was going to take a while._

Two hours passed, and nothing eventful happened. Every now and then, a gem creature would scurry by, keeping Howlite alert. Grimacing, she'd quietly flick a rock at them to get them to go away.

 _"Hematite, be patient. This is the third time you've imagined tea that you cannot drink." the Diamond said, holding up a fake teapot with minor annoyance. "You're honestly just making me thirsty." She rolled her eyes, dropping the teapot which exploded into a cloud of white dust. Suddenly, her attention jerked towards the screen. Something was up._

–

 _Before Howlite's attention was grabbed, Hematite's upper half was sprawled face first on the table. His voice was muffled._

 _"But Whiiiiiite I'm so bored and all I can think about is the tea this morniiiing. Nobody's even coming-" He stopped cold as Howlite's senses trained on an approaching sound, and he quickly lifted his head, his attention focused on the screen._

–

Howlite's eyes narrowed as she fixated on a sound that was coming closer. _Footsteps_. _Finally_. She got as low to the ground as she could and waited.

Sure enough, their patience had rewarded them. A tall, medium built blue gem walked in front of the entrance, casually swinging the braid of their hair in their hand. Their navy hair was tied up, a good 3 and a half feet long. Easily half of their height. They didn't even notice they were being watched.

"MNnnghh blasted meetings. Why do they always gotta take place at night? I'm so tired and this place is so confusing in the dark," she muttered, just out of earshot, for a normal gem. However, for Howlite, it was more than loud enough.

–

As the gem passed, Howlite's eyepiece silently came online. Eyes narrowing, she hesitated before crawling from her hiding place. No, this part of the mission needed something more than just her eyepiece. Lifting her hand to her face, the fusion gem flicked it over her eyes, summoning a hunting visor. She made sure to keep the light off. She could see this gem well enough without it, after all. Slowly crawling out of her hiding spot after the gem had walked some distance, the huge fusion crept silently after the warrior, unseen, unheard.

The hunting visor began to scan.

 _Well, he'd never seen that kind of gem before. Must've been a rarer subclass. Hematite's eyes flickered over the gem text that came on the screen, and he mumbled some of the finer stats to himself before finally reading the main text._

 _"Gem found: Kyanite. Status: No gem faults detected. Mission Objective..." His eyes narrowed. "Follow."_

–

Night loomed overhead, thick clouds blocking out the majority of the sky. The Kyanite warrior kept twirling their hair casually, glancing from side to side every now and then. Unbeknownst to the warrior, a huge gem was following unnervingly close behind. Howlite made no noise when she moved. She didn't breath, she didn't step down too quickly. She crept closer and closer, carefully eyeing the warrior.

Soon, the smaller gem stopped at one of the massive holes in the wall. She let go of her hair and looked up, observing the shape of the entrance. _Yep, this is it._ She stepped inside.

–

Howlite's eyes narrowed, and she stopped following the Kyanite, though her gaze didn't leave her for a moment.

 _What are you up to._

Watching carefully, the fusion made no move to get closer, lest she be seen.

 _Hematite's own eyes squinted slightly. Was this gem aware they were being followed? Were they leading them into a trap? Surely they couldn't be that calm if they knew they were being tracked. Hematite craned his neck, trying to see what was going on._

–

The warrior paced quietly through the entrance, looking to her left.

"Hm..." she hummed out curiously. "Ah, here we go." Quietly, she scurried off somewhere just behind the jutted rocks. Howlite's eyes widened, slowly making a move for the cavern. Once inside, she noticed there was another opening in the wall, much smaller than the entrance. However, it was just big enough for the fusion to squeeze through. She smirked. _Bingo_.

–

Slowly, the fusion made her way down a rather large, cavernous tunnel. The Kyanite stayed about fifty to a hundred feet ahead, still seemingly unaware that she was being followed.

Eventually, the tunnel began to open up, and Howlite could see a distant light.

–

 _"Looks like we're here. Are you ready, Hematite? Whatever happens next is up to us to take care of. It could get messy." She rolled her shoulders, shooting him a side glance. "I'll need your full cooperation."_

–

Howlite started to crouch low again, now seemingly 'crawling' on the cold stone floor. She picked up noises in the distance. It was far enough away that words couldn't be made out, but she could definitely tell there was some kind of talking. Slowing down as the Kyanite turned, she figured it was almost time to strike. She stood a little taller, grabbing onto the wall when she had gotten close to the turn herself. Her eyes narrowed, and she listened in on whatever was going on on the other end of the hall.

 _Turning to his leader, Hematite nodded with a serious frown. He wasn't sure what was going to happen, but he realized that White knew what she was doing. He was just there in case something went wrong. Looking back at the screen, Hematite sat up straighter._

–

Howlite moved closer, her shadowy cover quickly being blown. Her feet were the first thing to come into view of whoever was in the hideout, though she stopped at that point. Her entire top half was still cast in deep shadow. She folded her arms behind her back.

–

It didn't take long for the rebels to notice their unwelcome guest. From the looks of things, there were about 15 gems, 5 of them much smaller than the other 10. They were likely the scouts or the workers. The biggest one, a red gem, stood up and took a slow breath, sticking out their jaw threateningly. It was obvious they were not impressed or intimidated by the massive being standing in the hall's entrance.

"Whadda you think you're doin' 'ere? This is a private get togetha'. I suggest you be on your way, lest me n'the gems escort you out." he snarled with a thick accent, narrowing his eyes up at the fusion.

Howlite, too, was unphased.

"By the order of the Diamond Authority, you are all to be brought to justice. You can come quietly with us, or we can take action. It's your choice." She spoke simply. Short, sweet, and to the point.

The red gem blinked in confusion, but quickly erupted into a harsh, guttural laughter. The rest of the gems soon followed in his actions.

"HUUuuwaaah. You think you're funny do ye? Weeeeelll now. I don't take kindly to jokes, doll. How'sa bout I give you an option. You can take yer pretty lil' self outta this cave, or the gems and I'll give ya somethin' to run from." He squinted with a sly, toothy grin. He slammed his fist into his palm, cracking his knuckles again on impact.

Howlite's expression remained calm and unmoved. Her eyes narrowed under her visor, too faint to see by anyone else.

 _Hematite's expression noticeably twitched, and he stood up from the small table he was seated at. Doll? DOLL? Who was this gem calling 'doll'? How dare he!_

 _"Oh I'll give you something to run from, you little-" Hematite began rolling up his sleeves, his eyes narrowing._

 _White cleared her throat loudly, narrowing her eyes at the service gem._

 _"Sit down." She said sternly, glaring back at the screen._

–

 _Flinching, Hematite stopped and sat back down, his arms crossed. After a pause, he adjusted his sleeves back to normal._

Howlite took a single step out from the shadows towards the group. Her face was now completely uncovered from the darkness. Slowly looking down, her mask hid her eyes completely for the moment.

"I don't think you heard me the first time. Allow me to make myself clear." She said, both of her mouths curling into a soft, calm smile. Suddenly, _both_ mouths started speaking in ominous unison.

 **"You are under arrest. You may come with me peacefully, or we will take you by force. Either way, you're going back to the city. Those that choose to go peacefully will be given a fair trial and likely relocated to a faction with the minimal consequences that we can allow for your crimes. However..."** Her visor screen suddenly flickered, revealing the fusion's eyes under the mask. But they looked different. With black scleroses and smaller, white irises, they pierced the group below and froze many in place with her deadly gaze.

 **"If you do not cooperate, I.** _ **Will**_ **. Take action."**

Many of the rebels were frozen in place. They stared in horror at the huge fusion's eyes and visor. With a sudden change of expression, it was clear that a few of them even knew what that visor meant. And they wanted no part of it. Three of the gems, two smaller and one warrior sized, put their hands up and backed away from the rest of the group. A few of the larger gems glowered at their comrades, looking almost offended. One of them demanded that the three get back in their places, while another drew their weapon and glared up at Howlite.

–

Howlite placed her hands on her hips and glared down at the group, tapping her nails slowly. She said nothing. The three warriors that had backed off nervously looked between the group and the fusion, but knew it was better if they cooperated.

"PAH! Alla' ya are a buncha COWARDS!" The red gem spat angrily "No matter. You'll all pay for this one way or another." He reached for his gem, which was on his shoulder, and pulled out a massive cleaver. "GET EM, GEMS." He hissed. At his command, the rest of the warrior gems yelled out in anger, all of them advancing towards Howlite. The remaining smaller gems, however, stayed behind and nodded at each other. Their gems started to glow.

Howlite cracked her neck and took a deep breath.

 _ **Alright, have it your way.**_

 _ **"I never did like Spinels."**_

 _Hematite rolled his shoulders and clutched onto his chair tightly, watching White and the screen intently. He'd wait for her to give the sign to step in._

–

The three gems that had surrendered hurried back to the furthest part of the room, all huddling together. They hoped and prayed that this would be over quickly, and that the fusion would keep true to her word.

Two of the warrior class gems, instead of advancing toward Howlite, stood back some distance, their gems glowing. But they weren't fusing, they were summoning their weapons. Quickly, the two pulled out a pair of bows. They quickly drew back the strings, arming them with elemental arrows.

 _Great, a pair of archers._

–

With a fierce arch of her back, Howlite's lip started to twitch. She narrowed her eyes, standing tall above everyone else. Through the rush, the warriors were ready to pounce. They didn't get very far.

With clenched fists, Howlite took a massive breath. With a fire in her eyes that wasn't there before, she opened both of her mouths and let out a blood curdling **roar**. 4 of the Warriors stopped dead in their tracks, scrambling back a few steps. All of the others dropped their weapons and covered their ears. The Spinel's eyes widened in fierce anger, quickly looking to the smaller gems.

The sheer sound of Howlite's scream shook the room, creating small tremors up the walls. Rocky, jagged stalactites shook and crumbled on the ceiling above, raining dirt and small debris down upon the gem's heads.

 _There was an opening. With the warriors distracted, she could make a move._

–

The three gems in the corner covered their heads as the room shook. Trembling, they backed further away.

Howlite took her window of opportunity and shot forward. She quickly slapped one of the larger warriors away into the wall, stunning them. Her other hand shot out and knocked away three others. Two of them hit the wall, hard, and there were two 'poffs' that followed. She'd get those in a minute.

Electricity started to spark between the fusion's clawed fingers. Her hands tensed, and the sparking energy suddenly coursed up the length of her entire arm. A grin spread across her face, and she quickly slammed her hands down on the wet surface of the cave floor, sending a wave of electricity through it. Two more of the warriors and smaller gems cried out in pain as they tried to stumble back away from the fusion. They ended up collapsing, no longer able to attack.

At this point, two more of the gems dropped their weapons and fled back to the corner of the room.

Only four more to go.

–

One of the last worker gems standing looked up at the Spinel, having stayed up when the others took a fall. They gave their leader a nod of understanding, their gem glowing brightly. With a frustrated huff, the Spinel looked to the worker and put their weapon away. His gem, too, started to glow. A warrior who caught a glimpse of the action turned to their leader and made a break for them. Their gem, too, started to glow. This wouldn't take long.

One of the last warriors standing lunged themselves onto Howlite's foot, sticking their weapon onto her leg. With a pained screech, the fusion angrily grabbed hold of the warrior by the back of their outfit, lifting them up to her face with a predatory snarl. The warrior's eyes grew wide in horror, flinching.

 _Hematite didn't move from his spot, but his eyes were staring at the screen, wide as saucers. His instincts spiked again. Without warning, the prickling sensation came back stronger than ever in both of the gem's throats. Hematite felt the_ _ **tiniest**_ _smirk cross his face._

 _ **Shouldn't have done that.**_

–

Howlite, without a second thought, tossed the warrior gem into one of her mouths. She wasted no time in transferring them to her pocket dimension. Her neck gem flashed, and she lowered her gaze again, a sneer still present on her face. Her attention now turned to the last of the rebels, whom, while she was distracted, had started to fuse.

And it looked like they were almost entirely formed.

–

Howlite bared her fangs and growled at the new fusion. They formed, just shorter than Howlite by a foot or so and twice as built. They bore 4 arms and 6 eyes, and long braided hair that extended down to the floor. They reeled back and, much like how Howlite did before, let out a horrendous roar. The gems who had either been defeated or surrendered cowered again, but Howlite remained calm and collected, albeit fierce. At the same time, both of the fusions reached for their gems and summoned their weapons. The rebel fusion summoned a massive buster sword that was soon lit with bright red flames. Howlite's was a massive pole arm much like White's weapon, flowing with electricity. There were sharp spikes sticking out from the ends of the pole, far more than usual. She spun it around mid air before pointing it directly at the opposing fusion. The visor once more glazed over, concealing her eyes.

 _Hematite glared at the new fusion and felt a few beads of sweat form on his brow. So this is why White didn't send him alone. He wouldn't stand a chance against that thing. He nervously glanced at his leader._

 _"I'm afraid this is all yours, White Diamond."_

 _My limited combat skills aren't going to help us here._

 _Fiercely, White glared at the screen. She'd never taken her eyes off of it. There was a tense pressure in the fusion plane. She was focused._

With blinding speed, both fusions thrust their weapons forward, clanging loudly against each other. Anyone who was left on the ground had quickly managed to scurry off to the side lines. They weren't going to risk getting in the middle of that. With loud growls, both fusions were hot on each other's trail, mimicking each other's movement. Howlite ducked and kicked upwards, delivering a swift blow to the other fusion's jaw. They faltered, but quickly recovered and swung their blade. Howlite had already predicted that they would make a swing and got out of the way many seconds before the fusion could register that they had moved already. Howlite smirked, twisting their electrified pole arm in their hand and bounding a few large steps back. Hissing, the opposing fusion rushed forward with their flaming sword in hand. Howlite rolled her eyes. _Really? This is so unfortunately predictable_. As soon as the fusion got close enough, Howlite ducked low and dived under their legs. The fusion, caught off guard but still running at full speed, slammed their sword into the wall, wedging it harshly into a new found crack.

"WHAT?!" They snarled, pulling at the sword. The flames extinguished, and worse yet the sword was stuck.

 _Hematite watched with wide eyes. He was silently taking notes. He'd never seen White fight. She was precise, tricky, fast. It seemed she was always two steps ahead of her enemy._

–

Howlite quickly turned and tossed her pole arm to her opposite hand, grasping it with both her fists. Letting out an earsplitting roar, she lunged forward, quickly closing in on the distracted fusion.

 _ **SHIK**_

With a sickening grunt, the rebel fusion went stiff. Howlite's pole arm was buried deep in their back.

The white-haired fusion's eyes were cold. Bright electricity shot up through her weapon, the violent energy overtaking the opposing fusion. They cried out, and their body began to glow and warp unstably. The three gems poofed apart, landing heavily on the floor, stunned. Seemed one of them had been poofed in the unfusing process, leaving only the Spinel leader and the Kyanite gem.

–

Howlite was quickly upon them, bringing her foot down upon the poofed gem that fell. A sharp, grim crunch soon followed. The Spinel and the Kyanite both looked up slowly at Howlite who was now still towering above them with the same cold gaze she had before.

"That was so painfully quick. How sad. And here I thought you'd be more of a challenge." She sneered venomously She quickly lifted her pole arm and before either of them could react, the bladed end swiped clean through their projections, immediately reducing them both to a cloud of colored smoke.

"Hmph." There was a cold silence that filled the damp air of the cavern.

Reaching down, Howlite picked up the two gems on the ground and fizzled her weapon away. She brought them both up to her face, narrowing her eyes.

"Such a shame it had to end this way. Oh well, we did give you a chance at least." Without another word, she opened her mouth and tossed the gems in.

A muffled snap could be heard by anyone listening carefully enough. Turning her head slowly to the cowering gems in the corner, she gulped quietly. The visor phased back, revealing her eyes again. This time, thankfully, they had returned to normal. She seemed much calmer.

 _Hematite was staring at White sidelong, holding his breath._

 _He. Hadn't done any of that. That was_ _ **all**_ _White and Howlite._

 _Swallowing quietly, Hematite stood and walked over beside his leader._

 _"White, would you like me to handle the rest of this?~" He offered calmly, smiling coyly at the taller gem._

–

Howlite gave the defeated and surrendered gems a look that told them not to try any funny business, and began pacing around the room, collecting the gems that had been poofed. She placed each of them in small, silvery bubbles and quickly stored them away in her neck gem.

 _White sat up straight and gave Hematite a narrow eyed look. Pursing her lips, she looked back to the screen and tilted her head down, watching carefully._

 _"Yes. I believe I've done my job here." She said, placing her hands on her legs calmly. Raising her brows, the pressure in the air seemed to fade away. She was relaxing._

 _ **They can never make this easy, can they. Hmph.**_

 _Smiling, Hematite turned to the screen and rolled his shoulders calmly. He stood in front of the visor with his arms folded neatly behind him._

–

Turning to the defeated rebels, Howlite narrowed her eyes. She crouched down and picked up two of them by the backs of their outfits, lifting them above the ground. One of them began throwing aimless punches toward the fusion's face, and she rolled her eyes at her. Howlite quickly tossed the warrior in her mouth, making short work of her. Her gem flashed as she stored the rebel away. She opened her eyes again and glared at the second rebel in her hand.

"Are you going to be difficult?"

Covering their mouth, the gem slowly shook their head. Howlite's mouths curled into an eerily calm smile.

"Good.~" With a 'plip', a larger silver bubble formed around the rebel gem. It shrank down just slightly to better encase them, though it did still give them some moving room. The worker gem pressed their hands against the surface of the bubble in confusion as they looked around. It didn't take Howlite long to store the gem away.

She turned to the last few gems that had surrendered without a fight.

–

"Now." The two voices spoke once more, stern and loud. There was a stillness to the air, and the gems who had surrendered all stared up in terror. However, Howlite made no sudden movements towards them. "Firstly, I'd like to thank you for your cooperation. I shall see to it that you are all dealt with accordingly and fairly. Secondly, I'm going to present you all with more options. You can choose to travel back to the White district in a bubble, or I can carry you. Or...you can walk in front of me on your own. Do not worry, I will walk slow enough to keep up with you." She narrowed her eyes. "Those who choose to walk will be monitored accordingly. Don't try to run off, it _won't_ work." She said.

Alright, time to organize. Who was traveling in what way?

 _White watched Hematite with curious intention. Now that she was a lot calmer, the whole demeanor of the place felt placid as well. He's handling this well. Really well. She smiled softly, watching the screen. He seemed to know all the right things to say here. Excellent..._

 _With his back to White, Hematite occasionally brushed his fingers together or turned his head just slightly as he spoke with the gems through Howlite. The rush of hunter instincts had passed, though there still lingered a peculiar drive to go ahead and round up all the gems by force. It was very faint, however, and didn't seem to be getting any stronger. In fact, it felt as though the urge was slowly backing off as Hematite controlled the business at hand._

–

Soon enough, after some coaxing, Howlite had all her gems in a row. Surprisingly enough, one of the rebels had taken the bubble offer, and the fusion was kind enough to transfer them directly to her neck gem, no mouths involved. The others all chose to be carried, aside from one. The largest warrior didn't seem keen on making any sort of contact with Howlite.

Kneeling down, the fusion gem reached her clawed hands to the rest of the rebel gems, who all flinched to some degree. She slowly scooped them up, making sure to be careful, but firm.

She picked up the last one in her other hand and stood straight. Turning back to the exit of the base, she stared at the warrior gem that had refused to take a ride. She nodded her head toward the exit.

"Get a move on. It's a long walk."

–

The warrior gem scowled, grumbling something under their breath. Howlite cleared her throat, and the smaller gem flinched. They quickly started for the exit, but not quickly enough for it to be considered a running escape. Howlite, carefully holding the rest of the rebels, followed after the warrior. It would be daylight again by the time they even got close to the city. This was going to take a while.

 _White stood up from her seat and placed one of her palms in her hands. She looked between the screen and Hematite, smiling. Slowly, she turned away from them and looked out to the rest of the fusion plane. It was warm, the familiar smell of peppermint tea filled the air somehow. Even if it was a phantom scent, it was nice. Despite everything, it was absolutely serene here._

–

Howlite trailed after the warrior, but stopped toward the end of the tunnel. She turned and narrowed her eyes. After a long pause, which she used to look up and down the narrow entrance of the base, the fusion suddenly reeled her leg back and delivered a sharp blow to the side of the cliff, cracking it violently. Rocks fell in a clumsy heap in front of the tunnel, completely blocking it off. Some of the rebels in the giant gem's hands flinched, while one of them actually let out a sigh of relief. They were glad this whole ordeal was over.

 _Not_ _ **all**_ _of them wanted to work for Spinel._

Howlite turned to the currently startled warrior gem and narrowed her eyes.

"Keep moving or I'm _going_ to pick you up."

The fusion continued on down the chasm she'd come from. The tiny gems in her hands shifted every once in a while as they spoke among themselves. One of them was giving Howlite a few cautiously curious glances as she spoke quietly with a smaller greenish gem beside her, while one of the rebels peered quietly over the edge of the giant hand they rested on. They quickly yelped and scrambled back, regretting their choice to look down.

 _Hematite, upon gazing at the gems in Howlite's hands for a few moments, felt the smallest of smiles grace his lips. His shoulders relaxed considerably. All the tension left the fusion plane now, leaving nothing but the calming tone it had when he and White first fused. He stopped fidgeting behind his back. An odd emotion began faintly radiating from him, but it was hard to pinpoint exactly what it was … at first._

 _White felt a calmness in the air. But then, she felt something else. There was a strange presence of joy._ _ **Protectiveness**_ _. Some form of pleasant contentment. She sighed quietly, staring out at the flowing hair on the horizon. All things considered, this went really well. She was glad for it, and she was glad to see how well Hematite had handled this mission._

–

The smaller warrior gem paced quickly, visibly nervous. As fast as they walked, it didn't seem to be doing them much good. Especially with a massive fusion walking mere feet from them. Every time he slowed down, she would make a quick remark that reminded him to keep up his pace. The gems within Howlite's hand, as time went by, peered over the side gradually. It seemed they were getting slightly more used to traveling this way. One of them glanced down at the warrior, rolling their eyes. _Ugh...this would be soooo much quicker if this crystal shrimp wasn't such a wuss!_

–

Howlite, after finally reaching the end of the chasms, stopped walking and sighed heavily.

"Alright, this isn't going to work. You have two choices. You can either join your comrades up here, or you can be bubbled and transferred. Pick."

 _Hematite shifted his weight from side to side quietly. A strange, different kind of warmth had spread throughout the fusion plane. Before, it felt like early sunshine and the glow of sunset, but this warmth felt... Well._

 _There was a hint of sympathy in it. As if Hematite knew how the warrior gem was feeling. He understood where their hesitation was coming from. And, despite everything this rebel faction had been accused of in the past, there was an odd sort of... protective nature keeping Howlite from being rough or forceful with the remaining gems._

–

The warrior anxiously pressed two fingers together, frowning.

"U-uuuh..." They looked away briefly. More gems peeked over the fusion's hands and waved.

"Come ooooon man, we'll be traveling for HOURS if you don't do something!" one of them called down. Another looked down, smiling awkwardly.

"Hey, come up here, it's actually not that bad when ya get used to the height change!"

 _White turned her head to face Hematite, looking at him with more thoughts. Everything she wanted to say before was coming back...as well as other things. Things she didn't want to think about. She frowned, almost sadly, and looked away again. No, she couldn't feel like this now. He had done well. He had performed, once again, to her expectations and beyond. She was happy for him. She was_ _ **proud**_ _of him. She forced a smile, turning to the service gem at last._

 _"You did well today, Hematite."_

The warrior narrowed their eyes, looking away awkwardly. They huffed loudly before tossing their arms up in frustration and defeat.

"Fine, fine! Let's just get this over with." They crossed their arms in resignation as Howlite bent down and picked them up. She placed the warrior onto her palm and stood straight again, continuing back toward the main city. Now that she didn't have to wait, this would be much quicker. Hopefully, she'd be back before dawn.

 _Hematite wore a satisfied smile now that all the gems were being carried safely back to the diamond towers. He perked when White spoke to him, and he turned with a bright grin._

 _"Thank you, White... I uhm." He finally turned away from the visor screen and rubbed the back of his head, messing with his hair. "Th-thank you. For this opportunity." Looking up at her, his eyes were bright with undisguised admiration. His enthusiasm had returned from a job well done, and his fists balled up in front of him once more. "This was incredible! I learned so much, so much more than I thought I would!" As he continued on, a powerful mix of emotions filled the fusion plane._

 _Excitement, adoration, awe, satisfaction of a mission gone well... and something else. Something_ _ **stronger.**_

 _"I can't believe how amazing this has been, and I'm so glad..." He turned away slightly, holding his arm. "I'm glad I'm the one who got to experience it with you." As Hematite turned to gaze up at his leader, the feeling suddenly sharpened._

 _ **It was love.**_

 _Love for his leader, love for his job, love for being able to fuse and learn so many new things in such a short time. And, deep within the powerful emotion, there was even a spark of love for_ _ **himself**_ _._

 _The diamond fell silent, eyes wide and staring at the enthusiastic gem going on in front of her. Her smile widened, brows raising. Was this relief? Happiness? A mix of both? She couldn't tell. All she could feel was love. It was resonating from the Hematite, a different kind of warmth flooding her emotions._

 _"Hah... Hahah..." She chuckled quietly, watching the gem gleefully, like a mother who was content to see her child happy. He'd been through many rough times, and she knew he had quite a few problems with his own self confidence. But this...this gave her hope. This gave her happiness. Seeing him this way, to know that he was still Hematite, that he was the gem she knew him to be, inside and out, despite all this troubles. To know that he was so grateful, so passionate, so efficient! She placed her palm on her cheek and turned a little, grinning ear to ear. She couldn't find the words to express herself, but she definitely felt it. She absolutely felt it; a mix of many different emotions. Though, somewhere in there laid a faint, almost masked feeling... one of vague guilt._

 _ **I'm so happy for you... I just want**_ **you** _**to be happy...**_

 _ **I'm sorry.**_

 _Hematite continued on for a few minutes, going over everything he'd learned from her. The patient tactics, the intimidation methods, the stalking and fighting techniques, the new gem type! He and White had taken out a whole troublesome faction together!_

 _Eventually he trailed off when he caught wind of White's own mix of emotions... specifically the last one._

 _His smile faded momentarily, but he quickly forced it to return._

 _"White, I'm absolutely going to put everything you taught me to use one day soon! I_ _ **promise**_ _!" He grinned from ear to ear, but something in the plane shifted._ _ **He was hiding something again.**_ _"I_ _ **already**_ _feel like a better harvester!"_

 _Unbeknownst to White, it was a feeling of his own sort of guilt. He wanted to make her happy. He wanted her to know he didn't blame her for his... well. Flaws. His_ _ **doomed**_ _flaws. He didn't want her to think about that. And honestly,_ _ **he**_ _didn't want to think about that either._

 _"But for now, let's get these rebels back to the capital!"_

 _White looked to the gem and nodded slowly._

 _"I'm happy to hear you've learned so much. I'm glad I could help you..." she said, taking a few steps forward. A warm breeze from seemingly nowhere brushed past them. She placed her hands on his shoulders, closing her eyes. "You're already such a wonderful Harvester. Please do not doubt yourself... alright?" She opened her eyes again, this time looking back to the screen. She turned and walked behind him, placing her hands in front of her. "We'll arrive in a few hours. Hematite... perhaps, I could hear some of your stories?" She turned her head, glancing at him from the side. "I hear about your missions from your reports, but I want to hear about them from you. Would you like to talk about some? I'm sure you've had quite a few thrilling adventures that the reports don't do justice!"_

 _Hematite smiled up at her, his eyes closing at the warm breeze. As White walked away a few paces, he looked around the fusion plane curiously. He closed his eyes again._

 _"I'll try not to."_

 _The service gem perked when White proposed he talk about some of his missions. With a look of absolute joy, he turned to her, his eyes shining._

 _"Y-YES! Of course, oh stars I have some great ones!" Sitting down at the small table, he was already beginning one of his tales from a few years back that brought him to the bottom of an ocean, on a far-off planet._

–

Howlite felt a small, contented smile grace her lips. A warmth spread through her whole being, and she closed her eyes as she walked, a calm air washing over her.

Perhaps this walk wouldn't feel as long as she thought.


	40. Perspective

_Summary: Hematite visits Yellow Diamond before going on a mission._

There was an odd density to the air in White's office, today. What was normally peaceful and warm felt tense and chilled for some reason. The diamond sat at her desk quietly, fingers interlocked, staring at a small box.

"May I get you anything, my Diamond?" a voice called from the other side of the room. It was the pearl, standing calmly at attention. White sighed and shook her head.

"No, nothing right now. There won't be time for tea today I'm afraid," she responded solemnly. She stared up at the door now, waiting with bated breath for someone to come in. For something to happen. Anything. Anything but _this._

–

A knock sounded on the door. The office entrance hissed open, and Hematite was standing at attention on the other side, his eyepiece oddly missing from his face. He was holding a diamond pad in his hand, and quickly put it back in his gemstone. Stepping inside, he stopped and saluted.

"Hematite reporting, White Diamond. I've finished briefing for my next mission. I'm ready to depart." Glancing at the box near White's hands, the service gem felt something twinge in the back of his mind. He recognized that box.

 _Don't._

"Has something changed?" he asked simply, trying to smile.

–

White gave Hematite a concerned frown and looked down to the box.

"Come in, please. Before you go, there is... something that I need you to do." She grimaced, tapping a finger on the box and turning it slightly. "I'm afraid Yellow Diamond's condition has worsened. She has ceased all communications from the outside world, even from Blue and I. This is incredibly dire... I've tried everything. I've tried even going to her myself on multiple occasions. Even if I do manage to get into her office, she just sits there silently... Please, Hematite, I don't know what else to do..." Her eyes widened, looking at the box. There was soft desperation in her tone. Shrugging her shoulders low, she closed her eyes and took a breath. "I need you to try and talk to her one more time. Maybe seeing you will snap her out of this mess. Maybe it's a long shot, but I've tried everything else... I... don't know what to do anymore. I truly don't."

–

Hematite's smile quickly faded, and he stood at attention, a deep frown on his face.

"I don't know what to do either. I've tried everything I can with her." He suddenly looked away. "She'll probably just attack me again." _After what I saw in that nightmare of hers... It's no wonder she's gotten worse._ Hematite sighed through his nose and slowly looked at the box. He was silent for a long moment. "... But. If it'd make you feel better, I'll try one more time." He stepped forward and carefully picked up the tea box. Looking up, he gave White a weak smile. "If I don't come back, you know what happened." He was joking, clearly, but there was a tinge of seriousness to it.

Without waiting for her response, he started to walk out of the office.

–

White lifted her finger like she was going to say something, but remained silent. As the door hissed shut behind him, she crossed one arm over the other and sighed. "Good luck, then."

–

–

 _Please don't attack me._

 _Please stop hating me._

 _I haven't done anything since that day..._

 _Why is this still bothering you._

 _Please, you're worrying White and Blue._

 _Yellow..._

The Yellow District was, as per the usual lately, cast completely in darkness by rolling thunderclouds. Lightning coursed through the sky, ominously lighting the district buildings now and then. Hematite stood in front of the large doors to Yellow Diamond's office, gazing up at it. His hands began to shake. Swallowing, he steadied himself and took a deep breath. He knocked.

–

The door opened a couple of inches, and there in the space between was Yellow's pearl. She glared at the service gem, turning up her nose to him in a snooty way.

"UGH... _you_ again? Look, Hematite, can't you take a hint? No, can't you take an **order**? It's very simple...Yellow does not want to see you, or anyone under any circumstances. I thought we'd been over this." She scowled.

–

 _Ugh,_ _ **her**_ _again._

Hematite frowned and, much like the last time, held up the box of tea, muttering, "Yes, I can take an order. _An order from White Diamond._ Let me in."

–

The Pearl narrowed her eyes, lip twitching. The door closed quickly, but for a moment stayed shut. Then it opened again. The room was still in its horrendous state that Hematite had seen before, except now at least the lights had been fixed entirely. The tall Diamond stood on the other side of the room, back turned to the door. She was staring out the window, her palms placed firmly on the glass. She didn't make any moves or speak any words. Did she even know that anyone had come in?...

–

Well... the room at least looked a little less ominous with the lights having been fixed. At the sight of Yellow, Hematite took a deep, steadying breath.

 _Here goes everything._

The service gem took a single pace into the room.

"Hematite reporting, Yellow Diamond."

–

Her shoulders tensed suddenly, but she didn't respond. Slowly, she turned her head, glaring at him wide eyed. The air got thicker, suddenly.

"What. Are you doing... here..." she hissed quietly.

The Pearl stood away from the two, eyeing one of the doors in the back. She took the opportunity to leave. She knew what happened last time, she was _not_ going to stay here and risk getting poofed or worse from any crossfire that was about to happen.

–

Hematite tensed as the Pearl left. _Oh, great. Now there weren't any witnesses. Wonderful._ He gazed at Yellow, visibly nervous. Swallowing once, he shakily held out the tea box.

"It's okay. White knows I'm here. I'm not going to pull any stunts, I'm just here to talk. I'll even leave the door open if it helps..."

–

"No, I don't _want_ you here." She turned, clenching her fists. She looked angry, at first... but there was something more there. There was fear, hate, desperation. "I have no reason to _trust_ you. I have no reason to _**listen**_ to you. Get. Out... before I THROW you out!" she growled, baring her teeth. A few small sparks fizzled around her body for a brief second, but soon faded away.

–

 _There it was again._

 _Fear._

Hematite's grip on the tea box tightened, and his expression darkened.

 _ **Hate.** _

The service gem's teeth grit together.

 _I have no reason to trust you._

Slowly, he bared his own teeth back at her, the hair on the back of his neck starting to rise.

 _ **I have no reason to listen to you.** _

_**S N A P!** _

…

… _ **..**_

… _ **...**_

"Well guess what Yellow Diamond." His voice started out low, but as he continued, his pitch and volume rose. "YOU'RE GOING TO LISTEN TO ME, WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT!" The tea box in his hands was completely snapped in half. The contents spilled onto the floor as Hema dropped the pieces to the ground, his eyes locked on his superior.

–

Her eyes widened, and she paled. All the anger that she had shown just seconds before had faded away. She stared silently as the box was ripped open, observing the packets as they hit the floor. Slowly, her gaze drifted back onto him.

Under any other normal circumstances, such disobedience would have been quickly acted upon and corrected. But this... no, she was frozen in place. The great Yellow Diamond stuck dead in her tracks at his words. Her brows furrowed. Fury rose steadily in her core, quickly coming to an indignant, rolling boil.

"You... How... Dare you..." She growled, subsiding her fear. "DO YOU FORGET WHERE YOU STAND HEMATITE? YOU ARE A SERVICE GEM. You have an ORDER!"

–

Hematite took a single step forward, sparks starting to form around his hands.

"YEAH, I'M A SERVICE GEM! THANKS FOR REMINDING ME, GOOD JOB! AS IF I DIDN'T KNOW THAT." His hands stopped sparking, but his eyes were still filled with furious light. "I HAVE AN ORDER ALRIGHT! I HAVE AN ORDER FROM MY LEADER _WHITE DIAMOND_ TO TALK TO YOU!" His voice raised to a full-on _yell_. "SO YOU'RE GONNA STAND THERE, AND YOU'RE GOING TO LISTEN!"

–

Yellow started to sweat, her lip curling into a snarl. She tried to mask her fear with anger, but it wasn't working well. Sure, there _was_ genuine anger, but Hematite's rising fury made her anxiety spike up so badly that it was hard to keep her composure. It was far too much like her nightmares. _It was far too much like the incident in the Sky Arena._

"..."

She took a single step forward, squeezing her fists tighter. She narrowed her eyes darkly, but didn't do anything else. Maybe if she could just intimidate him, he'd leave on his own. She didn't want to listen to him, she didn't want to deal with him. _Especially not like this._

–

At Yellow's step forward, Hematite's shoulders dropped, and he took a pace back, his own fury being replaced with fear. He started to hold his hands up in front of him in defense, but he blinked, stopping. His outstretched palms turned toward him, and his hands balled into fists. There was a fearful, determined look in his eyes. When he spoke, his voice calmed down.

"You have no reason to trust me? That's funny, considering you've never given me a reason to trust _**you**_." He frowned.

Something was quickly rising to a boil inside the service gem, and as soon as he stopped speaking, it hit its limit. Hematite shook his head quickly before glaring up at the taller gem.

"You had no reason to distrust me from the very beginning! That day, when all of us Hematites took that test, you SHOWED me what you were capable of! I saw what would happen if I disobeyed, stepped out of line, made a mistake! I was terrified! I never even CONSIDERED doing anything I wasn't told! You already had me under your thumb! But no, you kept... doing and saying horrible things to me because you thought I was going to, I don't even know! Do something terrible to you?! I never gave you ANY reason not to trust me, and yet you treated me like I was going behind your back and plotting to overthrow you!"

–

Yellow scowled at his furious accusations. She wanted to say something, but her words caught in her throat. She took a step back, glaring daggers at him.

–

Hematite continued, never once pausing.

"And then you had to crash my match with Blue! You had to go and try to take away the one place I felt safe, that I felt I belonged in! You humiliated me in front of the only people that saw worth in my life, outside of my job! YEAH, I slipped up and embarrassed you! And I'm sorry... by White Diamond, I swear that! But you were ready to KILL me for an honest mistake!"

His shoulders began to tremble.

–

She bit her lip, her fury still rising...but she was at a standstill. _Wait, he thought she was going to shatter him for that? Sure, she wanted to at least poof him at the time, but she wasn't going to_ _ **kill**_ _him for_ _ **that**_ _._ She didn't move, but instead, glanced around the room, almost as if checking if something was around.

She half expected _**him**_ to show up.

–

"But I guess you were waiting for that, _weren't_ you?! I'm surprised I didn't slip up sooner! You made me feel like nothing! You told me over and over again how worthless I was, how one day I would mess up and you would be WAITING! Waiting for what?! Me to make a small mistake like calling you a nickname, a stupid mistake that you could shatter me for?! Were you waiting for me to say something out of line?"

Frustrated, the small gem rubbed at his face.

"If you had just trusted me and treated me with some _shred_ of respect, you would have had nothing to worry about! This could have been easy! It would have been SO simple for you to at least _pretend_ you saw some worth in me! But no, you kept stepping on me and making me question my worth, to the point where it started effecting the people around me! I had to pretend to be okay around them! I had to act like I still saw worth in my existence, for their sakes and mine!" Hematite suddenly stopped and turned away. He clutched his arm with his hand, the fabric of his suit bunching up between his fingers. His voice dropped to a softer tone. "It's been getting... better lately. But it's still so hard to be and stay happy when you know that your days could be up any time..."

–

Yellow's eyes widened slightly, but enough to really notice. She was still eyeing him suspiciously. Well, while she hadn't said anything yet, he wasn't leaving. She was just going to have to wait him out, it seemed. She crossed her arms, glowering down at the service gem.

–

As Yellow glared at him, Hematite's harsh tone returned, and he glared right back.

"But I guess you'll never understand, huh?!" He let go of his arm and whipped his hand to the side, his clawed fingers spread out. His expression changed from fury to something... more desperate. There was fear, anxiety, _defeat_. "You have NO idea what it's like, don't even try to say you do! You're a DIAMOND, you've got nothing to worry about. You've been around for thousands of years, you're not going anywhere. ME, ON THE OTHER HAND. I could corrupt at any time, and you know what, I won't see it coming! It'll just happen one day, and that's it! I don't blame White for creating me and the Hematites, I really don't!" He shook his head and clutched it with clawed fingers.

"She couldn't have known, and she was doing her best to create us as well as she could. But the fact remains that we are flawed, doomed! You have no idea what it's like to know you're a ticking time bomb." He stopped, shaking violently as he held his arms tightly, looking away. "It's only a matter of time!"

His eyes shut tightly, and his voice began to waver with the threat of tears. "And you know that one day, no matter WHAT you do, that time will run out! And you'll be replaced..." Hematite desperately shook his head, his face turning to the floor. A choked sob escaped him, and his entire body trembled violently. His fingers clutched tightly at his sleeves, and if one listened closely enough, they'd hear the softest sounds of tearing fabric. Through his sobbing, he managed to choke something out. "But not before you cause uncontrolled damage and death, probably to the gems and Homeworld you care so much about!"

–

 _A ticking time bomb._

 _It's only a matter of time._

 _That time will run out._

She froze, her eyes widening completely now. She looked right through him with a thousand yard stare. In an instant, all of her anger completely vanished.

"..."

–

It took Hematite a long few moments to control himself. His fingers slowly loosened from his sleeves, and his sobbing quelled. He steadily lifted his face to look at a section of the wall. He couldn't look at Yellow right now. His eyes were red and slightly puffy from the tears, and he looked away with a look of sadness and frustration with himself. Wiping his eyes with the palm of his hand, he sniffled quietly.

"I have _such a short life_ , compared to other gems." His voice was soft, broken. There was a heaviness to it that weighed down the very air in the room. "Everyone else... if they're careful, they can live forever... or at least for a long, long time. I looked up the files on the old Hematites, or at least what I could find. Some of the others corrupted within _one_ year. Someone from my own BATCH corrupted within a few reformations... And now they're dead. They probably didn't even know what was happening." His voice dropped to a more hushed tone. "We have so little time..."

–

 _We have so little time._

She felt something stab into her like a fiery blade. Anxiety. The pain felt as though it were deep within her own gem, and she slowly lifted her hand to cover the yellow stone. She looked down slowly, not necessarily at anything. Such little time...time is running out. She stared at one spot on the floor, as if remembering something awful.

 _The last nightmare._

It hit her in a massive wave. The fear, the anger, the disbelief... the feeling that death could be around every corner, that every day could be her last. She remembered the paranoia, the feeling that some unseen force was counting down her clock. It all hit her at once... along with something else. Realization.

 _She was feeling what he had felt this whole time._

–

The service gem kept his gaze away from Yellow. He wiped at his eyes again. As he spoke, there was a new sort of tone to it. Regret? Pleading? It was hard to tell.

"That's why. I try to get along with everyone. I have a limited life. I want to make the most of it, I want to be... remembered." His gaze shifted to the floor. The tiniest of smiles crossed his face. "I've made... some really great friends. I've seen what I was missing out on before Blue took me to that bar one day... She opened up an entire new world for me, one that I never expected. Blue, White, gems like Puff, Rubes, Morganite. All of them have something I really look up to. Everyone is so amazing, and I wanted to learn something from all of them." Slowly, his gaze lifted back up to Yellow. His expression faltered for a moment at seeing the state she was in. But he swallowed and frowned sadly. "Even you."

–

She took another step back, looking at the service gem in some form of distress. Was it horror? Sadness? Fear, still? No, it was something greater than all of that. It was collective, it was unrelenting, and it was obvious.

 _It was_ _ **guilt**_ _._

–

Hematite had to look away. He felt his will faltering just looking at Yellow. He knew if he saw that face for much longer, he'd stop. But he wasn't finished. He frowned deeply, and his anger slowly began to rise back up.

 _Oh, so I'm getting through to you now!? Yeah, about time! Look what you've done to me! We're not finished here!_

No no, _now_ , he had a **point** to get across.

"I respected you so much. I wanted to make all three of you proud... I wanted to make **you** proud... I thought we could be friends like Blue and I. She's tried to teach me to see the good in EVERYONE, even you. I thought maybe if I could fairly beat you in a spar, you'd finally be happy with me. But... you pushed me too far. You BROKE something inside of me, and for a while, I couldn't fix it. I felt dead inside. No matter how much anyone tried to get me out of it, I felt numb."

–

She took another step back, lowering her hand from her gem to her other hand, fidgeting with the sleeve of the glove. That foreign emotion was rising... and she didn't like it.

–

Hematite let out a faint 'ha'. He still wasn't looking at her. As he spoke, an almost cruel tone entered his words.

"And then I thought... maybe, just maybe. I could get you back. I could make you feel what I did that one night, even for a moment. Helpless, confused, terrified, alone with NO-ONE to save you." The edge suddenly vanished from his voice. "But not a day goes by that I don't regret that choice. Did it feel good for a little while? Yeah, maybe. Justice had been served. But the more time went on, the more I wished I'd never challenged you to that rematch. And if I could do it over, I never would have." There was heavy regret in his voice, tinged with guilt. "If I had known how badly it would effect you, I would have just risked going to White to resolve our 'issues'. I just wanted us to get along..."

–

Another step back. But this time, she thumped against the window softly. She couldn't step back any further. Her brows raised just a little, her lips drawn into a tight line. No matter what he said, she couldn't feel any hint of anger within her anymore. No, everything just made her feel worse and worse and _**worse**_.

This, too, was how she had made him feel, back when she'd berate and belittle him... and she knew it.

–

As he continued, a gentler tone entered his voice.

"I want gems to be happy... I want them to get the most out of the lives they have. Everyone deserves to be happy in _some_ way... And _nobody_ should ever have that taken away by someone..."

He gazed up at her for a moment, with a face that said ' _Even you_.' He looked away again, and his voice became heavy once more. "That's all I want. I'm here to serve the diamond authority and make the most of the time I have. I've messed up, I'm going to mess up again in the future." An edge entered his voice. "But while I'm here to serve you three, I'm _done_ trying to be nice to you."

–

She clutched the sleeve of her glove tighter, taking in a deep, shaky breath. She narrowed her eyes again, but this time it wasn't out of spite. It was pained and disheartened.

"..."

–

"Clearly, all you see me as is another disposable gem, an annoyance, something to be thrown away! And then on top of all that, you call me a monster, say I'm ruining you, and won't even accept my apology!" Remembrance flashed in his eyes. He shook his head, and suddenly clutched it in his hands, letting out a loud growl of frustration. "I wasn't going to hurt you that day in the sky arena! I JUST WANTED TO SCARE YOU. THAT'S IT. I wasn't going to harvest you, and I _certainly_ wasn't going to shatter you! You needed to see what kind of effect your fear tactics can have!" A venomous tone laced his next words. "But I guess I put too much faith in you being the **gem of Courage,** _and_ your ability to get over it!"

–

For a split second, fury spiked throughout her entire being. Her eyes widened fiercely, but, fell back to how they were before. Even now, she found it hard to be angry, no matter how insulted she was. His words lashed through her like icy blades. She wanted to deny everything. She wanted to protest. She wanted to pin the blame on him and stave off her own horrors just as she had done plenty of times before.

 _But she couldn't. Not this time._

–

He'd caught that. That moment of fierce anger in her eyes. _Oh no, it hadn't gone unnoticed._

And it only fueled his own determination to get through to her. His voice dropped again, soft and low, but there was still a hint of regret.

"I thought maybe it'd shake you for a week, a month tops. But this... I didn't want this."

Hematite looked away. He was quiet a long moment, and he slowly lifted his hands to motion around the room. Softly, he repeated himself. _"I didn't want_ _ **this**_ _."_

Taking a sudden deep breath through his nose, Hematite glared back at Yellow Diamond. He set his jaw, a determined fire in his eyes.

"But don't worry, your problems are over. I'M _**THROUGH**_." Growling, he started angrily collecting up the pieces of the tea box.

–

She looked away without moving her head, almost awkwardly. She wanted to say something, but thought better of it. Why couldn't she speak? Why was she finding it so hard to talk now? This wasn't like her at all... Looking back, she watched him pick up the pieces. She noticed something about the tea... it was her favorite. Her very core sank in her chest.

 _ **Nobody**_ _wanted this._

–

He picked up the last piece.

"So I hope you have a good REST OF YOUR LONG, PROSPEROUS LIFE, YELLOW DIAMOND. Because the only one here with a ticking clock is me, and I'm not going to waste precious time and energy wishing things were different between you and I!" He stood straight, the broken pieces collected up in his arms. As he looked at her, tears began to form in his eyes. "So I hope you're _satisfied_. Because you'll _**never**_ have to see me again. You got your wish." There was a long pause.

And, without another word, he turned and left.

The door hissed shut behind him.

–

The room was still. Cold. Dead silent aside from the rolling thunder in the background It felt dark. Yellow stood staring intently at the door, everything the service gem had yelled out racing through her mind.

 _Satisfied._

 _Precious time._

 _Long, prosperous life._

 _ **You got your wish.** _

She shuddered, finally moving after a few long minutes frozen in place. She looked at her desk, then up to the light. Slowly, she turned to the window. Briefly, she saw her reflection just slightly in the glass pane, and backed up quickly with a sharp gasp. She felt _**horrible**_.

Did that just happen? She looked at her hands. She was in shock. No matter how angry he got, he never made any attempt to go after her. No, he just yelled. He just wanted to be _heard_.

She felt the stabbing pain of guilt flare up again. Quickly placing her palms to the sides of her head, she shut her eyes. She wanted this feeling to go away. She wanted to forget. She wanted to brush this off. She wanted everything to go back to normal.

 _And then it hit her._

Like a massive force that struck the wind right out of her, it hit her. Her face was plastered with horror and pain, wide eyes staring at nothing. She dug her fingers into her face, running through her hair with some and biting onto one of her pinkies.

This is how he felt. Everything that he caused her to feel between the incident, the nightmares, that mission at the hangars... _This is what he's been dealing with. The fear, the paranoia, the terror._ She could and would have brushed this off with ease, but not this time. _She couldn't._ She understood, at last. She couldn't brush this away. She couldn't sweep this under the rug, pretend like nothing was happening, or expect things to get better with time and inaction. They weren't going to. All of this was so clear to her now, whether she wanted it to be or not. Slowly, she looked up; small, pained tears welling up in the corners of her eyes. She could deny it no longer.

All this time, this wasn't **Hematite's** fault like she had made herself believe.

 **It was hers.**


	41. Vermin

_Summary: Gems start leaving the Yellow District._

The Yellow district was in shambles, to say the least. Progression and production had all but halted, gems had almost no order to their work, and nobody had seen Yellow Diamond in weeks. Lightning storms filled the skies at seemingly every waking moment, striking buildings every now and then and setting off fires in different sectors. Riots started to break out more often, and gems were even found fleeing the city. Many of them wanted no part of this chaos. This wasn't the Yellow District they knew. This wasn't the Yellow District they _wanted_.

Especially the much _smaller_ gems...

 _"Ugh, where is she?"_ An absolutely _tiny_ reddish gem paced anxiously back and forth behind a crumpled metal sheet. From the looks of it, she stood only about 5 or 6 inches tall. Her skin was a vibrant orange-yellow color, her hair a darker scarlet. Her outfit resembled a general maintenance gem's uniform, with reinforced-bottom boots, a thick belt, and goggles atop her head, just over her forehead. Her eyes were a color similar to her hair, though her pupils were actually lighter than the irises themselves. Below each of her eyes were small, lighter colored upside down triangle-shaped markings, lined up side by side. Her outfit bore a yellow, diamond-shaped insignia above a remarkably faceted stone that laid on her belly. It reflected with all sorts of shades of red, yellow, and orange as she moved. She stayed out of sight from the common wandering eye, making sure she was hidden behind the metal sheet. She didn't want the wrong person to find her, especially when she was alone like this.

–

A few anxious Yellow District gems paced past the tiny gem's hiding spot. Seemed they were headed for the Blue District. They had a few bags with them. They were talking nervously, and didn't pay the mini reddish gem any mind, not that they'd even seen her. The three chatted about their managers and what sounded like some less-than-optimal working conditions as they passed by, but the minuscule gem couldn't catch most of what they said. She was too busy pacing and anxiously biting the ends of her fingers, fidgeting with her goggles now and then.

Little did she know, however, that far above the sheet of metal, on a nearby rooftop, three glowing eyes peered down towards her hiding place. Lightning flashed above, casting the figure in a dark silhouette.

It was a corrupted gem monster.

It wasn't large, no, but a gem creature was never a good thing to have lurking around. They were violent, unpredictable, and unstable. This one appeared to bear green fur, three glowing eyes, a long tail, and short, stocky limbs.

Sharp, long ears perked up as the creature scanned the ground below. A semi-circle appeared to be cut out of each ear, stiff bristles pointing out at their tips. The monster's bright teal eyes, with their slightly darker, subtle, and pupil-less irises, finally locked on a flicker of movement they'd seen.

 _ **There.** _

Slowly, the creature crested the edge of the building, incredibly sharp claws making the descent easy. With silent grace, the cat-like creature landed on all fours on a window sill and peered down at the sheet of metal. Its ears remained perked, long, snake-like tail swaying from side to side. The furry tuft at the end of it flicked quietly.

Without a sound, the creature made its way the rest of the way down, landing softly on the pavement. The gem monster looked around, its glowing eyes wide and on the lookout for danger.

 **Nothing. Good.**

Slowly, the creature lowered itself to the ground, creeping closer to the sheet of metal. It could clearly see the tiny gem pacing around behind it now.

 _Closer._

 _Closer..._

Its ears pinned back, and the creature stood at one of the ends of the red gem's hiding place, her face partially under the sheet.

Its beak-like mouth parting, it gave a soft, almost inaudible trill.

–

The small reddish gem jumped, letting out a small squeak.

"Ekanite, what have I told you about sneaking up on me like that?!" she exclaimed, sighing with relief a moment later. She turned, walking up to the monster and placing her tiny hands on the corrupted gem creature's snout. "Took you long enough! We gotta get going..." she said with a faint, half-hearted smile. Slowly, her palms moved down the creature's face, almost in a petting motion.

–

Ekanite gave a soft, chirping sort of 'chuckle' at the tiny gem's outburst, and lowered herself closer to the ground. She closed her eyes as the gem pet the fur along her muzzle, which she suddenly reached forward a bit. Gently, she touched her nose to the tiny's gemstone that laid on her abdomen.

A soft, gentle voice with a common White District accent rang out in the smaller gem's head.

 _"Sorry, Sphalerite. I'm afraid I had a run-in with a particularly rowdy Axinite."_ The gem creature opened her eyes, rolling them sarcastically. _"You'd think he'd never seen a gem monster before."_

–

Sphal giggled, holding her companion's face. She seemed entirely unsurprised at the gem creature's telepathic communicating.

"It's no problem. I'm just glad you're okay. We should probably get going though, things are getting strange around here and I don't want to stick around to find out if things are gonna get worse," she said softly, with serious concern. She let go of Ekanite's muzzle and took a few steps back. Lifting her hands to her face, she adjusted her goggles that were worn across her forehead. Her red, curled hair flicked back to make way for the accessory's adjustment. She stepped forward just behind Eka's head and placed a palm on her shoulder. With a quiet 'hup', she hopped up on the gem creature's back just behind her shoulder blades, her fingers digging into the slightly longer fur along her back.

–

Eka nodded quietly and ducked her head as Sphal hopped up on her back. She stood straight again, gave herself a slight shake, and padded forward, out from under the metal sheet. Looking around carefully, she huffed. She turned to look at the tiny gem on her back. With a soft trill, she motioned to the street, as if to ask 'which way are we headed?'

–

Sphal leaned forward, placing her hands around the gem creature's neck. Looking from side to side, she squinted.

"Hmmm... Looks like everyone is headed northwest. The other checkpoints might be closed. We should go that way," she said in a hushed tone, ducking low to Eka's ears.

–

Looking at a few traveling gems, the gem creature nodded silently. She crept forward, out of sight, tracking a small group of gems that appeared to be heading to the Blue District.

However, eventually they turned another direction, and Ekanite stopped in her tracks with a quiet, disgruntled huff. She hopped up onto an outcropping that laid near a building, and scanned below for any other citizens. Down the road, there seemed to be a warrior class approaching, a small bag slung over her shoulder. She had a communicator held out in front of her, in her palm. Eka's ears perked forward, and her eyes closed, her hearing training on the gem's words. She couldn't quite make out what was being said on the other end of things, as the communicator seemed to be turned down in volume.

"Yeah, I don't know what's going on with her. It's starting to freak me out though. I'm headed to the bar, do you... think you could meet me there?" A pause followed. "I know it's last minute, Rubes, but you've seen the sky over here... Stuff's starting to get really nuts. I don't want them recruiting decommissioned Jaspers for patrol duty while I'm here. You know I hate that stuff."

The Jasper walked on past the two smaller gems, who remained perched above her. She didn't even notice them.

"Okay. I'll see you there." The warrior gem's tone was warm. "Love you." There was a pause, and she seemed to chuckle at whatever was said on the other end of the conversation. She hung up, stuffing the communicator into her bag.

–

"There! Follow her! She's leaving the city!" Sphal whispered, pointing a finger past the creature's ear towards the Jasper. She hunkered low, holding on tighter to her friend's fluffy neck, but kept her eye out in front of them.

–

Nodding, Ekanite slithered down the side of the pillar-like outcropping she stood on. She landed deftly behind it and slunk out, following silently behind the warrior gem.

–

The creature managed to stay hidden the entire way to the Blue district. Not once had the Jasper she was tracking noticed her. Hell, she barely even glanced back. As the Jasper approached one of the gated district checkpoints, Eka slowed.

 _Shoot, how were they gonna get through there..._

–

The guard that stood at the gate clacked the end of her ax onto the ground as the Jasper approached.

"Halt. Security regulations, of course. Traveling to the Blue District as well, I see? State your name, status, and the contents of your bag, please," the guard recited with a heavy sigh. It was obvious she was growing bored of the same thing over and over.

Sphal looked on, curiously eyeing the gate.

"The guard is distracted. If we can be quick, we might be able to make a break for it. See that mess of crates over there? Looks like there was some cargo being transported that got left here. We can use that for cover or leverage!" she whispered, pointing to the pile of metal boxes and debris.

–

The lithe creature crept up over a nearby box and stared at the place Sphal pointed at.

 _Right._

Nodding, she chirruped in agreement, and set off toward the mess of crates.

Puff nodded and looked to the side, shrugging. She knew the drill, and she knew this guard just wanted to get it over with.

"Alright let's see, Jasper, aliases Jaspuff, Puff. Status, visiting a Ruby in the Blue district, going to stay with her at least a few days. Contents of bag," she slung it in front of her and opened it up, pulling out each item individually. "Let's see, some sweets, my communicator, a brush." She squinted. "Ah, did I forget the... tch, I did."

Unbeknownst to her and the guard, something was slinking around as Puff recited the needed protocol. Eka slithered her way through crate after crate as she neared the large gate. After a moment of preparation, Eka gave a soft chirp, warning Sphal she was going to make a large jump. She leapt onto the bars of the gate, behind what looked to be a small 'office' next to the entrance. A large warrior class gem was speaking with a few other gems as they prepared to enter the blue district. Eka chirped again and made another large leap, landing gracefully on a higher carbonite bar. They were rather high up now.

–

Sphal clung on tighter, wrapping her legs around Eka's shoulders. She watched the world fly by in wonder. She loved traveling like this. Glancing over her friend's head, she noticed another opening in the gate. "Up there! To the left, there's a beam that leads directly to the other side. Think you can get up there?" she asked encouragingly.

The guard nodded and scratched the back of her head.

"Alright alright, get a move on." She moved her ax just a tad, gesturing towards the opening of the gate. "We're not allowing any more to pass through as soon as the next hour rolls around. At least for the rest of the night. If you're gonna go, you need to go now," she huffed.

–

Puff put her bag back over her shoulder and chuckled. As she walked by, she gave the guard a friendly 'nudge' in the arm with her fist.

"Aaah alright buddy, I'm going I'm going! Don't work too hard!" She didn't know this gem, not _personally_. But that didn't stop her from giving them a friendly grin before she turned and started down the tunnel. Her smile immediately faded as soon as she was facing the other direction, though.

 _Everyone needs a break from this... will things ever go back to normal?_

Huffing her bangs away from her face, the Jasper sighed and continued toward the other end of the wall.

Eka looked up as Sphal pointed to a higher beam, and her haunches suddenly tensed. The gem creature swallowed and looked down, suddenly realizing just _how_ high up she already was. Her fur began to bristle. She froze in place.

–

The guard groaned and rolled her eyes, but did nothing more. She just wanted to retire for the evening. She turned back to her stationary position, waiting for the next gem to pass through.

Sphal noticed Eka's sudden twinge of anxiety and frowned. Slowly, she placed her palms on the fur around Eka's gem, which was located on the back of her neck. She started to pet at the bristling fur gently.

"It's alright Eka, you can do it. Just don't look down!" she said softly, trying to calm her.

–

Trembling slightly, Eka swallowed. Her ears pinned a tad when she felt Sphal stroking the fur near her gem. She relaxed, eyes closing slightly. The worst of the tension faded from her haunches, and the gem creature regained her focus. Looking around, she spotted another bar she could reach. Crouching down, she leapt up to the next bar and quickly turned. Her haunches tensed, her tail flicked down, and she jumped for it, her front paws outstretched. There was a moment of sheer terror as only the edge of her paws met the beam. Her claws hooked onto the metal, and she whipped her snake-like tail upwards, wrapping it around the metal and hoisting herself up. Once her paws were on solid ground, she crouched low, breathing heavily. Her whole body was trembling.

–

Sphal was still clinging to the gem creature, but she watched her gem instead. She continued petting, but slowly moved her hand over to the gem itself. Carefully, she ran her finger over the surface of the smooth, faceted stone.

"You've got this, Ekanite! We're almost there!" She smiled warmly, hunkering down.

–

A calming shudder passed through the gem creature's body, and she stopped shaking. Slowly, she stood up, her eyes closed. She opened her mouth, revealing a surprising lack of teeth, and let out a soft chirp. A vivid image of the area in front of Eka appeared in her mind, and she started trotting forward. Her pace slowly quickened. As she ran, she let out more soft chirps, constantly updating her mental map. She leapt gracefully over beams, small metal walls, and avoided every obstacle in her way, despite her eyes being shut.

–

"There ya go, 'atta gem!" she encouraged, smiling ear to ear. And then she remained quiet for the rest of the ride, not wanting to risk interfering with Eka's echolocation method . They both managed to thankfully still stay out of sight from any of the gems below.

–

As Eka neared the end of the tunnel, she slowed and opened her eyes. She stopped at the end of the beam and looked around at the city outside.

 _Great._

 _Time to get down._

 _ **She hated this part.** _

Slowly, Eka took a deep breath and peered over the end of the metal beam. Stars, they were so high up. She knew that she'd have to use the gate itself to get down again, but this always made her nervous.

–

Sphal huffed and hugged Ekanite's neck.

"Come oooon, we're so close! You can do it!" She encouraged, closing her eyes and squishing her face into her lush green fur. "We'll be down before ya know it!"

–

Eka narrowed her eyes down at the ground below. No, this wasn't going to be safe. Not with Sphal on her shoulders. Ekanite gave a soft trill, sitting up. Slowly, the gem creature craned her head around to look at the gem tightly hugging her neck. She nudged her.

–

Sphal blinked and looked down at the ground, then back to the gem creature.

"What is it? Are you okay?" She asked, letting her arms free from her neck.

–

Eka nodded quietly, but then gave the tiny a look. She leaned toward Sphal's gem and placed her nose to it.

 _"Sorry about this, Sphal. Just stay still for me like last time, okay?"_

Withdrawing her muzzle, the gem creature parted her jaws, carefully picking the tiny gem up around the middle. She held her like a lion would with its cub, and turned to look down at the long descent before her.

–

Surprised, Sphal's looked confused for a moment, but she soon realized what she meant.

"Oh, alright..." she muttered. She didn't exactly enjoy being carried this way, but if it helped Eka transport her, then she'd be willing to go through with it. Besides, Ekanite was one of the few beings that she trusted. At least it wasn't a very long ride!

–

Making sure Sphal was secure, she turned and whipped her tail to a nearby carbonite bar. She swung over, using her tail for leverage, and landed on the horizontal part of the gate. Wrapping the snake-like tail around a vertical bar, Ekanite hoisted herself onto its surface, now standing almost completely vertical to the ground.

She used her tail to slither down the bars, never once letting her grip loosen or tighten on Sphal's form. Once or twice she made some rather daring jumps or slides that could have knocked the tiny gem off of her shoulders, had she still been there.

Eka was suddenly very glad she had decided to carry Sphal a different way.

–

The moment Eka found herself comfortably close to the ground, she stopped, turned, and carefully placed Sphal on her shoulders again. She gave her a small smile before turning and leaping the rest of the way down. She landed deftly on top of a small crate and looked around to see if she'd lost the Jasper. Thankfully, she saw her just now rounding a corner.

Eka hopped down to follow after the warrior gem, but tensed suddenly when someone shouted in surprise. Looking up in shock, she spotted a smaller gem staring right at her.

They took a step forward.

Ekanite hissed aggressively, her haunches rising. Without wasting another moment, she darted to the side and ran off, away from the gate checkpoint.

–

Sphal felt brief horror shoot through her, and she huddled down, clutching Eka's neck.

"Run!" she whispered just loud enough for the green monster to hear.

–

Eka was hunkered down behind some rubble, her breathing quick and shallow. Peering out from her hiding spot, she looked around silently, her mouth hanging open just slightly.

Seemed the gem had given up on following her.

 **Good.**

–

As soon as they were out of sight, the smaller gem peeked over Eka's head nervously.

"Did we lose 'em?"

–

Sighing heavily, Eka lowered her head and gave a soft trill. She slunk out from her hiding place and headed quickly for the place she'd seen the Jasper go to. Within a minute or so, she was back on the trail.

Puff seemed far more at ease now that the dark clouds of the Yellow District were behind her. She walked with her arms crossed behind her head, humming a tune.

–

After a few hours of tracking, Eka finally stopped as Puff made her way into what appeared to be a night club. There weren't many of those in the Yellow District, but there were plenty in the Blue District.

–

Sphal was almost laying on Eka's back now, her arms still wrapped around her neck. She had laid her head down on Eka's gem, watching the District pass by. As long as no-one else spotted her, she'd feel better. She couldn't help but feel anxious, even if she was happy to be out of the hectic streets of the Yellow District.

–

The gem creature squinted her eyes, craning her neck to get a better view of the sign. After a moment, her three eyes widened, and she let out a surprised chirp.

–

Her attention snapped back to her friend upon hearing her chirp. Raising a brow, the red gem sat up and looked to the door curiously.

"Hey, what's this place?"

–

Eka turned to give Sphal an excited trill before she leapt over the crate she was hiding behind. She scurried toward the club, only stopping when she came close to the windows. It was thankfully rather dark outside at this point, so nobody spotted her right away. Sitting up on her hind legs, Ekanite peered into the club windows. She spotted who she was looking for immediately.

 _ **Morgy!** _

The pink haired warrior was, as usual, serving up drinks with a smile behind the bar, and seemed to be greeting the Jasper Eka and Sphal had followed. The gem creature dropped back down to her paws and looked up and around at the outside of the club.

 _There's gotta be a better way in there..._

–

Sphal looked confused for a moment, but her confusion quickly morphed into panic.

"Hey Eka, what are you doing!? We can't just go in there! What if we're seen?!" She said, looking around desperately. "Listen, we're in the Blue District now. We can go anywhere we want! I think there's a really cool place to hang out in one of the training fields..."

–

Ekanite perked up at Sphal's nervous tone, and she turned to her, ears pinned low. She made a pitiful trilling sound as she glanced between Sphal and the club window. Blinking, she leaned forward and touched her nose to Sphal's middle.

 _"Please, Sphal? Just this one place! Then we'll go to the training fields. There's someone here I really want you to meet! He's an old friend of mine."_

–

Sphal frowned and looked up at the window nervously. She made a small groan of protest, crossing her arms.

"Alright, alright... just... be careful, okay? If things get weird, I'm getting out of there!" she said.

At that time, a small service gem made their way down the sidewalk, whistling to themselves. Turning, they reached up to the door and opened it, slowly walking inside past the large guard standing stationary by the doorway.

–

Eka nodded with a smile and turned as the service gem walked into the club. Quietly, she crouched down and quickly made her way toward the door. Without being noticed by the patron, she slipped in, past the bouncer.

"So I'm staying with Rubes for a little while. At least until this weirdness at the Yellow District clears up." Puff scratched her cheek before running her hand through her bangs. "I've never seen it this bad."

–

Morganite slid a drink over to Puff. It was nonalcoholic, just to give her something for her travels.

"I see... I've been getting an increased number of Yellow District gems showing up, lately. I've been wondering what that was all about," he said, grinning. "I wonder what's going on over there. Do you think it has to do with Yellow Diamond herself? Surely if the District has been falling to pieces, she would have done something about that by now," he continued on.

Sphal remained low, nervously clinging to her friend's neck. Her eyes widened, glancing around at all the gems in the room. _Please don't look over here..._

–

Eka noticed how tense her comrade was, and for a moment, she stopped and turned her head to nuzzle Sphal's side reassuringly. A soft sort of purr rumbled lightly in her throat.

 _It will be alright, Sphal. Nobody will harm us here,_ she thought to herself. Turning, she crept up a few shelves, still against the far wall. She kept her dimly-glowing eyes peeled for any signs of someone spotting her, though she was mostly keeping her gaze on the club patrons instead of the bar.

"I mean, I guess it probably is?" Puff took a sip of her drink after saying a quick 'thanks'. "The district has been like this before. But it was for a few days, maybe a week or so . But this has been getting gradually worse for the past few months..." Her voice quieted, and she looked around. "Sometimes I wonder if it has to do with what happened between Yellow and Hematite."

–

Sphal relaxed just a little, but was still noticeably unnerved. She clung tighter. _Why did Eka want to be in here?_ She glanced around, not at anyone in particular. She was observing the feel of this place in general. The soft, gradually changing colors and tone of this place confused her. It was so different from the places she'd been before.

"I'm not sure...that happened well over a year ago, didn't it? It's Yellow Diamond. She's a gem of courage. I doubt it has anything to do with Hematite." Morgan shrugged, placing a hand on his hip.

–

"Mmm. Yeaaah I guess you're right. Still." She forced a laugh. "You gotta admit, the timing's weird!" Puff took another big sip of her drink, placing it down on the counter with a soft 'clack'. She returned to looking at the pink-haired warrior. "So, have you seen Rubes yet? She's supposed to meet me here."

Ekanite moved along carefully, making her way up onto a beam that held a few colorful light fixtures. She stopped to stare at one of the bulbs, her eyes wide. Her tail swayed slowly. She was entranced.

Carefully, the gem creature lifted a paw forward and batted at the movable light fixture. Unfortunately, she pawed at it a little too firmly, and it shifted with a quiet squeak, the light now pointing just off-center.

–

Morganite's attention shot up to the light, but didn't see anything right off the bat. He squinted curiously, but shrugged, having seen nothing.

"Yes, I suppose so. And no, I'm afraid not. You know how she's normally late, though! " Morgan continued, looking back to the Jasper.

"What are you doing?! You gotta be careful!" Sphal hissed quietly into Eka's ear. She started to sweat nervously, looking down at the light.

–

Eka blinked in surprise and shook her head. She looked at her paw, which was still resting on the light, and she withdrew it with an annoyed snort.

 _Stars, not again! She hated it when she zoned out like that._

Looking at Sphal with an embarrassed smile, Eka continued on to the upper area of the ceiling, hopping onto a large shelf on the wall. She was far closer to the bar now. Slowly, she made her way down toward the main area behind the bar, ducking behind bottles and glasses.

Puff pursed her lips and nodded her head to the side.

"This is very true." Sipping her drink, she chuckled. "She wouldn't be running late if she knew what I had for her.~" With a grin, Puff reached into her bag, which laid on the seat beside her, and pulled out a bag of fizzy candies. They were Rubes' well-known favorite.

–

Morganite chuckled softly and observed the candies.

"Aaahhh she loves those, doesn't she? She gets drinks that taste like those sometimes. You think I should make her one?" He asked, giving Puff a grin.

Sphal started to get more nervous. They were both unnervingly close to the warrior gem now, far too close for her own comfort.

"You sure this is a good idea?" She whispered.

–

Puff chuckled. At Morgan's suggestion, she gasped softly and nodded, her eyes lighting up.

"Yeah, go ahead! I'll cover it for her. She'll love that!" Putting the candies aside, she picked her drink up again and swung her feet below her bar stool. "Thanks, Mor!"

Eka glanced back at her friend and gave an encouraging nod. She knew Morgan well enough to trust that he'd act appropriately around the two of them, once she let him know who she was.

However, before she could... well. She was a bit less sure about that. After all...

She hadn't exactly looked the way she did now, the last time she'd seen him all those years ago

Hunkering down, Eka hid in the back of a cubby-like shelf, behind some bottles. Her legs folded under her body, and she tucked her tail around her, the fluffy end coming to rest beside Sphal.

Now that she was closer, she'd wait. The club had to close some time; maybe then would be a better time to try and get Morganite's attention. Closing her eyes, Eka went quiet.

–

Sphal sat down near Eka, hopping off of her shoulders. She leaned up against her side, arms crossed. She didn't want to be here, but if Eka was so sure about this, she wasn't going to just leave her now.

Morgan gave Puff a wink and turned for the shelf. Now lets see, where did I put that... Ah yes. He leaned over and pulled out a bottle with purple and pink swirling liquid. It didn't even look natural. Then again, the majority of his drinks didn't look natural. The beverages here were an aesthetic all on their own.

Sphal winced, flinching at Morganite's looming figure. Thankfully though, it looked as if he was going for something on the shelf two cubbies above where they were.

–

Eka opened one of her eyes to watch Morgan rummaging around in one of the shelves higher up. Her tail suddenly pulled closer to her body, and the tuft at the end rested in front of Sphal, covering her entirely. If anyone saw her, at least they wouldn't see the tiny red gem immediately.

The gem creature kept her eye on Morgan.

 _Stars, it was unsettling to see him at her smaller size now. He was already rather intimidating back before she was like this, but now..._

Puff watched Morgan tend to his business, and she looked around, sipping her drink. Idly, she wondered when Rubes would finally show up.

–

Sphal blinked and hugged her tail tuft close. She brought her knees closer to her chest and closed her eyes. Maybe she could take a small nap.

"Alright, here we are." Morgan said cheerfully, grabbing one of the glasses. He immediately started to pour the colorful liquid into the cup. Casually, he began humming the tune that was playing on the overhead speaker. He preferred the music in this side of the bar; it was much more mellow than the club side.

–

Eka closed her eyes again and smiled as Sphal held her tail tip close. A soft purr rumbled in her chest. She listened quietly to Morgan's humming, a soft smile on her face. She always did like Morganite's singing. Though she was tempted to hum along, she stayed quiet.

Puff smiled and chuckled, watching him pour the drink.

"I'll never get over how crazy that one looks. It's wayyyy too sugary for my tastes though." The Jasper was close to finishing off her own drink when she suddenly jumped.

"It's too sugary because you're a big baby." Hopping up onto the seat beside Puff, Rubes sat down with a neutral expression.

"Heyy, look who decided to show up.~"

–

Morgan turned his head and smiled, greeting the Ruby.

"Heeeeyyy, just in time!" he said, holding up the swirling cocktail. He slid it down to Rubes with one graceful motion, grinning ear to ear. "We thought you'd like one of these!" He said, grabbing one of the towels nearby and wiping down the sink area.

–

The dark-haired gem looked over just in time to catch the sliding drink, and she pulled it closer with a smile.

"Hah, thanks Morganite. You two know me well." She held up the drink for a moment with a grin. "Bottoms up." Leaning back in her seat, the Ruby took a large sip of her drink and sighed with a smile. Pulling away the glass, she swirled the contents, watching the colors dance around.

Puff grinned at the smaller gem and put her own glass down.

"Hey Ruuuubes.~ I gotcha something."

The Ruby raised her brows, eyes half-lidded as she looked at her partner.

"Hm? What's that?"

Reaching into her bag, Puff grinned at the red gem with a devious and excited look in her eyes. The moment Rubes heard the telltale crinkling of the plastic packets in Puff's bag, her eyes widened, and she set down her drink.

"You didn't."

"Oh, I did." Puff pulled out not one, but three bags of the fizzy candies. Rubes paused for a moment.

"... Puff ,this is why I love you."

"I know." The bigger gem snickered as Rubes quickly grabbed the candies and put them on her lap. She opened one of the bags and dropped a single, spiky-looking hard candy into her glass. It fizzled quietly. Picking her drink back up, Rubes closed her eyes and grinned as she held the glass close to her lips, taking a sip.

–

Morganite spared them both a rather pleased look and turned to another bar patron. After a few moments, he turned again with a nod.

"Right, coming right up!" He said, waving his hand in the air. He walked back over to the shelf and crouched down. Still humming the same tune, he reached his hand into one of the cubbies to grab a smaller shot glass.

But his hand made contact with something that wasn't smooth like the surface of a glass.

Flinching, he stopped humming and frowned, quickly retracting his hand. He went wide-eyed for a moment, staring down at the closed off shelf from above. From his current angle, he couldn't see what was in there.  
"Wha-?"

Sphal had quickly noticed Morganite's hand and scurried to the back of the cubby, back pressed against the panel. She held her hands tightly over her mouth, desperately trying to stay quiet. _She knew they'd been found._

–

Ekanite's eyes shot open when Morgan's hand brushed against her fur. She tensed, glancing at Sphal. Quickly, she wrapped her snake-like tail around her and held her close to her side, covering her form with the fluff at the end of her tail.

 _Shh, it's alright... It'll be alright._

Eyes wide, she stared at the pink-haired warrior's hand with bated breath, waiting for him to fully spot her.

–

Morganite placed a hand gently on the top edge of the cubby and leaned over, looking fully into the dark box.

"GKH!" He bared his teeth and quickly sat back up, obviously shocked. His hair stood on end for a moment, though he regained his composure quickly. He smiled slowly again.

"I have vermin in my club... **I have. Vermin. In my club...** " His eye twitched, and he slowly looked back down. He leaned closer again, staring back into the cubby.

"I hope you know that you're going to have to leave..." He said calmly. He looked like he was completely back to normal again, despite being so unnerved by the fact that he had a gem monster in his bar.

Sphal cowered behind Ekanite, still covering her mouth. She was staring at one of the walls of the dark cubby, trying not to move or make any noise.

–

Puff looked over curiously at Morgan's little outburst.

"Yo Mor! Y'alright there? You find a broken glass?" She chuckled and took a final sip out of her drink, placing the glass to the side. It seemed he was... talking to someone? Or _something_?

Rubes looked over as well, though she was more interested in her drink than what was going on.

Eka caught **each** word. Her fur bristled indignantly, and her ears pinned.

 _Vermin... Vermin?!_

The small gem monster held Sphal closer with her tail. Her legs slowly began to untuck from underneath her. Once she could see him fully, her eyes never left Morganite's. She stared at him defiantly.

–

Morgan blinked and looked back, his hand still on the top of the cubby.

"AH, yes! Everything is fine! Don't mind me!" He said charmingly. Quickly turning back to the cubby, his eyes were narrowed, but he was still grinning. "I can't have gem monsters running around in my bar. I'm afraid I'm going to have to get you out of here..." he whispered, bringing his other hand up to the cubby. With both hands placed inside, he frowned and moved closer, carefully.

–

Puff shrugged and leaned back in her chair. She started chatting with Rubes about the goings-on in the Yellow District.

Eka backed up against the back panel of the cubby as Morgan's hands moved closer. She still held Sphal with her tail, keeping her hidden.

Taking a deep breath, she waited for both his hands to _almost_ grab her before she made her move. Quickly, she lashed a paw out, pinned Morganite's right hand down, and pressed her muzzle to his gem.

An oddly familiar voice rang out through the pink-haired warrior's mind.

 _"Morganite, stop!"_

–

Morganite's hair stood on end once more, a chill going up his spine.

"GEH?!" He stifled a yell, looking around in surprise.

 _It touched me!_

…

 _Wait...where did that voice come from?_ He slowly looked back down to the gem monster who had their nose pressed into his gem. He winced, fingers tensing. Oddly enough, he was too reluctant to move it, lest he risk the gem getting harmed.

"You...gonna let go?" He asked, half joking. He didn't want to make a scene. He didn't want anyone to know that this _thing_ was here, and he didn't want this creature to take a chunk out of his gem. At least it didn't seem to be trying to attack him yet?

–

Eka's eyes, which were closed at the moment, slowly opened. She kept her muzzle to Morgan's gem, her gaze never leaving him.

 _"No I'm not going to let go! You're scaring Sphalerite!"_ Her eyes narrowed. _"Come now, Morgy. I thought you were more polite than this. Is this any way to treat an old friend?"_

–

Morganite froze, shocked.

"Wha..." He managed to mutter, but not much else. He eased up very slightly, staring in confusion at the creature.

Wait. He _knew_ that voice. _It was faint, but..._

"Sphalerite? Who-... _wait_... _Ekanite_?" he whispered, eyes widening again.

–

Her ears flicked back in recognition. Eyes wide again, she shifted, her hackles slowly relaxing. Her nose didn't leave his gem.

 _"There you go. That wasn't so hard, was it, big guy?"_

–

A small gasp escaped Morganite's lips, and he stared in disbelief at the gem creature.

"Hah...You're joking, right? Is this some kind of trick?" He asked, unable to look away from the smaller creature's glowing eyes. "But...Ekanite wasn't corrupted the last time I saw her. She-..." he stopped, a pained look of realization suddenly crossing his face.

"She disappeared for years without a trace..." He looked up very slightly, staring at nothing. He went quiet.

–

Eka's ears drooped. He'd connected the dots, but it seemed he wasn't _entirely_ convinced. That was alright... she could understand his disbelief.

So she closed her eyes.

A soft, lilting voice began to hum. And then it began to sing.

 _"Be still, my darling. I'll keep you close in my arms. Lead us to a land so green, so we'll be safe from harm. Please end the pain. We're ready. My planet cries, but my heart is steady.~"_

There was a short pause.

 _ **"I have time.~"** _

It was a soft song, a _sad_ song. But most of all, it was _familiar._

Ekanite had written it with Morganite's advice long ago. She'd hum it all the time when she visited. She even performed it a few times upon request.

There was no question that this was _that_ Ekanite.

–

Morganite's expression changed gradually as Ekanite's song went on. He smiled, relieved and surprised..and slightly disheartened.

"Ekanite, it _is_ you! What on Homeworld happened?! How are you... not all unstable and violent?" he asked, keeping his grin. Sphal continued to remain silent, despite the fact that Morganite knew she was there.

–

A pained tone laced the gem's telepathic words.

 _"It's... a long story, Morgy. One that I'm afraid will have to wait a while. But. I_ _ **am**_ _stable, and that doesn't seem to be changing any time soon. I have Danubrite and Sphalerite to thank for that."_ Without removing her nose from Morgan's gem, Eka carefully lifted her tail, uncovering Sphal. She gave an encouraging trill.

–

Sphal whimpered nervously, holding her hands close to her chest. She looked from Ekanite, slowly up to the pink haired gem. Her eyes widened, and she started to shake. He stared right back at her, mesmerized.

"Oh my... It's been some time since I saw one of your kind," he said quietly. Upon him speaking, Sphal let out another startled, stifled shriek and grabbed Eka's tail, cowering behind the fluffy tip. Morgan awkwardly closed his mouth, his smile a little crooked. "Mm, sorry! Is she... alright?" Morgan glanced back over to the gem monster, half concerned, half confused.

–

Eka's ears pinned, and she once again wrapped her tail around her tiny companion.

 _"She is very nervous around other gems. Don't make any sudden movements. Give me one moment."_ With that, Ekanite removed her nose from Morgan's gem and lifted her paw from his fingers. The communication was cut off immediately.

Turning to Sphal, Eka gently nuzzled her nose close, touching her gemstone.

 _"Sphalerite, it's okay. He understands now."_ She glanced to the side, not taking her nose from her gem. _"This is Morganite. He's an old friend of mine. He didn't... know about my current condition, I'm afraid. But it's alright! He won't hurt us."_

–

Morgan nodded quietly and glanced back. He gave a wave to one of the patrons, gesturing to them that he needed one more moment. Sphal took a deep breath and sighed, trying to calm down.

"Alright... if you say so..." she whispered quietly, squeezing Eka's face with her hands. "You owe me for this, ya know..."

–

 _"Hmm. How about I take you to the cave with the Jadewings again. Would that make up for it?"_ She smiled and closed her eyes, the tip of her tail gently brushing the side of Sphal's cheek. _"But really, I promise, he may be a bit intimidating. ... Okay,_ _ **very**_ _intimidating. But he's a good gem. You just gotta get used to him. This may be a very good place for us to stay from time to time. Morganite doesn't let any nonsense happen in his club."_

Puff and Rubes were staring at Morganite now. Was he... talking to someone? It certainly looked like it. Rubes sipped her drink.

"Sooo. Morgan. What's so riveting in that cubby over there?"

–

Sphal crossed her arms and groaned again, but she couldn't help but smile.

"Alright... But, I still want out of here as soon as possible." She muttered quietly. Morganite was jarred, looking back to the duo that sat in the front.

"Ah, nothing! Just thinking out loud." He grinned, grabbing onto another shot glass from another cubby. "Look, I'm afraid I have to get back to work. You can stay here as long as you like, but try not to be seen, alright? It's good to see you again, Ekanite. And, it's good to... meet you; Sphal, was it?" He whispered softly.

The tiny red gem jumped a little, but stayed cool otherwise.

"Ah, yeeeeah! Thanks... Morgan." She bit her lip, presenting an odd look. He chuckled and gave them a short wave, before standing up and turning to make the other patron's drinks.

Sphal let out a huge sigh of relief, and shot Eka an exasperated look. "When can we leave?..."

–

Eka glanced between Morgan and Sphal with a smile, glad that the two were at least communicating. That was a step in the right direction!

As Morgan walked off, Ekanite waved back at him with her tail. As soon as he was gone, she sighed, relaxing. Turning to Sphal, she nuzzled her muzzle close.

 _"We will leave shortly. Let's wait until people stop paying attention to our hiding place."_ There was a pause. _"I'm sorry for putting you through that, Sphalerite. I got excited at the chance to visit here."_

–

"Its alright Eka, just...try to be a little more crafty next time!" _s_ he snickered, placing her hand on her neck, petting the fur gently. "When we leave tonight, I'm picking where we go!" She leaned in, slumping down with her arms behind her head. She was just glad that went as well as it did.

–

The gem monster relaxed and smiled, resting her head beside Sphal's small form. A purr rose in her throat, and she wrapped her tail around the tiny gem.

Rubes was eyeing Morgan suspiciously. She'd only finished about half of her drink, though her face was already a slightly darker shade of red.

"Morgan, I know you're a very sociable gem, but talking to bottles is just _weird,_ " she joked, arching a brow. Reaching a hand into the bag in her lap, she grabbed another candy and tossed it into her mouth. Puff was leaning on the counter.

"Yeah, what kinda secrets you hiding over there, buddy?~" She was also clearly joking, though there was a genuinely curious gleam in her eyes.

–

Morganite turned and grabbed another glass, spinning it in his hand. With a grin, he gave them both a wink, and said nothing. Slowly, he started to craft another drink.

"Oh, nothing in particular. You know I can't reveal my secrets.~" He cooed out charmingly, pouring more colorful liquid into the sparkling glass. "But I can tell you one thing, it may make sense to you some day," he said, eyes half lidded. Without taking his gaze off the two, he smirked and slid the drink down to the patrons at the other end of the bar, who quickly caught the glass and raised it up in thanks.

–

Puff narrowed her eyes at the bartender with a smirk, but she said nothing. Rubes, on the other hand, was now staring at the small shelf that Morganite had been giving so much attention. She quietly sipped her drink.

"Hm." Leaning back in her seat, she shrugged. "Aaaalright, have it your way, Morg."

–

–

The night went on like normal, and after an hour or so Puff and Rubes had gone off on their own. Only Morganite and a couple of drunken gems were left. 10 minutes before the bar locked down, everyone found some way or another to leave, all except for Morgan and his two smaller guests. Having cleaned the final glass, he placed it on one of the shelves neatly and turned his head to look at the cubby. Walking over, he knelt down again, this time at more of an eye level.

"Sorry about all the noise." he said softly. Sphal was shaken from her small nap, but she relaxed quickly.

"Oh, its just you again." She said, sighing.

–

Ekanite had fallen into a sort of half sleep while keeping an eye out for any curious bar patrons. She was relieved to see the last one leave. Her tail was tucked over Sphal, the tuft almost completely covering her. The gem monster opened her eyes fully, having had them half-shut just moments ago. Looking up at Morgan, she smiled and flicked an ear in recognition.

–

Morgan placed his gem hand down in front of Ekanite for a moment to see if she was going to say anything.

"I have to lock up in 10 minutes. I'm afraid its time for you both to go." he said, scratching his head with his free hand. Sphal smirked and rolled her eyes.

"Gladly..." She muttered under her breath.

–

The small gem monster leaned forward and pressed her nose to the bartender's light pink gem.

 _"Don't mind her, she's not fond of most gems."_ Blinking up at the warrior gem, Ekanite tilted her head slightly. _"Would it be acceptable to visit you again some time?"_ A teasing tone entered her voice, and the monster's three eyes narrowed. _"Or are vermin like myself not permitted?~"_ The voice chuckled, and Eka's tail twitched in amusement.

–

Morganite chuckled and smiled awkwardly.

"Ah, sorry about that! It's... it looks very bad on your record to have gem monsters running around your shop, you know. Of course, you can come by any time," he said, quirking a brow. Sphal glanced over at Eka and hopped up on her back without a word. Morgan eyed her curiously. "You're a Yellow District gem. Are you taking a vacation as well? I hear there's a lot going on over there right now," Morganite said, looking to the smaller red gem. She peered over Eka's head and narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

"Yeeeeaaah, we didn't wanna stick around with that much commotion...and to be quite frank, we don't wanna stick around here, either!" she said. She stopped, biting her lip. "Eh, er... No offense. Hah."

Morgan smiled warmly and nodded.

"I understand. I wouldn't be too worried around here, though. If you ever need a safe place to stay, you know where to find me!"

–

Ekanite smiled warmly, her ears perking.

 _"Thank you, Morgan. I appreciate the offer, and I'll definitely see you around. I'll try not to come in again... at least not directly."_ Her eyes narrowed playfully. _"Or I'll just make extra sure not to be seen.~"_ The gem creature stood up and stretched before slinking through the bottles on the shelf and jumping down with barely a sound. Quietly, the green-furred monster padded over to the front door and placed her paws on it, pushing with all her might. The door budged, and with one more shove, she managed to get it open. Flicking her tail like a wave goodbye, Eka slipped out the door without a word.

–

Sphal turned around for a moment as Eka pushed the door open. Before the gem creature made her way out, Morgan and Sphalerite made eye contact and both raised their hands in a short wave goodbye. And, with that, the two tiny gems were gone, and the front door gently clicked shut. Morgan, dumbfounded, was still rolling in the thoughts of tonight for a long while, still trying to comprehend what had just happened. On the one hand, he was glad to see his friend again. But on the other... it was a shame she was like this. At least she seemed _relatively_ alright, despite her unfortunate condition. He hoped he'd see her again sometime soon, her _and_ Sphalerite.


	42. Take Control

_Summary: Morganite learns something new about one of the Hematites_

Oh boy, why was she doing this? She had no idea if this gem had kept their other conversation secret... She couldn't trust him.

Fingers tapping along the top of her lip, the gem continued down the street.

 _Then again, I don't really have anyone else I can talk about this with. Pipsqueak's out on his mission and White would figure it out too easily..._

Sighing, the nervous gem brushed some of her dark hair away from her face. She continued drumming her fingers over her mouth.

 _I don't have to tell him everything. But maybe he'll know what to do..._

Stopping, the visor-wearing individual stared down the street, at the colorful signs of Morganite's Club.

Mago dropped her hand from her face and frowned.

–

"Uhhh, Morganite, that one gem wants to speak with you again." The same bouncer as before had made her way over to the bar, looking slightly nervous. "You know, the _big_ one."

–

Morgan turned to face the bouncer with a wide grin.

"Oh, her! Alright, take over for me while I see what she wants, alright?" he said gleefully, coming out from behind the bar. He gave the guard a pat on their shoulder as he quickly passed by. "Relax. She's alright,~" he said in passing, opening the door. Within seconds, he spotted her down the street. Not that she was easy to miss. Placing a hand on his hip, he took note that she looked a little different from last time in the way that she presented herself. _Was she okay?..._

–

The giant gem was glad to see Morgan come out of the bar relatively quickly.

"Hey." Glancing away for a moment, she walked forward and knelt, putting her palm down for the pink-haired warrior to climb up. "Hope I'm not interrupting your work too much," she said wryly, though there wasn't as much enthusiasm behind it as usual.

–

Morgan brushed his hand through his hair briefly and stepped up into her hand. Well, at least she wasn't picking him up by his shirt this time!

"Don't worry about it, I got someone to cover me," he said with a sly smirk.

–

Mago's demeanor suddenly went back to its usual aloof air, and the giant gem started to lift Morgan up to the same building she had before.

"Hm, well, good. 'Cuz, we might be here a while," she said simply, holding her hand up to the edge of the rooftop.

–

Morgan stepped off and turned curiously to the much bigger gem. What had she meant by that? He crossed his arms and leaned against the railing, staring up at her.

"Alright. Fill me in, then!" he said calmly. Surely this had something to do with the last time she visited him; but he didn't rush to any conclusions yet.

–

Stretching, the giant gem sighed and hissed through her teeth.

"Best get comfy, Morganite. This is going to take a while." She crossed her arms and leaned up against the building. A long pause followed. "... You know the gem I was talking about last time? Well, I went and had a little... discussion with her that night." Mago took a long, steadying sigh, and began to recount her tale to the small gem on the roof. She made sure not to mention the gem's name the entire story.

"Ti, we need to talk," said the shorter Hematite as she gazed up at her comrade. The taller gem blinked curiously and moved her hands up in front of her chest, lacing her fingers together. Her brows furrowed in concern.

"What about? Is something the matter?"

"Kiiiind of? Look, Ti. As much as I'd love to fuse, I don't know. White's pretty strict on the rules with that stuff... right? If we get caught, we'll be in a lot of trouble." Mago fiddled with a lock of her hair, not meeting Ti's eyes. "I'm a little foggy on the fine print of all that stuff, but... If it's not required for a job, and our lives aren't in danger, isn't it illegal?"

The taller Hematite clasped her hands together tighter, eyes widening.

"Mago, she wouldn't find out! And... it was just an idea..." She looked away, a hurt expression on her pretty face. Mago blinked in surprise.

"I-I know, but. It seems dangerous, that's all."

"Dangerous? Mago, it'd just be if we had a job that neither of us could handle... Even if White _did_ find out, she can't fault us for doing our jobs more effectively, right?" Ti's eyes widened suddenly in realization, and she looked at the smaller Hematite. "Do... Do you not trust me?"

"No, of course I do, Ti!"

"Don't you want to know what it's like to fuse? We Hematites never get the chance..."

Mago fidgeted with her hair, still not making eye contact.

"Yeah, but..."

The lithe Hematite's expression fell, her eyes sad. She unclasped her hands and reached them forward, gently resting her palms on Mago's shoulders. Blinking in surprise, the ebony-haired gem looked up, finally meeting Ti's eyes. Ti gave a soft, melodic hum and tilted her head subtly.

"Mago, it's okay. We don't have to do it now. We don't even have to do it any time soon. But I promise you, we won't get in trouble. By the Diamond Authority..." A warm smile spread across her face. "I swear it."

The ebony-haired gem stared up at her companion, the faintest of blushes darkening her cheeks. Ti gave a soft, good natured chuckle, and leaned closer.

Mago's eyes widened, and she started to say something before she froze in place. Ti placed a gentle kiss on the shorter Hematite's forehead, on her visor. Pulling back, the taller gem smiled sweetly and removed her hands from Mago's shoulders.

"I'll see you around, okay?"

Mago stared up at her in stunned surprise, her face turning a more vibrant shade of pink.

"... Y. Yeah."

Turning around, Ti sauntered off, running her fingers through her hair as she did so. The long silver locks shimmered in the moonlight, entrancing the smaller gem. Mago quietly touched her cheek, surprised to feel how warm it was. A breeze blew through the Kindergarten, sweeping her hair back.

"... Yeah."

–

Morganite placed his chin in his hand, tapping his free fingers on the metallic railing.

"Hmmm..." he hummed out with intrigue. "So all this time, she wanted to fuse with you?" he said, narrowing his eyes. "That must be pretty hard to grasp..." The pink haired warrior stood up straight and crossed his arms again, deep in thought. "You'd better be careful about that, lest one of the Diamonds finds out. Regardless if you're doing your job or not..."

–

Mago blinked and slowly looked at the pink-haired warrior.

"... Weeellllll." Not turning her head, she looked to the side, brows raised. She cleared her throat. "About that."

–

Morgan's eyes widened, his smile fading nervously. He placed both of his hands on the railing and leaned forward slightly. When he spoke, his tone was urgent, shocked.

"You didn't..."

–

The giant gem looked away, shrugging.

"A little late with that, Morgan." She let out a short, dry laugh. "We _did_..." Another long pause followed. A breeze blew her hair away from her face, and her expression was unreadable.

–

Morgan leaned back and took a deep breath, slapping his palm over his face. Dragging it down, he groaned.

"Oh dear... that'ssss... mmm..." He stopped, resting his hand over his mouth and looking away, brows furrowed in concern. "That's bad," he muttered, muffled. He went quiet before sighing and turning to gaze up at the giant gem, looking both confused and, admittedly, a smidgen disappointed.. _"Why?"_

–

The giant gem took note of his tone, and her eyes narrowed. She sharply turned her head, squinting at the tiny gem with a warning glare that seemed to say _'Tell anyone about this and your club's going to need a new bartender.'_

It was a partially empty threat, but Mago stared long enough to get her point across before she glanced away. Her tone was defensive, and she lifted a hand, waving it nonchalantly to the side.

"It was for, like, a minute! It was silly. It was nothing."

–

Morgan tapped his fingers on the railing again, biting his lip. _Oh, he'd caught that look_. But he brushed it off quickly.

"Do you think anyone saw you, then?" he asked, glancing to the side briefly.

–

Mago shook her head slightly, crossing her arms again.

"No no, nobody saw us, I'm sure of it. We were out in the middle of nowhere. Ti had a deconstruction job in the Pink District, wayyy out there. She'd told me the day before she'd be gone for a while..." The giant gem frowned and shrugged. "So I... finished up my own work early and kindaaa. Went to join her. I figured we could spend some time together, maybe I could help her out.."

–

Morgan felt a faint, tiny smile appear on his face.

"Well... As long as you didn't hurt anyone. I guess that's a nice gesture for you to help her!" He faltered for a moment, furrowing his brows in slight confusion. "So, why tell me about this?"

–

Mago rubbed her face for a moment, her hand moving up under her visor.

"Well..." The giant gem paused, her fingers still under her visor. She suddenly let out a long sigh and started to lift the large eyepiece from her face. Carefully, she set it down on the rooftop behind Morganite. Seemed that underneath that visor, her irises were pink, not white. She crossed her arms and leaned sidelong on the building. "... Because something weird happened. And. I don't know who else to talk to about it."

–

The warrior gem stepped back and looked at the visor. _Weird, he'd never seen them come off like that before._ Turning again, his attention was caught by the service gem's eyes.

"What... happened?" he managed to ask quietly.

–

"Mmm."

-~ _A few days ago..._

"Tiii! There you are!"

The taller Hematite was moving a large pillar with a great deal of effort, despite being at her full harvester size. The building she was tending to was quite large. Dropping the huge slab of marble, she stood up, looking surprised.

"Oh, Mago! What are you doing all the way out here, I thought you had work to do..."

The shorter Hematite, also at her full height, casually leaned against a nearby chunk of building.

"Pssh, me, work? That's funny!"

Ti arched a brow, though her eyes were more concerned than anything.

"Mago, you're going to get into trouble..."

The ebony-haired Hematite snorted and waved a hand nonchalantly.

"I'm kidding, Ti. I finished up early! I figured I could come help you out.~ You knowww, two heads are better than one."

Picking up another piece of rubble with a strained grunt, the lithe Hematite glanced at her companion. She started to say something, but then yelped when the piece of pavement slipped from her hands. Swearing under her breath, she moved her foot away quickly, just barely missing it. Ti sighed and looked at Mago with an unreadable expression.

The ebony-haired Hematite smiled and arched a brow coyly.

"C'moooon. We gotta get this stuff moved out, and you'll never get through all of it with those scrawny arms of yours."

Ti's expression twitched for a moment, but she quickly recovered. The taller gem smiled slyly and stood straight.

"Waaait. Mago, are you... saying what I think you're saying?" Her eyes gleamed with excitement. The smaller Hematite chuckled and stepped away from the building she was slouched against.

"Mmm, I dunno, what do you think I'm saying?" Her gemstone began to glow, and she stood in a readied pose.

Ti smiled brightly, moving away from the rubble she'd dropped.

"And, so. One dance later, we managed to fuse. It went really well..." She rubbed her neck. "At least... I thought it did." Her tone was soft and almost hurt-sounding.

–

Morganite found himself leaning again, this time with his arms crossed over one another. He bit the inside of his cheek, still smiling. However, as Mago finished, Morgan frowned and looked away.

"What happened?..." he asked, almost reluctantly.

–

"Well, we didn't last more than a few minutes before we willingly unfused. As soon as we'd formed, we started clearing away the debris." A wistful tone entered her voice, and she tilted her head up slightly, closing her eyes. "I'd never fused before; it was amazing. We were so strong, agile... so in-control. We got a job done in a few minutes that would have taken either of us at least a few hours." She chuckled. "And _stars_ were we tall. Heh." A toothy smirk crossed her face before fading. Her face still slightly inclined toward the stars, Mago opened her eyes. "But... Something felt _wrong_ toward the end of the fusion. I guess maybe Ti saw something in the building that could have been destroyed more efficiently, but I didn't listen. I kept control of the fusion the entire time, or at least, it _felt_ like I did. I think Ti tried to guide us at the end, but..." She shrugged. "I didn't want to give up control. Being fused was too... fun.' A guilty look crossed her face, and her shoulders lifted a bit. "So when we unfused..."

The bright glowing light faded out, leaving the two Hematites standing side by side. Mago stretched, letting out a chuckle that quickly turned into a hearty laugh.

"That was incredible! We were great!"

The shorter Hematite turned excitedly to the gem beside her, her eyes bright. Ti wasn't looking at her.

"... Ti?" Mago's smile faded.

The lithe Hematite slowly gripped her arms, her face turned away.

"I can't believe you. I can't _believe_ you!" She turned sharply to face the ebony-haired Hematite, her eyes angry and hurt. "That was terrible! You just... took over the whole time! That's not what fusion is about, _**Hematite**_!"

Mago flinched heavily, taking a step back.

"... B-but, we. You..."

Ti turned away, shaking her head.

"It it because I'm weak?! I get it, I'm not as strong as you. But I still know how to do my job, you know."

"N-no, I do know that! I'm sorry, I just thought-"

"I don't care what you thought, that was terrible... And if I can't trust you to even handle a fusion... then-"

Mago's eyes widened, and she tugged on a lock of her hair.

"Ti, _don't_..."

The silver-haired Hematite turned back to her smaller comrade with a hurt expression.

"-We're _**done**_. Have fun with the rest of your work. And don't bother showing up to the next fusion fight."

Turning away, she took a few steps forward before a soft whimper escaped her, and she covered her face. Before Mago could say anything, Ti bolted off.

She knew she couldn't catch up with her.

"..." Mago sniffed once, rubbing at her eye with the palm of her hand.

–

A worried, disheartened look spread across Morganite's face. He could tell this was rough on her. His chest tightened, and now he just seemed angry, more than anything else.

"What a terrible thing..." He said, offering a sympathetic smile. "I'm so sorry that your first fusion experience was so... undesirable." He placed one palm over the other. His expression seemed mixed. It was hard to tell what he was thinking. Part of him wished he knew who this was, so he could give them a firm 'talking to'. "Here, dear. Listen to me..." He placed his palms on the railings again, leaning a little closer. "It is easy to become excited when you fuse. It sounds like your little..." He paused, choking on the next word, "… 'friend' simply took things the wrong way. You should be proud of yourself."

–

Mago looked at him, and suddenly moved a bit closer, her fingers gripping at the edge of the building.

"But it was my fault. I shouldn't have been so aggressive. What on Homeworld do I have to be proud of? She hates me now!"

–

Morgan quickly took a few steps back. She'd gotten a little too close too fast, but he knew she was just upset.

"Hey, listen." He raised his hands, grinning wider. "It wasn't your fault. You shouldn't beat yourself up over that! She sounds like she's pretty controlling, if she reacted that way..." He placed his hand on the side of his head, digging his fingers into his fluffy pink hair. "Come on, Mago... _hate_ is a strong word. If she really hates you over that, I personally think it's better off that you aren't around her..."

–

Blinking, the giant gem sat up a little bit, her face a more comfortable distance from the pink-haired gem. His words seem to strike a chord with her, and her brows furrowed, as if she was thinking hard about something.

"... Y. You really think so?"

–

Morgan shrugged and tapped his fingers against each other.

"Of course. Mago, let me tell you something. In all of my years of being a warrior, a bartender, and a friend to many, I've seen my fair share of these kinds of things." He sighed, his smile fading just slightly. "It might be best if you chose your 'friends' more wisely. This can lead to nothing good... I can feel it."

–

The ebony-haired gem blinked silently as she took in what he said. Her fingers drummed along the rooftop, and she slowly removed her hands from the edge of the building, looking down. After a moment, she glanced back up. Her eyes were clouded with thought.

"Hm. Alright. If you say so, M."

–

He smiled warmly again, his grip tightening on his hands.

"If you need to talk again anytime, you know where to find me. Keep me posted, alright? I'd hate to see you so upset over someone like this. I'll do whatever I can to help," he stated.

–

The giant gem reached over to pick up her visor, slipping it back onto her face. Brushing her hair back with a 'hmph', she gazed down at the warrior gem.

"I'll keep that in mind. And uh." She chuckled and winked at him, giving a sarcastic sort of 'salute'. "If you ever need a _harvester_ for any reason, you let me know. Pipsqueak knows where to find me; just ask him.~" She held her hand up to the rooftop.

–

Stepping up into the giant's hand, Morgan bowed respectfully.

"Of course! I'll... keep that in mind." He looked up, smirking.

–

Mago smirked back, her teeth glinting in the moonlight.

"Good."

Slowly, she lowered Morgan back to the street and put him down. She stood and turned to leave, just as she had the first time. Waving back, she sauntered off down the street, though it was less enthusiastic than before.

She had a _lot_ to think about.


	43. A Matter of Time

_Summary: Hematite sees rain again for the first time since his years on Earth._

Wind.

Howling, battering, harsh wind.

CRASH!

Hematite's eyes shot open, and he gave a startled yelp as he sat up from where he lie. His breathing was shallow and rapid, his eyes darting around at the landscape before him.

This wasn't where he'd lied down to regain his energy...

Where was this?

Slowly standing up, Hematite held his arms close to him, shivering. It was freezing. He was up to his waist in long, thin grass. The wind whipped it around wildly, and the service gem winced as it lashed at his legs. Through gritted teeth, he exhaled, his breath coming out in a quickly-dissipating cloud of steam. Looking up, he squinted, barely able to keep his eyes open against the wind.

He perked, getting an idea. Lifting his hand to his face, the service gem flicked his hand over his eyes. Nothing happened. As Hematite felt around his eyes, he suddenly realized he wasn't even wearing his eyepiece like he had been when he lied down.

What on Homeworld...

Trying to think of another way to avoid the wind, Hematite turned around, trying to get it to his back. But the direction suddenly changed, and he was face-to-face with it again. Baring his teeth, he let out a frustrated growl.

 **CRASH!**

Eyes going wide, the ivory-haired gem stared ahead of him as lightning illuminated a huge, foreboding structure.

Wait...

 _He knew that building..._ It was the tower in his gem.

Looking around frantically, Hematite realized that the area around him was eerily similar to the dimension he was so familiar with. But something felt different. _Everything_ felt different.

It was cold, wild, terrifying. The normally warm or starry skies were completely smothered by near-black storm clouds. Lightning was shooting between them at an alarming pace, setting the landscape alight with each flash. Hematite couldn't see the floating islands, or the districts in the distance... He couldn't see anything beyond the cliffs that surrounded the grassy fields and tower.

It was dark, cold, lonely. And yet he felt as if he was being watched.

The small service gem looked around cautiously, checking for signs of life. It seemed he was the only one there... Something glimmered overhead.

Blinking, Hema looked up, still squinting against the wind. His breath caught in his throat. Far above him, despite the rolling clouds... he could see stars. A small smile crossed his face. But it faded quickly. No, they weren't stars.

 _They were hundreds of target insignia._

–

CRASH!

Another abrupt flash of lightning struck somewhere close by, as if the bolts of electricity were honing in on him. But they weren't.

The grass shifted quickly, but it was hard to tell with the harsh, barraging winds.

Then it got closer. Soon, it disappeared completely. There was an ominous silence aside from the howling winds and the distant rumbling of thunder. It would seem that Hematite was completely abandoned, alone, and lost.

 _But not for long._

There was a voice that carried through the wind, another strike of lightning hitting the grass somewhere close by. The voice was powerful and unsettlingly familiar.

 **"This is your fault."**

–

Hematite took a few startled steps backwards at what appeared to be something approaching through the grass, but his shoulders relaxed as it seemed to vanish.

But then he heard the voice, and his breathing stopped.

 _Oh, stars..._ _ **No**_ _._

Looking around, the service gem suddenly felt very... small.

He backed up, into some of the taller grass. Maybe if he just hid...

–

The voice called out again; this time, louder.

 **"Did you think you'd get away with what you did?"**

There was a harsh pressure that filled the air suddenly. The wind picked up, and lightning started to strike more frequently now.

 **"You've stepped out of line for the last time, Hematite."**

–

"N-no! I'm sorry!" Quickly, he covered his mouth, backing fully into the taller grass. It rose far above his head, despite the wind that was buffeting it.

Now if he could just stay quiet...

The small service gem flinched each time lightning struck nearby. It was getting closer.

He didn't particularly know if he'd be hurt by it if he was hit, but he didn't want to risk it. Maybe if he stayed in here, the grass would be struck before he was...

–

Without warning, a dark shadow began to grow somewhere behind the tower. Slowly, it started to loom, and it's figure became eerily familiar. If Hematite had any doubts on who the voice belonged to before, they were certainly gone now.

A huge hand reached out and grabbed onto the top of the tower, piercing yellow eyes glowing out from a body cast in an unseen shadow. Slowly, her color came into view, hues of yellow and black whisping over her slowly.

Her eyes widened, she peered down at the dwarfed service gem, judging him. No longer was her form encased in a black silhouette. No, now, she stood tall behind the building.

 **CRASH!**

A bolt of fierce lightning struck the ground directly between Hematite and the tower. The grass smoked for a moment, but nothing more happened.

"Sorry means nothing."

Merciless, striking words filled the dense, freezing air.

Her fingers clutched down on the top of the tower, creating cracks within the structure that crumbled pieces of rubble down to the ground far below.

–

Eyes wide as saucers, Hematite stared at the huge figure looming above. He only caught glimpses through the whipping grass, but it was enough to know exactly who it was. The tiny gem flinched at the lightning strike, crouching down lower in fear. He'd been seen, but he couldn't bring himself to run at the moment... he was frozen. The crumbling of the tower echoed in his ears, making him grip his head in pain with his free hand.

Sorry means nothing.

His other hand still over his mouth, Hematite looked up at the looming diamond. Behind her, it seemed all the star-like targets had trained directly onto him.

He started to shake.

With a panicked yelp, the ivory-haired gem suddenly bolted out from his hiding place, running deeper into the grassy field. Maybe if he just avoided her, he could find a better place to hide!

–

With a mighty force, Yellow gripped the side of the tower and pushed it to the side.

With a sickeningly loud rumble, the tower fell down into pieces, and Yellow stepped forward. She wasn't even running. Her eyes were locked onto him, glaring daggers into his tiny form as the tower was sent crashing down behind her.

"You can't hide from the Diamond Authority. You can't hide from your fate. You can't outrun it, you can't change it. Why run? Just accept what's coming. It'll be much easier."

–

Hematite's entire being shook uncontrollably as the tower crashed down behind him.

 _Don't look back._

 _Keep running._

 _Keep running, and it can't get you._

 _Just a little more time..._

 _I just need a little more time!_

 _ **You can't hide from your fate.** _

_**You can't outrun it.** _

_**You can't change it.** _

Closing his eyes tightly, Hema urged himself to run faster, his hand reaching up to cover his gemstone.

He regretted closing his eyes.

With a sharp yell, Hematite tripped over a rather large drop in one of the hills, and he landed heavily in the grass below, on his front. Groaning, he sat up, sputtering dirt from his mouth.

–

There was a loud thud behind him. A dark shadow cast over the service gem's small body, and a fair bit of the ground around him. There, looming above him, Yellow was hunched over, glaring down at him with narrowed eyes. Her figure was cast in black yet again, all except her eyes.

The target were still blaring in the sky, but this time...they changed.

Instead of diamonds, they hard warped into a much rounder shape, eerily spot on to Hematite's own gemstone.

–

Stiffening, Hematite stared at the ground below him as it went dark.

Everything told him not to look.

Every part of his mind screamed at him to not turn around, to run, to keep going. But he was frozen in place, the harsh wind blowing his bangs into his eyes, stinging them. Gritting his teeth, Hematite whimpered and rested his head on the ground, covering it with his hands. He was shaking uncontrollably.

 _Go away..._

 _Please..._

 _I said I was sorry!_

 _What more do you want from me?!_

 _I can't undo what I did!_

 _Please, stop this!_

He bit his lip, tears welling up in his eyes.

 _I didn't want this!_

–

Yellow reached her hand down and dug her nails into the ground around Hematite, surrounding him like a dark cage. Slowly, she closed her hand around him until he was completely encased in her palm. Another bolt of lightning struck behind her, and her eyes widened very slightly. She lifted.

–

As soon as he heard the diamond's claws sinking into the ground, Hematite's face shot up, and he let out a startled whimper. He tried to scurry forward, to escape, to do something. But he was too slow, and he quickly found himself surrounded by darkness.

The tiny gem looked around in panic and grunted in frustration, trying to pry at the fingers holding him captive. He could feel gravity shifting, and knew he was being picked up.

 _No... no! Put me down!_

He punched fruitlessly at the inside of Yellow's hand, each strike growing more desperate.

–

The diamond was unwavered by the smaller gem's feeble punches, and lifted him up in front of her face. She held him there for a moment, quietly. Then, slowly, she loosened her grip just slightly, though not enough to let him go completely.

–

The moment Hematite saw light, his eyes widened, and he scrambled for the opening in his captor's hand. He managed to pry his upper half out, but suddenly found himself stuck. His breathing quickened, and he stared, wide-eyed, down at the hand holding him.

 _Don't look up._

 _Don't do it..._

 _You know she's there..._

Shoulders tensing, Hematite shut his eyes tightly and let out a frustrated cry, clawing at Yellow's hand best he could.

–

She squeezed lightly, lifting up her thumb a little. She stared down at him with a cold, emotionless gaze. Her brows were slightly furrowed. She seemed dead set on her ways.

"By the order of the Diamond Authority...Hematite..."

Her clawed thumb pressed the surface of Hematite's gemstone, just barely making contact.

–

A shuddering gasp shook Hematite's frame as the monstrous diamond rested her claw on his gemstone. He tried to lean back as best he could, tilting his chin up and away from the claw.

But then he wished he hadn't.

His eyes opened, and he let out the tiniest, pitiful whimper. The shadowed figure loomed in front of him, her piercing yellow eyes narrowed at him. He could see nothing else on her form.

The targets in the sky all bore insignia shaped exactly like his gemstone, and they were focused directly on him.

But that was not what made his body go cold.

 _None of that mattered._

The lightning in the sky had practically stopped, and the clouds seemed to freeze in place.

There, beyond the nightmarish Yellow Diamond looming before him, loomed a far, far more intimidating figure.

It filled the whole horizon.

Jet-black clawed hands stretched out over the hillsides, over the cliffs, over _everything_.

Far over Yellow's head glowed a bright white panel.

No.

Not a panel.

 _A visor._

 _ **It was Hematite.** _

_But it wasn't him at all._

–

Yellow's grip squeezed tighter, slowly. With so much pressure, it was only a matter of time before he'd be poofed, if she continued. But her eyes narrowed, never once moving her gaze off of him.

 _ **"You are sentenced to death."** _

And with that final statement, Yellow pressed her clawed thumb forward into Hematite's gem with a sickening _**crack**_.

–

"HaAAA!"

Hematite sat up with a panicked scream, his hand flying up to cover his gemstone. His knees quickly drew to his chest, and he looked around rapidly, his eyes wide, sweat dripping down his face. Soft, frightened whimpers escaped him with each exhale as he took in his surroundings.

He was back in the caves...

He was back to the real world...

He was still on his mission...

Taking a deep, shuddering breath, Hematite buried his face in his hands, exhaling slowly. His body was trembling.

 _You can't escape your fate._

 _It's only a matter of time..._

 _One way or another, you're going to die. There's no escaping it._

After a few minutes, Hematite managed to shakily stand up and make his way out of the cave. He stood at the edge of a huge, open field. He was on a completely different planet than his Homeworld. Sure, he wasn't stranded here, but...

He couldn't have felt further from home. Even further than when he was on Earth.

The service gem ran his thumb along the rocks of the cave entrance. Clouds were rolling overhead, painting the sky multiple hues of dark blue, as this planet had a strange atmosphere. Hema looked up. A drop of water fell on his face, and he blinked in surprise and wiped it off. More began to fall. Soon enough, it was pouring rain over the fields of grass, as far as the eye could see. Hematite normally would be fascinated by another chance to see rainfall... there wasn't any on Homeworld. He'd only been exposed to it on Earth. But this time... he felt no joy in seeing it. No curiosity drove him to take notes. He felt heavy.

Looking up, Hematite closed his eyes. He let the rain pour down on his face.

Tears began to well up in his eyes, mixing with the rain, and a broken smile crossed his lips. When he spoke, his voice was soft, cracked, weak.

"Joke's on you, Yellow Diamond." His hand slipped from the cave rocks and moved up to gently cover his gemstone. His lip trembled, and he opened his eyes, a look of defeated pain glazing over his expression. "I've already been sentenced to death."


	44. Fallen

_Summary: Tensions rise in the Diamond Authority._

 _-  
The following goings-on in the Diamond Authority take place during Hematite's current two-month mission._

 _Ruined. I am_ _ **ruined**_ _._

Looking out upon the darkened city, the Diamond stood slouched upon her window sill. The past few months had been disastrous, to say the least. Before recent events, she had been slacking, sure. But now... now was different. She'd shut herself away completely. She cut off contacts and locked her doors, even ignoring any and all attempts of communication between the other Diamonds. She wanted nothing to do with _anyone._  
Now, it had been precisely two weeks since her dispute with Hematite. Could she even call that a dispute? No, that was a disaster. A one sided and very _catastrophic_ disaster.

Her fingers were curled into fists, knuckles rapping slowly against the edge of her office window. She couldn't sit. Not even for a moment. If she did, she ran the risk of passing out or nodding off for a moment. She didn't dare chance that. It was chilly, but not freezing. This time of year was always a bit colder, and chill winds always tended to blow through her and White's districts especially. Sure, it wasn't nearly as cold as her nightmares, but regardless, it still made her uncomfortable. _Everything_ that reminded her of that horrid place sent shivers down her spine and plunged her into a fresh spike of anxiety and apprehension. She took a deep, shuddering breath as she stared out into the city below, lightning flickering across the skies like a current of maddening anguish. The weather was simply relentless as of late; nonstop electrical storms crashed above for days upon days at a time, with little to no breaks in between. The bolts of lightning struck down with ferocious energy, striking buildings and setting fires wherever they hit, when they didn't completely _destroy_ whatever they struck. Panic stricken gems were often seen scurrying about, despairingly trying to make light of the district's hazardous condition. They did their best to regain order, to keep everyone calm, but without Yellow Diamond's strong leadership, they were lost, scattered, and disquieted to no end.

Yellow Diamond's city was in chaos, and she could do _nothing_ but watch her world crumble to the ground around her. For the first time in centuries, perhaps _ever,_ she felt _hopeless_ . Workers were falling behind, production had come to a screeching halt, and there was a complete lack of organization and leadership. To make matters worse, crime had started to spring up, now at an all time high. Within a few short months, the Yellow District was plunged into a bleak era of dissaray only once seen before. _And that had come with Pink Diamond's betrayal._ With so much disorder, Yellow started to wonder if she would ever be able to fix the mayhem that plagued her city. But... before she could even think about how to go about undoing the damage to her district, she needed to fix the damage to something else.

 _Herself._

"Would you like some tea, my lady?"a nasally, mature voice called from the other side of the room. Yellow, shaken from her hyper-focused state, turned her head slightly.

"No," she said tersely. The Pearl, nervous, bowed her head in understanding. Yellow Diamond paused, narrowing her eyes and staring at the wall in pensive silence. "Leave me," she ordered. Confused, the Pearl saluted and did as she was told. If Yellow wanted to be alone, she certainly wasn't going to question it. It was out of line to speak out, anyway.

As the door hissed shut behind the Pearl, Yellow was once again left alone in her dark, cluttered office. The lights were turned off; the only thing illuminating the room was the dim glow of the city and the frequent flicker of lightning. It was quiet, aside from the sound of distant thunder. She stood up straight, arms now folded behind her back. She stared blankly out of the glass, the area around her falling silent, dark, forboding.  
She was alone, trapped in a waking spiral of her own harrowing thoughts of months past, and of her recent conflict with Hematite.

Hematite's words reverberated through her mind as clear as the thunder rolling over the horizon. For the entirety of the two weeks since his blow up, she couldn't stop thinking about what he said, no matter how hard she tried to push it away. Guilt-ridden, she found that her condition was, by some horrible device, _worsening_. Now, she could hardly do any sort of work, even from the sanctity of her own room. Before, she could at _least_ work on reports in silence, but _now_ she couldn't even focus on _that._

For weeks, she had been locked away in solitude, ignoring the outside world. For days, she'd been doing almost nothing but musing on the past, remembering things that she had buried deep within the furthest confines of her mind. For hours, she stood in front of the window, now lost in a different state of mind than she'd been in the past few weeks. She was trying to will herself to do something. Something she'd been considering for the past few days. For the first time in two weeks, she was going to take a walk.

She just had to find the strength to take that first step outside.

-

-

 _"Hello? Yellow Diamond? This is White Diamond, please answer."_  
 _..._  
 _"Yellow, Sparky, Hey... anyone? Blue Diamond, here! Are you there?"_  
 _..._  
 _"Come on, we know you're there! Pick up already!"_  
 _..._  
 _"This is ridiculous, Yellow. Your district is in chaos. You need to do something."_  
 _..._  
 _"Yellow Diamond, I am coming to your office today and you'd better be there. We've got a lot to talk about."_  
 _..._  
 _"Hello? ... Are you even listening to these? ... Please call back."_  
 _..._  
 _"Where are you? What's going on with you? Please, why won't you talk to us? Blue is starting to panic, and I can't keep her calmed down for much longer."_  
 _..._  
 _"Yellow Diamond... we need you."_  
 _..._  
 _"What's happened to you?"_  
 _..._

White flicked through a number of different messages, desperation and sadness riddling her expression. Sighing, she tapped off the communicator and placed her elbows on the desk in front of her. Blue, sitting across from her fellow Diamond, had one leg crossed over the other. She seemed uncomfortable. An awkward silence befell the room, and the once warm and placid office felt dark and tense. A weight hung on the air.  
"I don't know what to do, Blue. I have tried everything... But no matter how hard I try-" White started quietly, placing her palms together and entwining her fingers.

"Ugh, come on, White, don't tell me you're blaming this on yourself," Blue interrupted, swinging her arms out to her side. White looked up slightly with a pained look on her face.  
"No, listen... Neither of us can get a hold of her. I've tried going to her office directly, even _you_ have tried. She won't let us in, or she just isn't there. I got in **a single** time, and she wouldn't say a _word_ to me. _Not one single word,_ " she responded quickly, almost hurt. "These transmissions we've sent her are either not reaching her or being ignored completely... if it's the latter, then... It's just not like her, Blue. I don't know what to do. I've tried sending in Hematite to try and make up with her, to see if that was the problem. Maybe it wasn't. But if that's not the case, I don't know what it _could_ be. It certainly doesn't seem like the animosity between them is the issue," she continued, exasperated.  
"Or maybe it is..." Blue whispered, not looking at the other Diamond. She held her arms close, hands grasping onto her upper arms uneasily.  
White narrowed her eyes, but shrugged her shoulders low. She breathed deeply, looking slowly to the side. "Yellow is a gem of courage. Surely, she's over Hematite by now. She's stared death in the face before, a host of times, without a second thought! She's been through far worse than this! Why would Hematite of _all_ gems, of _all_ things, cause her this much distress? _Enough_ distress to completely shut her down? It just doesn't add up..." She placed her head in her hands, running her nails through her stark white hair.  
"Sparky's not as fearless as she lets on sometimes, you know... If you really think that she's not afraid of anything, then she's played you for a fool," Blue said monotonously, sounding annoyed.  
White pursed her lips in frustration.

"Will you take this seriously?"  
Blue frowned, furrowing her brows in perturbation.

" **I AM** taking this seriously! Are **you** listening to _**me**_? Are you even paying attention to everything around us?! Look at the signs, White! Somethings got her nerves racked!" she growled, slamming her fists onto the table. White sat up straight and placed her own hands on the surface, glaring down coldly at Blue.  
"Calm down," she said sternly.  
"Don't you tell me to calm down, White!" Blue shouted, undeterred from White's normally unsettling stare. "Just think about this whole thing with Hematite, how traumatic it's been for **both** of them! There's a high possibility that it's _still_ effecting Yellow!"  
"Fine, it may still be bothering her, but to _this_ extent?!" White responded, vexed.  
"Yes!" Blue continued to yell in aggravation, "Did you ever ask Hema how his little talks went? You sent him to make up with her but you never heard back from either of them, did you?" She narrowed her eyes, teeth bared in a condescending sneer.  
White scowled, looking offended, but turned her head away.

"I... no, I didn't." Her brows raised in realization. "Oh no... Do you think that... I've made this worse?" she said, raising one of her hands to her mouth. Blue groaned and rolled her eyes.

"Stoooop blaming this on yourself, White! This isn't about you!"  
"I'm not making this about me, Blue!" White hissed, gripping the table with her other hand.  
"So their talks may not have gone so great! Did you really expect it to be that easy?! Hematite is a service gem, and after what he did... after Yellow's _already_ been in whatever the heck kind of that mindset she is, did you REALLY think that she was just going to _listen_ to him?"  
White stopped, staring at nothing. She found herself at a loss for words. Blue was right. It was incredibly possible that Yellow and Hematite had bickered and made things worse between them. _That would explain a lot of what was happening now. Still... Why wasn't Yellow over it yet? What was her excuse before White sent Hematite in? She was already acting odd beforehand._  
"Blue, Yellow is... well, you know how she is," White said patiently, "She isn't one to be deterred by a service gem. She isn't one to dwell on issues like this, or be distressed to the point of locking herself away and not talking to us. Don't you think there might be more to this than just them talking?" she said, crossing her arms. Blue scoffed, but she knew White was right too. Hema causing Yellow this much disquiet was a bit of a stretch.

"I guess."  
Tapping a single finger on her upper arm, White looked away, deep in thought for a few moments.

"The pieces just aren't adding up... At this point, it seems all we _can_ do is... wait. Wait, and hope that she comes back around sometime."  
"So you're just gonna give up on her?!" Blue growled, her anger rising again. White stood up, glaring down at her fellow Diamond.  
"What do you suggest we do, Blue? We've tried everything we can. Nothing is working. Whatever is wrong with her, it's something _far_ deeper than we ever imagined. **We** cannot help her, she needs to get through this herself."  
"You can't be serious!"  
"It's our only option, Blue!"  
They were in each others' faces at this point, eye to eye. Blue scowled darkly, and tightly clenched her fists.  
"Fine," she hissed, ominously staring up at the taller Diamond. "But if this gets any worse... the rest of the cities could be at risk. I hope you know what you're doing..." she muttered. White spared her a nasty look, but sat back down in her seat.  
"You are dismissed, Blue Diamond," she said formally. Blue huffed in irritation. If she stayed her any longer, there was no telling what she'd do. She felt her anger rising by the second. How could White just dismiss this? How could she not know what to do? She was _White Diamond!_ White _always_ knew what to do! And here she was, just brushing this off without even trying to do anything? Surely there must have been another way!  
As Blue left the room, she watched the ground and paced towards the elevator to the ground floor. Her nose scrunched up in disheartened anger. She was so displeased with White right now, she just wanted to head out to her training grounds and smash a few helpless dummies. Yeah, that'd make her feel better. She grinned darkly, looking up as she neared the elevator. Soon enough, she was on the ground floor and reached the central warp pad after a brisk run. Stepping onto the smooth, blue surface, she flashed away in an instant.

Lightning danced across the skies at breakneck speeds, sending waves of thunder trembling throughout the frigid air. It took her an hour or so, but Yellow finally gathered up the strength to leave her office. Pacing around the District quietly, Yellow stayed out of sight of the common gem. She didn't want them to see her... Not like this, and not right now. She wanted to be alone, but she didn't want to stay in her office. She thought better sometimes while she walked. From the direction she was headed, she looked to be moving towards the Pink District of all places. She'd been walking around her own district for a few hours, but it wasn't working. It wasn't quiet enough. She needed to be somewhere else... even if it was the Pink District. Sure, she could have easily taken a warp pad there, but she wanted to walk there herself this time.

As she strode for the abandoned district, Yellow looked forward with a hollow, tired gaze. The carnage of recent months was taking its toll on her. There was a lot that she needed to think about, and a lot that she had to come to terms with. She knew that... even if she wanted to brush it to the side, to just try and accept things as they were and move on. She knew it wouldn't be easy. No, there was something so much more to this. Glancing around quietly, she made sure no-one was following her. She was alone... Good.

Finding herself at last walking through the gates to the Pink District, Yellow looked up to the dark, dreary skies and sighed. It was time for a little reflecting. She wasn't leaving this place until she worked through a few... 'issues' _._ She leisurely started to pace along the wall. At least here, she wouldn't have to worry too much about running into anyone. Now she was alone with her thoughts, and that was all that she needed. Brows furrowing, she looked on ahead and walk rhythmically in an even pattern. Her steps were measured, though slow. It wasn't like she was in any hurry.

 _ **You have no reason to trust me? That's funny, considering you've never given me a reason to trust you. You had no reason to distrust me from the very beginning**_ _!_

Yellow Diamond heard Hematite's words resounding throughout her very core. The more time passed, the more she could hear his voice. Louder, stronger, and more _desperate._ It was determined to be heard... it was determined to be understood.

And, for the first time ever... she _wanted_ to understand.

She wanted to understand how things could have turned out this badly. Where exactly she went wrong. Why he felt the way he did. And maybe, just _maybe_ , how to fix it. That is, if she even _could._

 _ **I saw what would happen if I disobeyed, stepped out of line, made a mistake! I was terrified! I never even CONSIDERED doing anything I wasn't told!**_

She grimaced in remembrance. Everything he had said before, on that dreaded, awful afternoon, was flooding back to her. It was already all could think about for a while, but she was remembering it clearly as if he'd just spoken to her an hour ago. She was filled with anger, regret, and self doubt. _Was_ she really too hard on him? It certainly seemed so. But how? Surely she was justified, right? He could have been a threat, easily! The Diamond frowned sternly, holding her chin up high and prideful. She was doing the Diamond Authority a favor! She was doing all of gemkind a favor, keeping him in line!

Her expression fell. She was... _wasn't she?_ He was big, and he was powerful. Surely he knew that from the start. Not only that, a gem with that kind of ability and power living in such close quarters to White Diamond herself? He could easily have turned on them if he wanted to. He could have waited for the perfect moment to strike, right when they least expected it! She just wanted to make sure he knew where he stood in all of this, so that he wouldn't even consider pulling any stunts. So that he'd be too afraid to. After all, the old Hematites... well, being harvested was their _darkest fear,_ across the board. Despite how much she'd tried to block out memories of those five horrendous, beastly gems, she remembered at least THAT much, along with a few other details. They were malicious, cunning, untrustworthy. They'd cost each of the Diamonds countless numbers of service gems, many of which, they never found out the location, or fate of. How many gems were spirited away in the middle of the night by those five _**monstrosities?**_

Surely, she had every right to believe that this Hematite was no different. And yet...

 _ **And then you had to crash my match with Blue! You had to go and try to take away the one place I felt safe, that I felt I belonged in! You humiliated me in front of the only people that saw worth in my life, outside of my job! YEAH, I slipped up and embarrassed you!**_

 _ **But I guess you were waiting for that, weren't you?! I'm surprised I didn't slip up sooner!**_

 _ **You made me feel like nothing! You told me over and over again how worthless I was, how one day I would mess up and you would be WAITING! Waiting for what?! Me to make a small mistake like calling you a nickname, a stupid mistake that you could shatter me for?! Were you waiting for me to say something out of line?**_ ****

Maybe she'd been too harsh... Maybe she'd gone too far. _She could have stopped_. She could have trusted White's judgement. She could have gone about things differently, instead of the ruthless ways she handled it. But she didn't. It wasn't like her _not_ to be that way... She'd been that way for many millennia, and Hematite was no exception. She'd been direct, blunt, and merciless; and, though she didn't want to admit it, she was emotionally and mentally _abusive_ , to an extreme.  
And that didn't work on everyone. _She'd now been reminded where it got her, sometimes.  
_ Growling to herself, she glared up at the sky. She didn't _want_ to accept that. She didn't _want_ to believe that the way she normally handled things might have to be changed; she didn't want the way she handled _him_ to have to change. Then again, the Hematites weren't exactly your everyday race of gem. They were something unique; they were something constructed and handled a completely different way than any other gem in existence. Perhaps she just needed to look at them differently, and in a new perspective. She didn't know too much about the Hematites, and up till now, she didn't care to know. Maybe now, she would.

She remembered that spar after Blue's match with Hematite. She remembered how humiliated _she_ was. She was just getting him back! _**Sparky?**_ Of all names, of all places, why that? Why then and there? He shouldn't have even known about that absolutely ridiculous nickname Blue had given her! She hated that nickname since the moment Blue first said it, but she could never stop her from using it. Hematite shouldn't have known about it, and he sure as hell shouldn't have _said_ it. It was disrespectful, humiliating, and downright degrading.  
... But had she just overreacted? Clutching her arm, Yellow thought hard about how she must have come off to him. She was furious at the time. And rightfully so! Or at least, she'd thought so, for the longest time. But was she _really_ justified? She did, afterall, seem like she was out for his shattered gem. She just wanted to get him back... to make him pay for what he did. Blinded by her rage, she may have poofed him, she may not have; even she couldn't tell for certain. All she was focused on was making him regret what he did to her.

Cringing, Yellow's eyes widened with a stinging pain behind them.

He just wanted to get _her_ back for what _she_ did to him, too.

THWACK!

Digital splinters flew every which way as they were met abruptly with the sheer force of Blue Diamond's massive mace. Breathing heavilly, the Diamond stared down at the stray target hologram she had projected, now shattered into glitching pieces that soon buzzed away into thin air.

"Hmph..." Blue grunted, propping up the huge weapon on her shoulder as if it were weightless. "I really need to make sturdier targets..." The Diamond pursed her lips. She came out here to try and relax and forget everything that was going on. It wasn't that easy. Growling, she closed her eyes. Her gem started to glow and from it, she spawned a holographic replica of herself. The holo-Blue saluted and summoned their own mace, mirroring her current stance.  
The two started to go at it one by one, each holding their maces and swinging wildly at each other. No-one had landed a hit. They were evenly matched, but at this point Blue was only doing this to try and get her mind off of the obvious. It wasn't really working. She wasn't just frustrated with Yellow anymore; No, she now couldn't stop thinking about White, either. Yellow Diamond was in such a horrible state, and all White wanted to do was brush it off and 'wait it out'. And, as much as Blue knew Yellow had done this to herself, she still didn't like seeing her like this. No-one should have to go through what she's going through, whatever that might be.  
She hadn't seen Yellow like this in many centuries. It worried her to no end, to say the least. Even if she wanted to be angry with her, even if she knew that whatever was going on with Yellow had to be related with Hematite in some way, she couldn't bare to see her fellow Diamond in such distress. She just didn't know how to help.  
Maybe White was right. Maybe all they _could_ do was wait this out.  
But no...there had to be something she could do. _Anything.  
_ Her anger began to boil, her strikes becoming more erratic, her concentration fading in and out. She couldn't make heads or tails of this whole ordeal and the more she thought about it the more she wanted answers. Answers she couldn't find, and that she might never find. Why couldn't Yellow just tell them what was wrong? Why were things effecting her this badly? Surely there was more to it! And White was so willing to just give up on her? After everything they'd been through?... No, White wasn't like that... was she? Blue sighed, collecting her thoughts with a quick step away. Panting heavily, Blue watched as the hologram glared up at her and advanced. _  
_Could she have forced Yellow to talk? Probably not; but she'd be lying if she said she hadn't considered it. More specifically, if she said she hadn't considered _beating_ it out of her. That wouldn't work; maybe she _should_ just listen to White this time. Besides... it was unlikely that Yellow or White would listen to her about this, at all. They never did.

Grimacing, Blue felt something horrible tighten in her chest. In her brief moment of thought, she was caught off guard. The holo-Blue saw the opening and took it, reeling their weapon back for a nasty hit. Clattering the bars of their maces together, Blue's own weapon was sent flying. Snarling, she whipped around and summoned another, charging for the hologram. _  
_She wanted to talk to Yellow about what happened, about anything at all for that matter! Though she could never get anything out of her, no matter how much she tried. Maybe it really _was_ pointless to pry. Hell, if Yellow was going to talk to either of the Diamonds, surely she'd spill everything to _White_ before she did to _her. That's just how it always was._ She frowned heavily, glancing away from the Holo-Blue for just a moment. It was as if she had forgotten all about the fight, right then and there, staring hollowly ahead. The Hologram took another chance and struck, but Blue reacted _just_ in time to block the hit. Sharply inhaling, she pushed against the other weapon's bar and kicked the hologram away violently. Gripping the mace tighter, Blue made a direct go at her opponent. _  
_" **HYYYYAH!"** _  
_ _ **CRASH!**_ _  
_Blue's mace came down heavily on the holo-Blue's form, shattering it to pieces. Growling under her breath, the Diamond propped the mace up over her shoulder once more. Her frustration was building, not only with the boiling thoughts of everything White had said, or what Yellow had done to Hematite, but now there was the fact that she could do nothing. She felt completely useless. With a heavy heart, Blue decided she was done for the day. Staring down at the broken remains of her hologram which fizzled way in the blink of an eye, she knew there was no point in beating herself up over this, figuratively or literally. Tossing her weapon aside with a somber sigh, she headed back to the city. She was going to need a _lot_ of drinks at Morganite's bar tonight.

The Pink District was cold and still. No wind blew through the air. Dark, thick clouds rolled overhead, blanketing the skies. No gems, no creatures, and no other sound stirred other than Yellow Diamond's slow, steady breaths and footsteps. She was alone with her thoughts, and even though that may have been the case, it was anything but peaceful. She still had a lot to think about; a lot to consider. She found herself wandering through an abandoned quarry, large pillars of stone and hollowed out walls jutting from the ground. Stopping by one of the towering monoliths, she placed her palm on its smooth, cold surface, glancing up at the unevenly chopped up rock face.

 _ **If you had just trusted me and treated me with some shred of respect, you would have had nothing to worry about! This could have been easy! It would have been SO simple for you to at least pretend you saw some worth in me! But no, you kept stepping on me and making me question my worth, to the point where it started effecting the people around me! I had to pretend to be okay around them! I had to act like I still saw worth in my existence, for their sakes and mine!**_

Yellow felt her body tense for a moment. Guilt-ridden, she clenched and unclenched her hands periodically. She _could_ have pretended, maybe... but it wasn't like her to pretend. It wasn't like her to **lie.** She certainly wasn't going to change that for _him_. But why was she truly so dedicated to believing that he didn't have any worth?... Did she really believe that in the first place? No, maybe she just wanted _him_ to think that so he wouldn't get cocky. Though the more she thought about it, the more it seemed that wasn't fair either. How could she have known it would effect him that way? Most gems would have used it to better themselves, get stronger and prove her wrong. Then they could **earn** her respect! But, then again... Hematite wasn't like most other gems. And actually, now that she really thought about it... that _was_ what he did. Somehow or another, he'd trained himself to best her in battle. He _had_ bettered himself, even if that wasn't the effect she intended. He outright trained to be able to defeat her, to catch her with her guard down. To make her feel vulnerable. But, the more she thought about it... the more she realized that _**was**_ an understandable response to being put down nearly _every_ day... Maybe White was right. Her iron-fist tactics just _didn't_ work on everyone. Especially not in the way she intended it. They may have worked on her gems, for the most part... but Hematite?

 _ **You're a DIAMOND, you've got nothing to worry about. You've been around for thousands of years, you're not going anywhere.**_

 _ **You have no idea what it's like to know you're a ticking time bomb**_ _._

 _ **It's only a matter of time!**_

 _ **And you know that one day, no matter WHAT you do, that time will run out**_ _!_

 _Time. Time running out._ Visions of her nightmares rushed through her head, filling her to the core with a sense of dread that she had tried _so_ hard to suppress. A doomed gem clinging to whatever hope they could, even though they knew it would all just end someday and there wouldn't be a thing they could do about it; she knew that feeling horribly well, now. Her nightmares had given her an insight to that... She was so used to thriving, so used to never having to worry about a thing, she never could have imagined what it must have been like to lose yourself forever. _To have the risk of becoming corrupted looming over your head._ _ **To die.**_

 _ **I have such a short life, compared to other gems. That's why. I try to get along with everyone. I have a limited life. I want to make the most of it, I want to be... remembered.**_

The very thought sent chills through Yellow's spine. Well, _she'd_ certainly remember him alright. But that's not what he wanted to be remembered for, was it? _And honestly, that wasn't how_ _ **she**_ _wanted to remember him._ Hematite didn't even know when his final day would be up. The mere concept of that unnerved the Diamond the more she thought about it. It must have been indescribably terrifying to know that at any given point, you could corrupt. You wouldn't know when it was coming. You couldn't stop it. You couldn't tell those you cared about goodbye. _Hell, you might end up hurting someone you cared about._ The mere thought was... _horrific_.

 _ **Not a day goes by that I don't regret that choice. Did it feel good for a little while? Yeah, maybe. Justice had been served. If I had known how badly it would effect you, I would have just risked going to White to resolve our 'issues'. I just wanted us to get along...**_

Yellow knew all there was to know about justice. Justice hadn't been served! She didn't deserve that! She didn't deserve any of that, or anything that came after! ... But _he_ didn't deserve what he got either, did he? Her expression fell with a deep, spiteful regret. She wanted so badly to be angry, but the guilt was weighing her down.

 _ **I wasn't going to hurt you that day in the Sky Arena! I JUST WANTED TO SCARE YOU. THAT'S IT. I wasn't going to harvest you, and I certainly wasn't going to shatter you! You needed to see what kind of effect your fear tactics can have! But I guess I put too much faith in you being the gem of Courage, and your ability to get over it!**_

The Diamond's hands lit up with a faint trace of electricity, and, balling them up into fists, she struck the side of the building she was passing by with pent up frustration. How dare he say something like that to her? He was so disrespectful... so disobedient. And yet... she knew he had every right to be after what she did to him. Not just once, not just twice, but over and _over_. Berating, beating him down, humiliating him. Could she really believe that he wasn't going to hurt her, back in the Sky Arena? He had every reason to, surely. Why _wouldn't_ he?

On one hand, she didn't know if she could trust his word after their incident. On the other, he _was_ right; he never did anything before or after that that was anything _like_ that. He followed orders, he followed the rules. Why _couldn't_ she trust him? Blue and White did, and they got along just fine with him. He'd never hurt either of them, to her knowledge. It had to be _her_ that was doing something wrong.

 _ **Everyone is so amazing, and I wanted to learn something from all of them.**_

 _ **Even you.**_

 _ **I respected you so much. I wanted to make all three of you proud... I wanted to make**_ **you** _**proud...**_

Frowning, the Diamond sighed through her nose and looked up to the sky with furrowed brows. He had so much potential... and _she_ had so much potential too. Potential to teach him. To _make him great._ To make him into the best gem he could be. She could have easily helped him at any point. She could have easily given him at least _some_ sort of advice. But she didn't.  
If she didn't feel guilty enough before, she certainly was feeling it now. Was she proud of him?... No. Perhaps not. But the others seemed to be. Maybe she just wasn't looking close enough, or didn't care enough before to notice anything that _could_ make her proud. That, or maybe her standards were just too high. She'd have to think on that too, later. Maybe even reevaluate the way she looked at certain things.  
But how could she stand for anything less than perfect? She was a Diamond, after all! If Hematite was really to be under White Diamond's rule, surely he should be the best he could be. She was just keeping him on his toes, keeping him on guard!  
 _But perhaps she'd taken that too far as well. After all... Diamonds were Diamonds. Hematites, among all other gems, were not. Was it really fair to hold him to such impossible standards, White's body guard or not?_

 _ **Clearly, all you see me as is another disposable gem, an annoyance, something to be thrown away! And then on top of all that, you call me a monster, say I'm ruining you, and won't even accept my apology**_ _!_

 _ **So I hope you have a good REST OF YOUR LONG, PROSPEROUS LIFE, YELLOW DIAMOND. Because the only one here with a ticking clock is me, and I'm not going to waste precious time and energy wishing things were different between you and I!**_

 _ **I hope you're satisfied.**_

No. She wasn't satisfied. She never was. She was never satisfied with anything he did or said. She wasn't satisfied with herself, either. This whole time, she'd been avoiding the answer even though it was so obvious. She was denying the truth. Denying the cold, hard truth. It was never him that was in the wrong... after the incident in the Sky Arena, at least. It was her. This whole time, she was holding onto some kind of self inflicted paranoia from something terrible that happened long ago. She judged him based on things she _thought_ he would do, crimes she thought he'd commit, but never did. That judgement was so heavily tainted by things-no, by _gems_ he had _nothing_ to do with, aside from being kin with them. And considering those gems were made and shattered over four thousand years ago... even calling him 'kin' with those individuals was a stretch. She never treated him fairly...She hardly even gave him a chance. But now? Maybe she could change that. Maybe... just _maybe_ there was a way to fix what she had broken.

She understood now what she had to do. The Diamond stopped in her tracks, staring straight ahead with a soft sigh. She'd come to terms at last... it all made sense to her now. Was it worth it to be this angry with a gem that had every right to be as upset as he was? No. Was it worth it to keep ignoring him and try to let time heal all wounds? No. She knew this wouldn't get any better if she didn't _make_ it any better. This wasn't like Pink. Hematite wasn't going away any time soon, nor had he warranted this treatment. She had to swallow her pride and do something about it, and she wasn't going to let fear or anger keep her from doing what was right this time.  
In the distance, a faint crackle of thunder ripped through the skies. It was brief and far away, but it was there. Maybe the storms were following her where she went. Yellow turned around completely and looked to the path she was taking. She quickly started to head back to the warp pad. It was finally time to head back home.

-

Back in the White District, the Diamond tower had fallen silent. No-one was really walking around it, and nothing particularly interesting was going on. That is, at least that anyone could see directly. White paced quietly around her office, her hands folded neatly behind her back. Her Pearl had since left her alone to run an errand or two, but she remained in her room. Ever since Blue had left, she was seething in acute irritation. Tapping her fingers together quietly, she tried to calm her nerves. She had prepared tea for herself since her Pearl had left, but she hadn't touched it since. Sighing heavily, the Diamond turned to look out of her window at the district in view. Calm, placid streets with bustling, busy gems laid below. An ideal sight for her, really... She only wished she knew how to help Yellow Diamond fix what chaos brewed in the Yellow District.  
Blue didn't understand. It was frustrating to talk to her sometimes. _Okay, most times_. Though, White was beside herself at the very fact that she couldn't help any further. This wasn't something that she herself could fix this time, nor could she find a proper solution to it. _She was White Diamond_...White Diamond _always_ found solutions to problems. At least, that's what everyone believed. The Diamond made her way over to her desk, sitting down. Burying her face in her hands, White groaned in annoyed exasperation. She didn't know how much longer she could bare this feeling.

 _ **Knock. Knock.**_

Lifting her head slightly as the door hissed open, White at first kept her eyes on her desk. She didn't bother to look at who had walked in. But, when she did, her eyes widened in undisguised shock.  
"Yellow...?"

Standing in the doorway, Yellow Diamond stood tall and... nervous? Well, for once, White couldn't say she was too surprised. In fact, she seemed more shocked to see Yellow Diamond in her doorway at _all_. Standing up quickly, White stepped out from behind her desk, stopping abruptly. _Why was she here_ _ **now?**_ _Why was she not saying anything? Was she alright? Did she finally wish to talk?_  
"... Yellow Diamond?"

Slowly, Yellow looked up to White, steeling herself. She took a deep, anxious breath and picked at the sleeve of her glove. Swallowing nervously, she stared up at her fellow diamond, frowning. She took one, slow step into the room.

"White... I need to speak with Hematite."


	45. One Word

_Summary: One of Hematite's spars is interrupted._

 _Notes: This chapter marks the end of Arc 2._

 _This was it._

 _Today was the day._

Yellow straightened herself up and walked through the long, dark tunnel of the Coliseum's entrance. She was nervous, and her breathing had all but stopped. Despite the anxiety quickly rising in her chest, she presented herself as professionally as she could. If she was going to do this, she was going to do this _her_ way. There wasn't time to wait until she felt brave enough to do this some other day. Passing by a few gems, she held her arms behind her back, head held high. The gems she walked by stared on in shock. _Was that...Yellow Diamond? But no one had seen her in weeks!_ They looked at each other, then back at the passing leader in disbelief.

Yellow stopped suddenly at the gate, looking to the inside. Her expression was unreadable. Anxiously, she squeezed her wrist behind her back and took a deep, drawn-out breath. She'd heard from Blue that Hematite planned on sparring with one of his friends in the Coliseum today, so she figured she'd pay him a visit.

 _She had a lot to say._

–

"RrrRAAAH!"

Fists alight with pulsing plasmic energy, Mago swiped wildly at Hematite, catching the edge of his sleeve. He winced and spun around to deliver a sharp blow to her side, which sent her stumbling away from him. She recovered quickly and shot out a bolt of electrified energy at the smaller harvester, whom promptly jumped back. He still caught the brunt of the blow and let out a sharp cry of pain. Gritting his teeth, he lashed out his electrical whips, grabbing onto Mago's arm.

The two gems were sparring at the end of the Coliseum, at near full height. The fight had been going on and off for a while to allow Hematite some fair breaks. Mago had won a couple rounds, Hema had won a few of his own. But now both of them were locked in a curiously even match. It could be noticed, though, that Hema was starting to slow.

"C'mon, Pipsqueak! You're starting to slip up!" Mago crowed between her teeth, which were gritted in pain. Her arm twitching, the ebony-haired gem grunted and yanked Hematite toward her, delivering a sharp punch to his chest. He let out a loud grunt and stumbled away, falling onto his back. He was breathing heavily. Mago tossed Hematite's electrical whip away, her body twitching with pain. "Rrgh, _stars_ I hate that attack of yours." She flicked her hands, putting out the plasmic energy that flowed around them. Standing back a bit, she ran her hands along her arms, wincing in pain. Seemed this one was a draw, with Mago as a cautious winner. Hematite remained on his back and sighed, closing his eyes. He breathed deeply, giving himself a minute to recover.

–

Yellow's eyes widened, but she forced herself to keep calm. _No, don't back down now. He's just sparring... it's ok. This is going to be okay._ She took another slow, shuddering breath and placed her palms on the bars as she gave one of the guards a nod, signaling for them to lower the gate to let her in. _Here goes nothing..._

The metal gate sputtered to life and rattled, lowering slowly into the ground. As it did so, Yellow waited with nervous anticipation, stepping back into the darkness. Stars, she'd really picked a terrible time to do this. Why did he have to be huge _now?._.. As the gates came to a cluttering stop, Yellow stepped slowly forward out of the darkness, her head held high. She looked calm, collected, and very proper. She made her way to the other end of the arena field, towards the giant gems.

"Am I interrupting something?" She called out, placing her palms behind her back once more. They couldn't see it, but she had started to twist at her own wrist again. _No backing down now. Come on, Yellow, be brave._

–

Mago looked like she was about to say something, but stopped cold the moment she saw the approaching figure. She stood at attention and saluted clumsily, taking a step back.

At the familiar voice, Hematite's brows raised, his eyes widening. For a moment, he didn't move.

After a pause, he suddenly sighed, almost sounding _irritated_.

"With all due respect, _yes_ , actually." He didn't move his head to look at her. Glancing at Mago, who was taking a few more paces back, Hematite frowned and turned his attention back up to the sky. Lifting his arms off the ground, he crossed them over his chest. "Mago, we have a match to finish."

–

She paused, her expression unchanging. She leaned up against the wall and crossed her arms.

"Oh, that's alright. I can wait. I have all day," she said calmly, watching Mago back away.

–

Inhaling quietly, Hematite closed his eyes, grimacing slightly in exasperation. _Great. She's not leaving._ He let out a deep breath though his nose and drummed his fingers along his upper arm. Mago looked at him and glanced at Yellow for a moment.

"Yeaaaah, I'm gonna go to the training grounds for a while, Pipsqueak. You have fun with that." Giving Yellow another glance, the ebony-haired gem shifted down to her half height and briskly made her way out of the arena, through the far tunnel. Hematite was left lying on his back, his eyes shut.

"..." Huffing his bangs away from his face, Hema opened his eyes and finally turned his head to look at his superior. He looked tired and anxious, uncertainty clouding his eyes.

–

Yellow Diamond stood for a moment, waiting for the other service gem to make her leave. As soon as she was sure that she was gone, she turned to face Hematite. With a slow movement, she uncrossed her arms and cleared her throat. Fortunately, there weren't too many gems in the stadium today. For the majority, it was just her and Hematite. Not that it mattered, she wasn't going to let anything deter her now.

"May I... have a word?"

–

Hematite narrowed his eyes at the diamond before him. Normally, he'd have been trembling in his boots by now, but he felt far less intimidated by her at his current size. He trusted that she wouldn't pull any funny business in public again.

But something felt... _off_. Why was she even here? He'd expected her to lash out at him by now, challenge him to a spar, to do SOMETHING.

But she was just... there. Did White send her? Arching a brow, the service gem continued to drum his fingers along his arm. They stopped, and instead clutched at the fabric. To anyone who knew him, he was obviously nervous, despite not showing it on his face. Shifting one of his legs slightly, the giant gem pursed his lips and turned his face back toward the sky.

"Yes. You may have _**one**_ word."

–

Yellow seemed a little taken aback. Normally, a statement like that would have riled her up and offended her. But she knew she had this coming. She knew she deserved that. Frowning, she looked away, as if she were gathering the strength to say something. Her professional demeanor fell completely, and she seemed more pained than anything. Soon, she couldn't even look at the service gem. There was so much she had wanted to say. So much that she knew she'd _need_ to tell him. So much that she _should_ tell him...but for now, she'd humble him. If he didn't want to hear her, then so be it. But she could at least offer him her one word.

"… Sorry."

–

"..."

Silence fell over the service gem. His eyes went wide, and his mouth fell slightly ajar in disbelief.

 _S..._

 _..._

 _Sorry?_

 _Ha... wow..._

Hematite felt a small smile cross his face.

 _This was the most vivid dream he'd had in YEARS!_

The giant gem glanced at his hand that still rested on his arms. Pursing his lips, he pinched himself with two clawed fingers, wincing.

...

Wait.

Wait this wasn't...

His eyes widened again, and he stiffened.

"... Wh-" Hematite turned fully to Yellow Diamond, his fingers tightly grasping at his sleeve. "What?"

–

Yellow looked back at him, brows raised. She looked... sad. She remained silent, crossing her arms and standing up straight. Well, he only wanted to hear one word. Why would she risk saying something else? Would he get angry if she tried to speak again? She looked away, setting her jaw.

–

Without thinking, Hematite adjusted himself to turn onto his side, then his front. He never got any closer to her, so he wouldn't spook her or make her think he was going to pull any stunts. Supporting himself on his elbows, he stared at her, brows raised.

She looked sad...

She...

Did she _really_ just say what he thought she said?

"W-wait." There was a slight desperation to his voice, as if he couldn't believe what he'd heard. "What did you say?"

–

She didn't look at him. With a heavy sigh, she dug her heel into the dirt below.

"I said sorry. You wanted one word, so I gave you that." She glanced over at him, looking more than a little unnerved. Managing to meet his eyes for a brief moment, she forced herself to remain calm.

–

Hematite stared at her for a long moment, silent. He looked over his shoulder and gazed about at the tunnels and empty stands of the coliseum.

Was this a test? Was White watching him? Why on Homeworld would Yellow apologize to _him_ , unless it was some sort of trap? She couldn't mean it. _There was no way._

The service gem looked back at his superior for a moment before he glanced away awkwardly, brushing his index finger and thumb together.

"U-uhm. Hmm. Tsss." He rubbed his chin for a moment. "... How about a few _more_ words?"

–

Yellow turned to him and breathed in through her nose. Closing her eyes, she uncrossed her arms.

"I came to... apologize to you. Hematite," she said, almost forced. It was taking a lot for her to be here in the first place, but now that she was here and she had to actually speak to him, she found that the words were harder to find. Opening her eyes, she stared at the ground beside her. "I've been doing a lot of... thinking... lately. Thinking about what you've said. Thinking about... what I've done. What _I've_ said." She paused, still unable to look up at the huge service gem. "It's... been a rough year." She shrugged.

–

Hematite watched the diamond intently, still unable to process exactly what was going on. He was hearing what she said, but... how? How was this happening? She hated him! She wanted nothing to do with him! And now she came to him, in an arena of all places, and wanted to apologize?

It wasn't that easy.

 _... Was it?_

Hematite found that he himself couldn't look at her right now. He felt something akin to excitement and hope rising in his chest, but he pushed it back down. There was a heavy tinge of bitterness keeping him from getting his hopes up that this was genuine.

 _ **It's... been a rough year.**_

Hematite frowned.

 _It's been a rough_ _ **life**_ _for me, Yellow._

Hematite frowned at himself. _Come on, if she's actually apologizing, try to have an open mind..._ Glancing at her, his expression softened, but now there was a hint of suspicion. He sighed, sounding tired.

"Did White send you?"

–

Yellow flinched briefly, looking back up at him. There was a pause.

"No. No... actually..." She stopped again, lifting her hand up to rub the back of her neck. "I haven't... spoken to either of the Diamonds in over a month, aside from asking White when you'd return from your mission, and asking Blue where you were today... I'm... sure they aren't happy with me..." She grit her teeth and dug her nails into her skin. Grimacing, she turned. "Stars, this is harder than I thought..." she muttered under her breath.

–

She hadn't spoken to them in over a month...? What on Homeworld was going on while he was on his mission the past two months?

Looking at her fully again, he blinked in surprise.

 _Stars, this is harder than I thought._

Wait... so. She actually _was_ apologizing. She wouldn't say that if this was some act. Hematite looked away nervously for a moment. After a pause, he sighed softly through his nose.

"... Here."

Closing his eyes, Hematite's form began to glow. He shrank down, and soon enough, was left standing some distance from his superior, at his usual Pearl-sized height. He blinked as his body returned to normal, and he crossed his arms anxiously.

Now he was completely vulnerable...

 _And he didn't like that._

"Does this... make it any easier?"

–

Yellow looked back, her eyes widening. Did he just?... He did. She was surprised that he'd shifted down at all. Placing her hand in her palm, she looked down at him with the same pained expression that she had before. This changed nothing.

"Yes...I don't know...maybe?" She bit her lip awkwardly. Shifting her weight onto her other heel, she tried to bring out more words. "Uhm...Look. Hematite." The awkward tension in the air seemed to gradually increase, and she could feel it. She had to find the words, but how? Back when she was thinking about it, she found it so easy to say what she needed to say. Now, though, it all escaped her. "Mmmmnngh... Where do I start..."

–

He was utterly puzzled. Not once in his life had he seen Yellow Diamond this way, with _anyone_. And to see it when she was trying to talk to him... It was too surreal. Hema could feel the tension in the air, and he grimaced, looking away. Well... this was getting them nowhere. Maybe if he steered the conversation to something more casual, it would help things ease up? It was worth a shot, after all.

"... So, I found a new species of aquatic gem creatures on my last mission."

–

Yellow looked up in confusion, a small twinge of something akin to annoyance graced her expression.

"What? No no, listen! Really, I need to say this. I'm just not sure how." She groaned, pinching two fingers between her eyes. She needed to get it together, she wasn't making this any better.

–

Hematite flinched slightly at her response, the grip on his sleeves tightening. _Right._

 _Be quiet._

 _Just stay quiet._

 _You know the drill. Speaking up never ends well._

–

"Listen. I..." She took a deep breath, running her hand down her face slowly. "I wasn't fair to you. At all... I've _never_ been fair to you."

–

He gazed at her, nervous, but attentive. As he listened to her words, his brows raised slightly.

–

"I'm supposed to be the gem of Justice. Hah..." She stifled a laugh, but she still never smiled. No, she seemed disgusted with herself. "There was no justice in what I've done." She furrowed her brows, fixated on a small pebble in the dirt. This was taking a toll on her pride. Good...she needed it. And she knew it. "You... were right. I should have treated you more fairly. I mean..." She placed a hand on her hip indignantly. "White and Blue seemed to have no problem with you... why did I find it so hard to trust you?" At the last rhetorical question, her brows raised again. "You... didn't deserve any of this. Any of what I said. Any of how I treated you. You just wanted to follow the rules, anyone would have thought that would have made me happy. Hah... But no. My paranoia wouldn't let me be happy. My pride wouldn't let me." She looked up to him with a fierce determination in her eyes. For the first time in a very long time, her bravery returned, if even for a moment.

"I was _wrong_. I was wrong about you, and I was wrong about what I did. I was wrong about what I said. And I'm _sorry_ , Hematite."

–

There were no words. None. He couldn't think of anything to say. Every word she spoke, everything she just said, he'd only dreamed of hearing. She was sorry, she was aware of how she'd treated him, she knew he didn't deserve how she acted.

Everything he'd said to her that one afternoon... or, at least... the important bits... It seemed they'd finally sunk in.

Hematite met her fierce gaze, for once, with a steady look of his own. His expression was unreadable. But his eyes were shining.

"... Well." He cleared his throat, standing at attention, folding his arms behind him. "Th... thank you. Yellow Diamond. I. Appreciate that. And... I'm sorry for my part in all this. I didn't go about things the best way either."

–

Awkwardly, Yellow shrugged her shoulders and smirked for a split second. She'd done it. After all this time, she had finally done what was right. In an instant, she felt the pressure, the fear, the anger all but vanish. Relief. Finally, there was relief. It wasn't much, but it was there. She'd gotten the closure she needed, and said enough to know that she'd made a major step in the right direction. And, despite still having _so_ much more to say, she felt as though now might not have been the right time, and what she _had_ said was enough for now. Perhaps they could fully clear the air some other time, when they'd gotten a bit more used to each other...

She took a single step forward, looking down.

"So, Hematite... do you think we could... start over?" She looked back up to him, frowning. "I... never even gave you a chance. I know nothing about you. And yet I judged you like I did." She took another deep breath, holding it this time.

–

Looking up at his superior, Hematite brushed his fingers together behind his back.

 _Start over..._

 _I know nothing about you._

Blinking, the service gem paused for a moment. Slowly, he looked up and to the side, seeming to think something over. He pursed his lips. It was the _same_ face he'd made years ago on the rooftop, when he was presented to the three diamonds for the first time. Looking back up at Yellow, he smiled, albeit awkwardly. His smile widened, and he stood up straighter, with barely-disguised delight.

"Well, for starters, my favorite tea is peppermint!"

–

The Diamond blinked in an odd confusion. That odd expression he made seemed eerily familiar, and she suddenly found herself thinking back to their first 'proper' meeting up on the Diamond Community tower. _Did he just take that statement literally? Oh well._ She stood up straighter and crossed her arms, staring at him rather blankly.

"Crystal spice..." she muttered, trying not to smile. Shuffling a foot behind her, she glanced up at the sky. "I'm... Looks like I've got a big mess to clean up, huh..." she said in exasperation. "I'm not looking forward to talking to Blue or White, either..."

–

Quietly, Hematite smiled and repeated, ' _Crystal spice, got it_.' The service gem awkwardly glanced to the side, scuffing his own foot on the ground. He looked up at the sky with her, his folded arms falling to his sides.

"Yeah... Seems like it." His gaze returned to his superior, and he bit his lip for a moment. "There's... a lot of damage that needs to be fixed." Swallowing, he forced a smile. "I may be a _demolition gem_... But if you need any help, I can try to help _patch up_ whatever I can." His smile softened a bit, more genuine this time. "It'll take time, but you can do it." A soft, relieved chuckle escaped him. "You're Yellow Diamond after all."

–

She felt an odd warmth spread through her chest. It was a warmth that she hadn't felt in a very, _very_ long time.

"Thank you, but..." She looked down at him, still frowning. "That won't be necessary. This carnage is my fault, and I need to be the one to fix it. I hope you understand." She said, placing her hand over her gem for a moment. "And I will fix it. I will fix all of this. By the Diamond Authority..." She stopped and closed her eyes. "I swear it..."

–

Hematite bit his lip again, trying to keep back tears.

This was real.

It was finally sinking in...

 _This was_ _ **real**_ _._

Scuffing his foot, he cleared his throat.

"Yes, I do understand. The offer is still there, should you need an extra set of hands."

Quietly, the service gem bowed his head and put his own hand over his gemstone, mirroring her gesture.

–

She lowered her hand into her opposite palm, giving him a nod of thanks.

"Well...I guess I must be off, then. There's a lot of work that needs to be done." She paused, looking to the side. "Thank you for hearing me out, Hematite. I...hope you have a nice day." She shrugged, turning quickly. She didn't await any response, and slowly started to walk away.

–

Watching her walk off, Hematite blinked and took a single step forward.

"Yellow Diamond!"

–

She stopped for a moment, turning her head, breathless.

–

There was a pause. He cleared his throat and smiled.

"Thank you for interrupting my match," he said softly. There was no sarcasm in his voice, no malice.

It was _genuine_.

–

Without responding, she turned back and continued walking. He would know that she'd heard him, at least. But what he didn't know was that, with her back turned to him, while walking away...

 _She was smiling._


	46. Uninvited Guests

_Summary: Take an inside look at a Yellow District gem's apartment._

-

Days turned into weeks. Weeks turned into months. Yellow Diamond fully returned to her duties, and made a formal announcement to all her district gems that things should return to normal within the year. She also made sure to make it clear that the rumors about Hematite trying to shatter her were false, and that they should rest easy. It wasn't an easy speech to give, but it was badly needed. Gems got to work almost immediately, glad to see their leader back on her feet. The clean-up in the Yellow district wasn't easy, but it was coming along. Things were starting to calm down, the lightning storms had all but stopped, and the riots were slowly becoming less frequent. People were even starting to return to the district once they saw the situation was improving.

However... despite things getting better at a rapid pace, there were still a few kinks that needed to be worked out in the district. Not everyone listened to Yellow Diamond's announcement.

 _"GET HIM!"_

Hematite dodged clumsily out of the way as a large gem warrior barreled at him, bringing their war hammer down mere inches away from where he once stood. Sweat was forming on the service gem's forehead, and he panted heavily, trying to stave off the exhaustion he felt dragging him down from his very core. He knew this feeling. He knew this feeling all too well, and it did not bode well for him.

 _No... I can't shift down._

 _Not right_ _ **now!**_

The service gem was only about 15 feet tall at the moment, having slowly shifted down from his half height during a job. He stood in front of 4 very angry and very powerful service and warrior gems. They'd attacked him without warning in the middle of a clean-up job in the Yellow District. Seemed a couple of the gems recognized Hema from stories and the incident over a year ago. They blamed him for the state of the district. They blamed _him_ for the state of their leader.

Hematite grunted and dodged another attack, landing a solid kick to one of the warrior gems. They hit the wall, stunned, dropping their weapon. Hema took a few quick steps back. He was already tired from his clean-up job, and to be in a battle _NOW_... He wasn't sure if he could control his powers for much longer. One of the other warriors let out a fierce, angry shout and lunged for the larger gem, reeling back their fists, which were covered by two gauntlets.

Nearby, though not close enough to see or clearly hear what was going on, two smaller gems were going about their own business.

One of them, a small, green-furred gem monster, looked up. Her ears perked in the direction of the fighting, and her tail swished curiously. _A scuffle... in the Yellow District?_

–

The micro gem beside her, Sphalerite, peeked up over the gem monster's back to see what was going on. She squinted and frowned, quickly realizing she couldn't see anything from where they were.

"Hey, do you hear that?" she asked, despite knowing that she probably could. She hopped up onto Eka's back and clung to her shoulders. "Do you think we should see what's going on?" she asked, looking over the creature's head.

–

Ekanite looked over her shoulder at Sphal and let out a soft chirp. _Well,_ _ **she**_ _certainly wanted to check it out! It sounded like there was something exciting going on!_ Nodding, the gem creature hopped down from where she was perched, heading toward the racket. She weaved through alleys and dark passages, being sure to keep out of sight of anyone that might be watching.

Hematite landed a solid punch to one of the warriors, sending them flying back. The service gem winced as a puff of white smoke followed the harsh impact. _Stars, I didn't want to poof more of them. If they weren't making this so difficult, this wouldn't have been a problem!_

The last warrior was upon Hema, and _fast_. They leapt up, going to deliver a blow with their spear, but their eyes widened as Hematite turned suddenly. There was a bright flash, and the warrior was stopped abruptly, seemingly mid-air. As the light faded, she saw what had happened. Hematite crouched, panting, his arm extended, the warrior gem in his fist. He'd shifted up. He reached up and quickly tore their weapon from their hand.

 _Vwip!_

A silvery bubble formed around the warrior gem within an instant, and Hematite didn't waste any time lowering them closer to his face. Before the bubbled gem could protest, Hema brought the gem up to his neck and transferred them to his pocket dimension. He winced as something faltered during the transfer, and he sensed that the gem destabilized in the rather rushed switch between the outside world and his gemstone. _Stars, another one..._

His body began to shrink down again. He returned to his 15 foot tall form and started walking around, picking up the three poofed gems from the ground. Counting himself lucky that they didn't reform, Hematite bubbled each and directly deposited them into his gemstone with a flash. He'd report them to Yellow later. It was a job well done... but he'd pushed himself too hard.

That last size-shift up was one too many, and did in the last of his energy. Hematite groaned, holding his forehead, sweat rolling down his face. His breathing was shallow, and he grit his teeth as he tried to remain steady on his feet. But it didn't last. Stumbling, he fell forward onto his knees, his form glowing brightly. Within a moment, there was a brilliant flash, and Hematite was left laying face first on the ground, only a few inches tall.

The flashing lights only drove Eka on faster. The commotion suddenly stopped, and her curiosity was piqued even more so than before. Though it took her about a minute or so, the gem creature finally crested the edge of a wall that laid close to the large clearing the noise had come from. _But, no-one was there._ Looking around in confusion, Ekanite let out a disappointed trill.

–

Sphal looked around, adjusting the goggles on her forehead.

"Hmmnn... Darn, I coulda sworn this was where the noise was coming from. Maybe they left," she said, shrugging her shoulders. Suddenly, just as she was about to turn her attention elsewhere, something caught her eye. "Hey, look over there! Do you see that?!" Her eyes widened, and she pointed at a small figure laying on the concrete. _It was a micro gem!_ "Eka, we gotta do something!"

–

Eka began to turn away as well, but jumped when Sphal spoke up, turning to where she was pointing. Her eyes widened, ears perking up. _What on Homeworld?!_

Glancing at her companion, the gem creature deftly scurried her way down to the round back-alley, landing softly on her feet. Slowly, she crept closer, her body low. She came within about a foot of the unconscious gem before she stopped.

–

Sphal hopped off of Eka's back and held her hands close to her chest. Curiously, she looked on in wonder. _Amazing... she'd only ever seen another gem as small as her three times before, this close up!_ Well, outside of her old job. She stopped, staring at the fallen figure.

"Uhm...what...should we do?" she asked, looking to her companion. "Eka, go poke them or something!"

–

Eka's eyes went even wider than before, and she walked past Sphal, not having heard her.

 _I recognize this gem!_ Padding over cautiously, the gem monster craned her neck forward, sniffing at Hematite. _He didn't seem to be moving, but he wasn't poofed, so he had to still be conscious, right?_

Ears pinning, Ekanite reached forward and prodded at the tiny gem. He didn't move, but the quietest of pained groans escaped him. Hema didn't show any signs of getting up. Tail twitching, Eka turned to Sphal, letting out a single chirp.

–

Sphal's eyes widened, and she quietly took a single step forward.

"Is everything okay?" she whispered, not taking her eyes off of the smaller figure. Slowly, she started to walk forward, looming over his seemingly unconscious body. She knelt down and reached out her palm, but didn't touch him. She hesitated.

–

Ekanite stared down at the tiny gem, tilting her head. _She definitely knew this gem..._ And yet if she wasn't mistaken, she could have sworn this same gem appeared in the Jadewing cave months ago, and that he'd been far... bigger. But it'd been dark, and he wasn't exactly close to her, so she couldn't tell for sure. Eka prodded at the tiny Hematite again.

But this time, she got a reaction.

 _"Uuugh."_

–

Sphal's hand shot back and so did she. With a terrified shriek, she ran quickly behind her fluffy friend, cowering.

 _"What are they doing?!"_ she whispered loudly, peeking out from behind her, eyes locked on the smaller gem.

–

Quickly retracting her paw, Ekanite sat up a bit straighter, a surprised trill escaping her. Hematite stiffened at the sound of the surprised shriek, and he suddenly rolled onto his side, scrambling back away from whatever had been poking at him.

 _Oh stars, he'd been found when he was down and ou-_

Staring, Hematite's eyes went wide, and he propped himself up on his elbows. Ekanite stared back, ears perked, her tail swaying slowly behind her.

–

Sphal flinched as the Hematite moved, but said nothing. _Well... at least they were small!_ She came out from behind her friend slightly, looking nervously over him. Hesitantly, she approached.

"Hey, are you...alright?" she asked, offering a hand shakily.

–

Hematite's shoulders tensed as Sphal approached, but he said nothing and made no move to run away.

 _There are other tiny gems? Why aren't there any archives on them? ... Wait. Maybe they're in that section I skipped over? … Oops._

Slowly, Hematite sat up and offered his own hand, thankful for the leverage to get up.

"Y-yeah, uh. How long have I been out?" The ivory-haired gem seemed nervous, and kept glancing behind Sphal, at Eka.

–

Sphal took Hematite's hand, hair standing on end as she made contact. But it was only for a moment. She helped him up and quickly took her hand back, rubbing her palm on her forearm.

"We're not sure, actually... We heard a commotion and came to see what was going on, but when we got here, all we found was ... well, you! But that wasn't too long ago!"

–

There was a soft 'chirp' as Hema's eyepiece blipped online. _He couldn't pass up taking notes on this._

"Ah, okay... so not too long then." Looking around, Hematite raised his brows. "I hope there aren't anymore gems coming," he said quietly, to himself. Ekanite tilted her head. _What is that strange thing over his eye?_ she wondered. It looked a bit like the masks the Peridots tended to wear, but it wasn't exactly the same. The gem creature curiously leaned forward, sniffing at the small Hematite again. Quickly taking notice of Ekanite leaning closer, Hema put his hands up defensively, his eyes widening. "U-uh."

–

Sphal flinched again, grabbing onto Eka's tail. She gave it a small, soft tug and bit her lip.

"E-Ekanite, don't do that! We don't know who he is or where he came from!" she said, taking a few steps back.

–

The Hematite attempted to lean back as the green creature sniffed at him, but she closed the distance quickly, dragging Sphalerite along behind her. Hema's hair stood on end, and he grit his teeth, unnerved by the corrupted gem's close proximity.

"Alright, I'm just gonna go, I gotta get back to the towers," he said in a rush, attempting to back away.

–

Sphal looked curiously again at the gem, eyes widening.

"Wha? Towers? What towers?" she asked, her interest piqued. She trotted out from behind Eka.

–

Ekanite glanced at her companion and backed off from Hema. She couldn't quite reach his gemstone to make contact. Glancing at the reddish gem, Hematite swallowed nervously.

"You know... the Diamond towers?" Nodding his head back, Hematite thumbed his finger in the direction of the distant, looming buildings. Eka's ears perked.

 _Wait... this gem was from the diamond towers?_

–

Sphal stared for a moment, biting the insides of her cheeks. Placing her hands on her hips, she burst out into laughter.

"Hoo, yeaaah good one! No, really! What towers?" she said, smiling. _Man, this one was funny!_

–

Blinking in surprise, Hematite frowned and puffed his cheeks out.

"... The Diamond Towers. Where I live." Arching a brow, he turned around and gazed at the distant buildings. "Tch, they're further than last time..." Suddenly, Hematite took a few steps away from the two, tapping a finger to his chin. He seemed to completely ignore the two now. "Puffs' place is nearby. If she's home she might give me a lift..." Rubbing the back of his head, Hematite scuffed his foot on the pavement. "She's never seen me like this before though," he muttered, only half intelligible. Ekanite looked to Sphal, a confused look on her face.

–

Sphal's mouth shot open, her eyes gleaming.

"Wait you're _serious?!_ _ **THE**_ DIAMOND TOWERS?!" she squealed, grinning ear to ear. She quickly rushed up to Hematite and walked around him excitedly. Her mouth was running a mile a minute. "Oh stars I can't believe this! I didn't know such tiny gems were allowed in the Diamond Towers! What's it like? Is it pretty? Is it scary? How'd you get out here? What do you do? Do you work for the Diamonds directly? What are they like?" She kept on prattling, not even paying attention to the fact that the service gem seemed to have his own things to worry about.

–

Admittedly, Hematite jumped a little at Sphal's sudden outburst, and he looked at her uncomfortably as she started circling him. _Stars, one question at a time!_

"I- well- uh- well yes but-..." Hematite took a deep breath and stood straight. He still stood a little shorter than the reddish gem, but his now serious demeanor suddenly made him seem... bigger. He glanced at his visor.

"Sphalerite," he said evenly, giving her a semi-stern look.

–

Sphal stopped, her gleeful smile fading into a slightly startled frown. She placed a hand behind her head and forced a smile, backing away. She rubbed at her hair awkwardly, a semi-haunted look in her eyes.

"Ah, I'm... I'm sorry. What's your name? I don't think I caught it," she said. But she stopped. "Wait... how did... How did you know _my_ name? You're a White District gem..." Her brows raised, and she took a step back.

–

The smaller gem's shoulders relaxed slightly, now that he had her attention. His expression softened, and he cleared his throat, taking a deep breath.

"My name is Hematite. I'm a service gem underneath the direct order of White Diamond." For a moment, he looked confused by Sphal's question. "Hm? Oh!" Blinking, he uncrossed his arms from behind his back. He tapped the eyepiece over the left side of his face. "This is how. I'm obligated to take down notes on any new gems I meet. It's for archival purposes." He shrugged. It wasn't a total lie, he often took notes on new gems, whether they knew it or not. It was always best to be informed, after all. Ekanite squinted at the smaller gem and walked over, taking a stand next to her companion.

–

Sphal looked up and down Hema curiously, and with a swift movement she got inches from him, staring into his eye piece.

"Wooooaahhh... What else does that thing do? Did you make it? Did White Diamond give it to you?" She continued babbling, the same gleam from before coming back. She fidgeted quietly, biting her lip. She wanted to ask if she could try it on, but thought better of it. It'd be best not to ask something out of place like that.

–

The ivory-haired gem opened his mouth to reply, actually seeming interested in answering her. However, he stopped cold when the ground suddenly trembled, and a small pile of rubble shifted as a red gem leapt over it. Spinning around, Hema let out a soft yelp. _Oh stars, I missed one?! Or had they called for backup when I wasn't looking?!_

A lone warrior gem came out of hiding from behind a nearby building, and quickly spotted the three tiny gems in the paved clearing. She gritted her teeth in fury, staring Hematite down. Ekanite's hackles raised, and she hissed indignantly at the bigger gem. Hematite's eyes went wide, as did the furious red gem's.

 _"YOU!"_

" _O-kay_ Sphalerite, Ekanite, gotta go nICE MEETING YOU -BYE!" he stuttered, increasing with volume as the other gem charged toward him. And with that, Hematite was off. He scurried away from the paved clearing, the angry warrior gem already getting closer to the three.

–

The reddish micro gem's eyes widened in horror as soon as she spotted the bigger gem. Sphal let out a scream and jumped onto Ekanite's back.

"LET'S GO! Follow that Hematite!" she shouted, panicked. Clinging to the gem monster's neck, she closed her eyes tightly.

–

Ekanite bolted off the moment Sphal was on her back, chasing after where Hema had gone. The ivory haired gem was clumsily jumping over debris and street corners, doing his best to get away from the still approaching warrior gem. He spared a glance back to see Ekanite quickly gaining on him. His eyes widened as the larger gem skidded around a corner, quickly spotting him again. She let out a loud growl of frustration, bolting after him.

"Get back here! You think you can just get away with what you did?!"

Eka's eyes widened, and she ran ahead, passing Hematite. She was far faster than him.

 _What he_ _ **did**_ _?! What did he do to anger this gem so much?!_

–

Sphal's eyes opened upon hearing the bigger gem's words. Then, she noticed that Hematite was falling behind.

"Eka, wait! We need to help him!" She said, gripping her hands into her fur. "Fall back!"

–

Hematite tripped over his own feet at the larger gem's words, his last nightmare flashing through his mind. He shut his eyes tight, willing himself to run faster.

"No! Get away from me!"

Eka's ears perked, and she growled lowly, slowing her pace. Her mind screamed at her not to, not even for the sake of this random gem they'd just run into... But she didn't want to upset Sphal. Besides, this gem needed help, whether it put them at risk or not!

Soon, she was running beside Hema, her pace matching his. She trilled sharply at him, her tail whipping around his abdomen, lifting him up onto her back.

–

Sphal reached out her arms and pulled Hematite up onto the gem monster's back. She kept steady, holding onto him to make sure he didn't fall off.

"Where do we go?! Quickly!" she said, facing backwards.

–

The warrior gem that was chasing after the three grit her teeth, summoning her weapon. It seemed to be some sort of thin blade. _She was gaining fast._

Hematite clutched onto Eka's fur tightly as soon as he was on her back, and he looked around rapidly, his eyepiece chirping as it pulled up various maps.

"U-uh, okay!" Leaning down to Eka's ear quickly, he patted her neck. "Turn right at this next street, and then cut left through the alley!"

–

Sphal leaned in close on the other side, just behind Hematite. Frantically, she grabbed onto Eka's back, clinging as best as she could. She dared not look behind them.

–

The chase went on for what felt like forever. Eka would dart down streets and over walls, but the furious gem was never far behind. She'd stopped shouting things at Hematite, and was completely focused on catching up with him.

And then his destination came into view. Pointing, Hematite sat up slightly, eyes wide.

"There! There should be a small window on the side of that corner!" _Please be open! You said you never close that thing!_

Ekanite trilled in reply and scurried her way up to the large residential building. Leaping onto a windowsill, she quickly turned to look at the corner of the complex. _Sure enough! There was a small open window on the side, above a much bigger, shut one._ With a chirp, Ekanite crouched down low and leapt for the opening. The warrior gem behind her skidded to a halt as she rounded the corner, her eyes wide and furious as she watched Eka duck into the building. Throwing her weapon down, the warrior gem growled lowly, her fists clenching.

The moment they were inside, Ekanite slipped onto a nearby counter, hiding behind a few knick knacks and holo-frames. Her breathing was quick and shallow, and she looked around rapidly. Hematite, the second Eka touched down, took a deep breath.

"PUUUUUUUUUUUUUFF!" His shout rang out through the small, apartment-like living quarters, and there was a loud 'thud' from the back room.

"Hema what on Homeworld- when did you get here," she shouted from the room, stumbling out with her hand to her gem. She fell clumsily to the floor before popping back up, shaking herself off. Looking around, she pulled out her ax and took a few more steps forward, into the main room. "WHERE'S THE DANGER, WHO DO I NEED TO BEAT... up..." The Jasper blinked in confusion and stood straight, looking about her living room "... Scrap?"

–

Sphal hadn't said a word through the whole ordeal. She didn't know they were going into a building! Gasping, she stared wide eyed as they entered the room, flinching at Hematite's sudden shout.

"WHa? Puff? Who is-" She stopped, hearing another voice call out from the other room. She squeaked in terror and fell off Eka's back, hiding behind one of the knick knacks.

–

Ekanite found herself backing up as well, her fur fluffed out in fear.

 _That was a big gem, and she had an ax!_ Glancing at Hematite, Eka pinned her ears indignantly. _Did he lead them into a trap?!_ Hema hopped up and down on the counter top, waving to the Jasper across the room.

"Puuuff! Over here!"

Tensing, the Jasper slowly turned, lowering her weapon. The moment she spotted Hematite, she froze.

"... S. Scrap?"

Her ax vanished in a small cloud of orange sparkles, and she slowly walked over, scratching her head. Crouching down, she stared at the tiny gem, even sparing Eka a single glance. Her brows raised.

"... Oh my stars." Puff's look of baffled shock gradually turned to one of amusement, before she grinned and busted out laughing. "Hema, look at you! What on Homeworld happened?!" Dropping her head, she snickered to herself, her hair falling over her eyes.

Hematite puffed his cheeks out, crossing his arms.

"Heyy! This is serious, Puff!"

"I'll say! It's _seriously_ hilarious~" Lifting her face again, she carefully placed her hands on the edge of the counter. "Is this another one of those Harvester things? I always wondered how you pulled those weird tricks at the Coliseum! Rubes said you got small that one match where she clocked me, but..." She stifled another snort. "I didn't think she meant _this_ small!"

–

Sphal peeked out nervously from behind the knick knack. Her palms gripped the surface, and time seemed to slow down around her. _This is too close._ _ **Way**_ _too close. Wait, does he know this gem?_ She stayed as still and quiet as she could, but she couldn't help but tremble. Should she move? Should she try to climb back out of the window? She glanced over at Ekanite, worry clear as day on her face.

–

Ekanite was frozen in place, her eyes never leaving the Jasper mere feet away from her. Her fur was standing on end, her tail stiff.

Hematite groaned and ran his hands down his face in exasperation.

"Puff, seriously! I need you to listen, there's a gem outsi-"

 _KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK_

Hema gave a sharp yell of surprise and scurried away from the Jasper, hiding behind one of the other knick knacks. Puff blinked in confusion and stood straight again, turning toward the door with a small frown.

–

Sphal felt her anxiety spike for a moment. _Oh no, had they been found!?_ Quietly, she peeked out again, eyeing the Jasper. She dared not move.

–

Eka slowly wrapped her tail around Sphal, not taking her eyes off of Puff. She was trembling just slightly. _Being around big gems she_ _ **knew**_ _was one thing... But being around strangers, especially Quartz soldiers... That was another thing entirely._

Pursing her lips, the orange gem casually walked over to her front door and unlocked it, opening it just enough to see the furious warrior gem standing outside.

"Can I... help you?"

"No, but I can help you. You've got a damn harvester in your place! It went in through the window!"

The Jasper went quiet. Puff's eyes suddenly half shut, her expression going deadpan. Glancing to the side, she slowly smiled and arched a brow. Lazily, she leaned in the doorway, completely cutting off any entryway.

"Weeell now. That _is_ a problem, isn't it? Tch... Maaan. Living quarter security just isn't what it used to be, am I right?" She pursed her lips, looking unconcerned. "I guess I should go take care of that, huh."

The gem outside the door growled crossly and tapped her foot.

"No, just, move out of the way, I've got some business to take care of with that thing!" She started to push her way past the Jasper, and _quickly_ felt her feet leave the ground. "Wh-Wha! HEY!"

Puff lifted the warrior gem up by the back of her shirt, holding her at eye level. The smaller gem froze when her eyes met the larger Quartz's.

"I don't appreciate people getting in my business. I said _I'll_ take care of the harvester." Her tone was low, aggressive, much more fitting for a Jasper than it _usually_ was. "So I _suggest_ you run along now and forget you ever saw that gem." Squaring her shoulders, she stood straight. "Do. I. Make. Myself. Clear." The shorter warrior gem silently nodded, her eyes wide. Puff's angry expression cleared suddenly, and she grinned widely. "Alright, good!" With that, she tossed the smaller gem away from her door, slamming it shut behind her.

–

Sphal blinked in confused horror. _Did that really just happen? Well, now the warrior gem was gone, but that just left them with the much more terrifying Jasper._ She clutched Eka's tail and held it close to her chest. What was she going to do with them now?

–

Not turning around, Puff suddenly clapped her hands together. Without a word, she walked over toward the counter, but instead of looking at the gems nearby, she reached up and shut the window.

Ekanite's bristling worsened, and she scurried back, closer to Sphal.

 _Oh no._

–

Sphal stifled a terrified whimper, rushing to hide behind Ekanite. She cowered low, trying to hide at her flank. She covered her head with her arms and shook. _Please don't find me, we'll leave, I promise!_

–

Hematite peered out from the glass he'd taken cover behind, gazing at Puff. The Jasper quickly rubbed her palms together and let out a sharp exhale through her nose.

"Hoo. I hate having to do that!" Her peppy demeanor fully returned as she turned to the tiny gem on the counter, a wide smile on her face. "I can see why you were so wound up! That gem seems like a real piece of work."

Walking back over, Puff crossed her arms and knelt down to eye level. Hema made his way out completely from behind the glass, and walked over, close to the edge of the counter.

"Thanks, Puff. I had to take care of some... 'rebels' a few blocks down, and I passed out." He rubbed the back of his head. "Guess I missed that one."

"You gotta be more careful with that, scrap. Didn't you say you've passed out before? Is... is that why you're so small?" She smiled lopsidedly and chuckled. The tiny service gem smiled bashfully and scuffed his foot on the counter top.

"Unfortunately, yes. Happens when I overwork myself." Glancing back, Hema thumbed in Eka and Sphal's direction. Ekanite tensed. "Thankfully these two over here were able to help me out."

–

Sphal's eyes shot open. _He gave her away! How could he?!_ Nervously, she bit down on her fingertips and tried to remain hidden. The Jasper had blocked off their direct route of escape. Maybe if she stayed quiet, there was still a chance she could slip out from the door somehow!

–

Puff looked up and gave the gem monster a little wave.

"Aah, okay I was wondering about that. Here I thought I needed to get Rubes to check out the walls again. One time we had this really nasty infestation of Mica, yeesh." She grimaced in an exaggerated manner before chuckling. "Buuut if they're with you, it's fine."

Hematite smiled and patted one of Puff's fingers before he turned back to Eka.

"It's alright! She's a good friend of mine." He smiled encouragingly, crossing his arms. "You two should come say hi. She _did_ kinda just save our gems."

Eka stopped bristling, her fur slowly smoothing back down. _Well... he wasn't wrong, per say.. But why on Homeworld was a supposed White Diamond gem friends with a Jasper? She could understand it if he was a civilian, but such a tiny gem that worked directly for a Diamond... it didn't make much sense. Then again... She still wasn't sure if this gem was the same one she'd seen back in the Jade Hollow. And, for that matter._ Eka looked up at the Jasper, blinking thoughtfully. _She looked a bit familiar too._ Turning, Ekanite pretended to check out the tip of her tail, instead pressing her nose into Sphal's gem.

 _"Stay here. Stay hidden. I will make sure it's safe and look for an escape."_ She slowly stood up, unwrapping her tail in a way that kept Sphal hidden behind the knick knack. Cautiously, she padded over to Puff, clearly nervous.

–

Sphal's nerves weren't easing up at all, despite everything. Despite them being friendly, she had no idea what these two gems' intentions were.

As Eka spoke to her telepathically, Sphal looked down, lightly resting her hand on the creature's muzzle before she moved away. She nodded, hiding as best as she could. She wanted to say something, but didn't want to risk being heard.

–

Puff watched the approaching gem creature with a friendly, albeit vaguely nervous smile. She _said_ it was fine if it was with Hema... but a gem monster was still a gem monster, and they could turn on a dime. She wasn't going to let her guard down completely. Ekanite sniffed at the larger gem, her hackles still raised. Her tail swayed cautiously behind her, her eyes never leaving Puff's.

"So uh, what kind of gem are they?" the Jasper asked awkwardly, carefully reaching her palm out. Ekanite flinched at first, but then curiously peered at the larger gem's hand.

"They're an Ekanite. I believe... This thing's never lied to me before." Hematite shrugged and tapped his eyepiece. He idly wondered why Sphal was refusing to come out.

Narrowing her eyes, Ekanite cautiously pressed her nose against the back of Puff's fingers. The Jasper's brows raised, and she chuckled, turning her hand over. Stiffening, the gem creature chirped in distress, thinking that Puff was going to pick her up, or worse.

But instead, the Jasper gently scratched behind Eka's ear, smiling.

"She's pretty tame for a gem monster." Ekanite's eyes widened, but then drifted shut slightly. She leaned into the scritches, her tail curling around her.

–

Sphal fidgeted with her goggles, pulling the lenses over her forehead just a tad bit lower than normal. Peeking out every now and then, she noticed that the Jasper wasn't making any attempt to harm Eka. At least for now. She held up her hand to her chin and raised her brows. _Should... should she make a move?_ Quietly, she took a deep breath and walked out a few steps. She felt more vulnerable than ever.

–

Puff chuckled and ran her hand along Eka's back, earning a contented purr from the gem creature. Ekanite rolled over onto her side, her eyes narrowed happily. For the moment, her sensible side gave way to the more instinct-driven half of her mind. Scratching at the green-furred gem's neck with one finger, the Jasper snickered and glanced at Hematite.

"Man, if only all corr-" Sphal's movement caught her eye, making her stop mid sentence. "Hey..." Curiously, she looked over, peering behind the knick knacks just enough to spot the tiny red gem. "Heyy, there you are! I was wondering why Scrap said 'two'."

–

Sphal 'eeped' with distress and quickly hid back behind the knick knack. _She'd been spotted. She didn't know what to do now. Should she run for it? No, Eka was still with her._ She took a deep breath and got herself together.

 _"Okay... it's okay Sphal, it's just another gem...she's noooot gonna hurt ya..."_ she whispered quietly to herself, bouncing up and down in place anxiously. With another huff, she came back out, holding her fists up to her chest protectively. She puffed out her chest and tried to make herself look bigger than she actually was.

Though, that wasn't saying much.

–

Jasper backed off slightly when Sphal hid back behind the small, decorative jar on the counter. She looked at Hematite for a moment, who shrugged, and then turned her attention back to Sphal, who'd finally come out entirely. Needless to say, her body language, what with her fists clutched close to her chest, reminded her of a certain ivory haired gem whenever he was in the arena. She snickered.

"Alright alright, I give. I'm clearly outmatched here." Puff backed up fully, no longer leaning over the counter, and put her hands up in 'defense'. "I'm not messing with _that_ ," she teased good-naturedly. It was obvious Sphal was a bit wound up, and the last thing Puff wanted to do was make it worse. She'd been somewhat in Sphalerite's position, back when Hematite was sent to 'fetch' her. She knew being around a bigger gem was intimidating. And she sure as heck didn't want to give this gem a reason to be afraid of her. Ekanite sat up when Puff stopped petting her, and she rolled back onto her front, ears perking toward Sphal.

–

Sphal seemed momentarily baffled. _Wait, that worked?!_ With a wide grin, she placed her fists on her hips and chuckled triumphantly. Now that she had successfully intimidated the Jasper, she eyed Ekanite and started to carefully make her way down towards her. As soon as she got close, she placed her hands around Eka's neck and hugged her, relieved that she was okay.

–

Puff did her best to stifle a soft laugh. _That worked?_ She leaned back, grabbed a nearby stool, and sat down at the counter, no longer having to crouch. Though now she kept a bit closer to Hematite instead of the other two, giving them space.

"So, Scrap! You visiting, or did you just pop in here to get away from short and angry out there?" She thumbed toward the door.

Blinking, Hematite stopped watching Sphal and Ekanite. His eyepiece dulled, turning off, and he turned to the larger gem.

"Well I was planning on visiting later, but yeah, this was... mostly to get away from that gem. Sorry..." He grinned awkwardly and shrugged. Puff chuckled and ruffled the tiny service gem's hair with her index finger.

"Don't sweat it, buddy! You've always got a place to stay, here. Emergency or not."

Ekanite smiled and nuzzled close to the red gem, putting one of her front paws around her in her own sort of 'hug'. A soft purr rumbled in her throat, her tail swaying contently behind her. She quietly watched Puff and Hema, giving them sidelong looks. As wary as she was of general civilians nowadays... these gems seemed relatively safe.

–

Sphal embraced Ekanite's hug and listened in on their conversation. Well, the Jasper was at least docile enough to not attack them. That was new... not _unwelcome_ , but certainly unheard of. She stepped forward nervously, her hands fidgeting in front of her. She thought about speaking up, but decided against it. Looks like they weren't going anywhere just yet. Curiously, she looked around the room. It had been a long time since she had been on the inside of one of these apartments. Sure, she'd passed through abandoned ones, but she never dared to wander inside of one with a gem still occupying it. It was far too risky.

–

Puff's apartment wasn't terribly big. There was a single main room with a small counter top against the wall, which was covered in different baubles and frames with hologram photos. There were papers here and there, some of them reports, some of them applications to something or other. In one corner of the room, the Jasper had a small couch, which was covered with blankets of different colors, though they all seemed to be some hue of red or orange. There were dishes here and there, glasses as well. Seemed Puff was one of the gems that actually enjoyed food. There were a few empty bags of Rubes' favorite candies on the tables. In one corner stood a small crystal lamp, which gave off a warm light. Other than that, there were a few photos on the wall, and a couple belongings strewn about here and there. A communicator, a brush, a diamond pad.

There was a short hall that seemed to lead back to the gem's bedroom, but it was impossible to see what was in there, besides a pile of blankets and a small bookshelf.

"So I was kinda wondering if you could give me a lift back to the Diamond Towers... I'm going to be like this for a while, but I have to report back to Yellow." Puff's brows raised, and she bit her lip.

"How's that been going, by the way... Everything... okay with you two now?"

Hematite went quiet. He lifted his hand to his forearm, rubbing it slightly.

"I'm not going to lie. It's weird. It's not _okay_ but it's not the way it was before. We're... slowly making progress."

"One step at a time?"

"One step at a time."

Puff smiled and gently nudged Hema in the arm with her index finger.

"You got this, Scrap. If you're doing well enough to have her talking to you, that's a big deal."

Hematite smiled and patted Puff's finger.

"Hm. Yeah."

–

Sphal looked between the room and the two gems talking. She wasn't entirely paying attention to what they were saying, but she caught a few pieces of the conversation.

"Wait, did something happen between you and Yellow Diamond? Do you know why she went … weird for all those months?" Sphal asked, stepping towards Hematite with confusion.

–

Hematite stiffened slightly and turned to Sphal. His expression was unreadable.

"... Uh.. No. Actually. We've been wondering the same thing for a while, haven't we Puff." The Jasper glanced at Hematite before giving Sphal a smile and a shrug.

"Yellow Diamond technically works alongside Hematite here, or, rather, the other way around, but she kinda shut everyone out for a while. Nobody's really sure what happened." There was a pause, and Puff grinned reassuringly. "But! She is getting better. Clean-up around here's been going well, if you haven't noticed. And Hematite here is helping out with keeping the peace."

–

Sphal smirked and crossed her arms.

"I see... well, I'm glad things are starting to get back to normal then! Heh... trust me, we've noticed. More gems are starting to come back into the district! I just hope nothing like this happens again...We were starting to worry," she said, a twinge of concern in her tone.

–

Hematite scuffed his foot on the counter, his face still a strange mix between reassuring and nervous.

"Mhm. We were all starting to worry. But it's fine now." He looked away for a moment. "So, Puff. About that ride."

"Hm? Oh! Right! Well, I was... kinda about to go out for a while, but you do need a lift. Mmm." The Jasper scratched her cheek, looking to the side.

"I mean-"

 _Knock kno-knock_

Blinking, Puff perked up and smiled, looking at the door. _She knew that knock!_

–

Sphal's peppy demeanor dropped suddenly, hearing the knock. _Stars, was that warrior gem back again?!_ Quickly, she ran behind Ekanite and crouched down behind her.

–

Puff quickly stood up and opened up the door, peeking out for a moment.

"Ruuubes!" She opened the door fully, letting it hiss open to let the Ruby in. Looking up at the Jasper, Rubes flicked her hair back over her shoulder. She didn't seem to be in the best of moods.

"Hey, Puff. You ready to go?" Her back was currently to the counter. She hadn't even looked over. Puff scratched her face and closed the front door, inhaling through her teeth.

"Tssss, about that. I kind of got some unexpected gueeeests a little while ago, annnd. I'm not quite ready yet."

"Guests? Puff, there's nobody here." Rubes arched a brow and turned around. Her eyes widened when she saw Hematite standing on the counter, but widened more when she spotted _Ekanite_. Without missing a beat or looking away, Rubes lifted a hand and tugged at Puff's suit. "Jasper there's a corrupted gem in your room." Her words were quick, low, and had an edge to them. Hematite stiffened for a moment before he realized Rubes wasn't talking about _him_. He turned back to Ekanite, who was bristling.

–

Sphal bared her teeth and found herself cowering again. Recovering her head with her arms, she peeked out from behind Ekanite, a far more bold move than she'd dared to do before.

–

Rubes's brows unfurrowed slightly in surprise.

"Wh.."

Puff, albeit a bit awkwardly, patted Rubes' shoulder and stepped toward the counter again.

"It's okay, Rubes, really! She's totally tame. She doesn't act anything like most gem monsters." Sitting back down, she thumbed her finger toward Hematite."And check this out," she snickered.

The Ruby finally took her eyes off of Ekanite and Sphal to look at Hema. She slowly arched a brow before walking over, placing the bag of candy she had in her hands on the counter.

"Nice to see you outside of the ring, _Hematiny_." A small, half-hearted smirk crossed her face. Hematite looked almost offended for a moment before he puffed his cheeks out.

"Bu-hey! That's not funny!"

"It's a _little_ funny."

Hematite scoffed, but couldn't help but smile after a moment.

"Okay, it's a _little_ funny."

Putting her hands on the counter, Rubes peered over, glancing at Ekanite.

"So what's the occasion. And why wasn't I invited."

"These guys just dropped in cuz they were being chased by some clod with a temper."

–

Sphal relaxed a little, taking a step out from behind Ekanite. Nervously, she raised up her hand and waved. Oh, it was just a ruby. She was still really big compared to her, but she was nowhere near as big as the Jasper, so that was a little comforting.

–

Blinking curiously, Rubes lifted a hand and gave a little wave back. Hematite smiled and folded his arms behind his back as he turned to face both Rubes and Puff.

"Rubes, this is Ekanite and Sphalerite. Sphalerite, Ekanite, these are my good friends Jaspuff and Rubes. We've known each other for quite some time."

Puff chuckled and leaned on the counter, looking sidelong at the two gems on the other end.

Ekanite slowly found herself able to relax again, and her tail uncurled from around her legs. She stood up, the tuft at the end of her snake-like tail flicking curiously. Turning, she touched her nose to Sphal's gem.

Hematite tilted his head slightly. _What was she doing?_

 _"Sphalerite, could you tell them thank you for me? I'm afraid I'm... not quite comfortable with getting close enough to do it myself."_

–

Sphal sighed quietly with relief _Good, the Ruby wasn't violent either._ She placed her palm on Eka's snout as she pressed her nose against her gem, nodding quietly. Sphal smiled and stepped forward.

"Ekanite and I want to thank you all for your hospitality, and well... helping us out with that warrior gem earlier." She grinned awkwardly, scratching the back of her neck and looking away. "We uh...we appreciate it! And, we hope we aren't bothering you guys!"

–

Puff grinned brightly and shook her head, waving a hand nonchalantly.

"No probleeem! Don't even worry about it! You're not bothering us at all.~ So long as you don't break anything, you're welcome to come here, should you need someplace to hide, or whatever." She shrugged and patted Hematite's head. "If Scrap here is okay with you, so am I."

Hematite blinked.

"Puff I _just_ met these gems."

"Oh. Well." The Jasper chuckled and shrugged, both her palms turned up. "They can't be that much trouble."

Rubes glanced between the four gems, quiet.

"You'd be surprised how much trouble can come in a small package." She looked at Hematite and squinted. Hema noticed the look Rubes gave him and turned, snickering.

"Oh I'm _sorry_ Rubes, are you still sore about our last match?"

Without missing a beat, the red gem pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes even further.

 _"Yes."_

Puff gave a hearty laugh and ruffled Rubes' hair. The Ruby protested quietly, pouting. The Jasper turned back to the other two.

"But yeah, regardless... You're welcome here if you don't cause any trouble."

–

Sphal scuffed her shoe on the surface of the counter idly, eyes drifting around the room. She hoped that the Jasper was true to her word. If they had at least one safe place to stay now and then when they were in danger, that was a big relief.

Suddenly, she spotted something interesting: the bag of candies that the ruby had put down. Blinking, she noticed that the other gems were distracted, and slowly started to make her way towards them.

–

The three gems at the end of the counter continued chatting. Puff told Rubes about what had gone down before she arrived, and Rubes listened quietly, nodding once in a while.

"You know what. I think I ran into them on the way here." A pause. "Literally. They shoved their way past me and started getting antsy so I had to send them on their way."

"... Rubes did you singe her hair."

"I might have."

"Ruuuubes."

"She had it coming if that's how she was treating Hematite," she said simply, turning her nose up in the air. Puff chuckled quietly.

"Wow Rubes if I didn't know any better I'd say you actually liked Scrap." Rubes opened one eye.

"No I hate him, 100%."

The tiny Hematite chuckled and shook his head.

"Guyyys. I'd really love to stay and chat, but seriously... I gotta get going." He bit his lip anxiously. "The sooner I get there, the sooner I can change back to normal. I have other jobs to do today."

Rubes finally turned fully to him.

"Well, Puff and I were heading to the Blue district, but... I guess we could drop you off before we leave. Puff?"

"Sounds good to me~"

Rubes nodded and gave Hema a small half-smile.

"We'll get you there as soon as we can, tough g-"

She finally caught Sphal rummaging around in the plastic bag she'd put on the counter. "... Hey."

Hema blinked and turned around.

–

Sphal jumped, having grabbed a piece of the candy from the bag. As soon as she heard Rubes speak up, she turned her head sharply and noticed she was staring right at her. _Oops._ Her eyes widened, and she looked to the piece of candy, which was bright blue in color with odd, spire-like and conical spikes on it. Then she looked back at Rubes, her expression fearful. Slowly, she hugged the piece of candy close.

"Hiiiii?..."

–

Rubes slowly narrowed her eyes, drumming her fingers along the counter top. Only the top half of her face was visible. Taking a deep breath, the Ruby stopped tapping her fingers and arched a brow.

"You could have just asked, you know."

–

Sphal looked back at the piece of candy and chuckled nervously.

"Ah I was just checking out the texture. And it's... too big for me to eat anyway!" She said, a crimson blush appearing across her face. "Uh... you want it... back?" she asked nervously.

–

With a soft sigh, Rubes closed her eyes and smiled, chuckling softly.

"You know what, keep it. It'll last longer for you than it would for me." She let go of the counter top and looked up at Puff. "So, should we head out? Tough guy here seems pretty antsy."

"I'm right here, you know."

"Yes, I know."

Puff smiled and offered her palm to Hematite.

"Well, if you're ready, I can go grab my stuff real quick!"

Hema blinked at Puff's outstretched hand and fidgeted, almost nervously. He'd only ever done this once with White... But Puff? He wasn't sure she'd be as careful.

–

Sphal smiled warmly. Honestly, she just liked the smell of these things...but to actually get to keep it? She stuck out her tongue and gave the piece of candy a small lick. It tasted wonderful! She blushed again and looked at Ekanite.

"Hey, ya want some?" She asked quietly, hoisting the piece of candy up and walking over to her friend.

–

Ekanite, up to this point, was satisfied with sitting and listening to the gems talk, her eyes half closed. She perked up with Sphal approached with the colorful hard candy, and she leaned forward, sniffing at it. Her eyes widened, and she stuck out her bright teal tongue, giving one of the spiked corners a little lick. A surprised trill escaped her, and she backed up, licking her nose repetitively. It was fizzy! She'd had candy before, but never this kind! She sniffed, shaking her head quickly. What an odd sensation!

Rubes couldn't help but watch the two. She couldn't understand how anyone, much less such a small gem, could trust a corrupted monster, but she didn't say anything. This monster seemed oddly calm and tame... so maybe there was something special about them.

That being said, it wouldn't be coming to _her_ living quarters any time soon.

Hematite scratched the back of his head and cautiously climbed onto Puff's palm, sitting down to avoid tripping. Puff's eyes widened slightly as she lifted her hand.

"You know, I haven't done this for a long time, hah... Buut don't worry, I'll be careful, Scrap."

Hematite shyly smiled and crossed his arms.

–

Sphal glanced over at Hematite. She looked surprised for a moment; he was letting her pick him up?! He was far braver than she'd imagined. Without looking away, she leaned over again and tasted the candy again. It was strange, she had to admit, though not entirely unpleasant!

"Oh, right... we should probably head out soon too, huh Eka?" She said, licking the taste from her lips.

–

Ekanite continued flicking her tongue over her muzzle, now also staring at Hematite and Puff as they talked quietly. She'd never seen such a small gem let someone pick them up... it just wasn't done, was it? It wasn't even safe!

She looked down at Sphal and nodded, giving a soft chirrup.

Overhearing Sphal, Hematite turned and waved at the two.

"Hey, we're heading back to the towers, so... You guys be safe out there, okay? Be sure to say hi if you ever catch me out on a job! It can get kinda quiet around the Yellow District." He offered a friendly smile.

–

Sphal hopped up on Ekanite's back with the candy still in hand and gave them all a wave.

"Sure thing, Hematite! You be careful too, alright?" She called out encouragingly. On one hand, she was glad to have met some friendly faces. There weren't an awful lot of those around anymore, unfortunately. Leaning into Eka's neck, she placed the candy carefully under one of her arms. "Alright Eka, you ready to head out?"

–

Hema's smile brightened just slightly.

"Will do!"

Ekanite shook herself off slightly as she stood, and she nodded, chirping.

Rubes stepped out of the way as the green gem monster hopped down and trotted over to the door. She waited in place and stared up at Puff with a flick of her tail. The Jasper chuckled, slinging her bag over her shoulder with her free hand. She held Hematite close to her in her other hand. Looking at Rubes, she nodded.

"Alright, let's get going."

She flicked a switch and opened the door, letting Eka out first. The green-furred creature slipped out quickly, making her way up a nearby wall that ran alongside the sidewalk. She turned back for a moment, waving her tail in farewell.

–

Sphal hugged the candy close and turned. _All in all, this wasn't a really bad experience!_ It sure beat the majority of other experiences she had with bigger gems! With a soft smile, she raised one of her hands and waved again, following Eka's motion. She was sure she'd see them again someday... and for once, she _hoped_ she would, too.


	47. Harm's Way

_Summary: Hematite and White take out two gem monsters._

 _Notes: [This chapter contains intense acts of violence and contains content that may be upsetting to some readers. Discretion is advised.]_

* * *

"This place might as well be on the other side of the planet. The ruins there _have_ to be in shambles, so I'm thinking I might have to lure them out." Hematite pulled his attention away from his eyepiece and looked up to White Diamond with his arms folded behind his back. "I don't want to risk any accidents."

The service gem was in the middle of a mission briefing in White's office, and the sun was starting to set. This was one of his more important jobs for the month: track and shatter two gem monsters that had caused severe damage to a nearby, smaller city on the other side of Homeworld. He knew he'd have to warp there, for starters, but even then he still had to walk some distance. The monsters were known for being incredibly crafty and dangerous. They'd already attacked and shattered a number of citizens and ended up cracking others. Some gems had all but vanished without a trace near the mission zone.

–

The Diamond stood tall, her own arms folded behind her back.

"Very well, Hematite. Just remember the plan, and keep a look out. I shall do my best to help take care of this," she said with a stern nod. White didn't always go out on missions with Hematite, but since this was a particularly dangerous task, she figured it would be far safer this way. As they made their way to the door, White shot Hema a half-serious glance and smirked.

"Watch your back this time!"

"HEMATITE! Behind you!" White shouted, thrusting her polearm into one of the smaller corrupted gems. With a vicious screech, the small, violent creature writhed around and poofed into a cloud of smoke. The Diamond bared her teeth and whirled around just in time to block a pouncing monster. "These things are relentless!"

–

Whirling on his heel, Hematite just barely managed to grab the jaws of the wolf-like monster that leapt at him not a moment ago. He was nearly at his full harvester size, but it wasn't helping him as much as he'd hoped. The gem mother far outsized _and_ out-muscled him. Teeth gritting, Hematite leaned back as the creature tried to close its jaws around his neck. Its six, bright blue eyes were glaring daggers into the giant gem, clawed paws scraping madly at the air. Wincing, the harvester found himself slammed back against the wall of the ruins, cornered by the huge beast.

Claws met stone, and the horrid sound of cracking rock filled the decrepit building as the corrupted gem scrabbled at the giant gem holding its jaws open. Hematite felt his grip starting to slip.

He glanced over at White, a little ways off, who was being bombarded by multiple copies of the wolfish creature. Hematite thanked his lucky stars that White wasn't currently wearing her cape, despite being in her alternative mission outfit. He didn't want to think about what could happen if one of the creatures snagged it.

His arms started to buckle. Hematite grimaced and turned his attention back to the monster clawing at him. With a flash, another of the harvester's hunting visors appeared on his face, the previous one having fallen off in the fight earlier. The HUD quickly blipped online, and Hematite attempted to scan the monster for any weak points. Everything was happening too fast; he had to get a break soon, or White would be in danger.

As the gem mother's back foot kicked a large hunk of rock away, carelessly knocking one of its copies onto its side, Hema got an idea.

Glancing to the side, the giant gem eyed a pile of old rubble that laid near his feet. White was still being attacked by a few gem copies. Flicking his foot to the side, Hematite lifted a large, but not huge, chunk of rock with his foot and kicked it toward the fighting Diamond after a sharp, _"WHITE! Projectile coming your way!"_ His throw _just_ missed her. The force knocked one of the wolfish clones clear off of her, into the wall, poofing it instantly.

–

White hadn't even flinched, ducking out of the way of the rock at Hematite's call. The remaining two monsters hissed and fell back a few feet, quickly turning on Hematite. With a vicious snarl, they both lunged onto the service gem's legs, biting and clawing at his ankles. White swiped her palm over her gem and pulled out another polearm. Spinning them rapidly to her sides, she made a run for it, darting around to face the mother gem.

She halted, thrusting both of her polearms into the air with a mighty toss, skillfully plunging one of them into the huge gem monster's shoulder. The other one made an indirect hit as well, though it grazed past its neck. She grit her teeth, cursing under her breath. _That should have hit._ She needed to keep focus. She didn't like how close that thing was getting to Hema's gem.

–

The creature gave a vicious howl as White's polearm hit its mark, and it reeled back, finally giving Hematite some breathing room. The giant gem took the opportunity to deliver a sharp kick to the gem mother's chest, sending it back a good distance.

Hema's fists began to glow, and he launched forward, summoning his knuckledusters. They sparked wildly with electricity, startling away a few of the smaller gem clones. He still had to kick a few away as they leapt at him. Smashing one final one with his fist, Hematite finally turned to the mother, which was already on its feet, White's polearm still dug into its shoulder. It gave a vicious snarl, its six eyes narrowing in fury. It lunged for the harvester gem, making another go for his neck.

The two were locked in a pattern of retreat, hit, retreat, hit, but it barely lasted a minute before Hematite finally got a strong hit to connect with the wolfish monster's jaw. Howling in pain, the creature reeled back, scratching at its face with its massive claws.

 _And then he saw the gem._

The creature had kept its back away from Hematite the entire fight, but as it lowered its face to scratch at its sore jaw, a bright blue gemstone glinted on the back of its massive head.

Whirrrr.

Click.

 _Gem Found: Zircon_

 _Status:_ _ **CORRUPTED**_

 _Mission Objective:_ _ **ELIMINATE**_

Hematite's eyes widened. Just as he made a go for the creature's gem, he was ambushed by a large group of smaller gem copies. He cried out in frustration, kicking one of the clones off of him, sending it flying into the wall. Soon he was buried under a mob of snarling, vicious gem monsters.

–

White's eyes narrowed as she turned to face Hematite. Great... She either had to get these smaller creatures off of him, or take care of the mother. Fortunately, she had a plan- albeit a temporary one. Growling audibly, she summoned another polearm and threw it at the large beast, bolting for the service gem. Though the polearm was thrown without much aim, it still hit and sliced into the mother's foot. While the monster screeched out in pained distraction, White delivered a swift kick to one of the copies, sending them flying into the wall.

–

White knocking one of the larger monsters off gave Hematite just the room he needed. With a flash of bright light, the pile of gem copies suddenly collapsed, the giant gem no longer there. Within a few short moments, a now tiny Hematite darted out from the writhing pile of monsters and ran behind White, trying to get some distance. As soon as he was out of range of the furious smaller monsters, he shifted back up and slammed his hands into the dirt floor of the ruins, electricity coursing down his arms.

The bright pink energy shot through the ground, past and around White, and struck the large group of monsters. Through the loud chorus of snarling and screeching, Hematite caught another sound behind him.

But it was faint.

He turned to see nothing unusual before returning his attention to the gem monsters he'd just landed a huge hit on. Most of them had poofed, and the ones that remained scurried behind the gem mother that had finally regained its composure.

Shaking White's polearm out of its foot, the wolfish monster turned and snarled viciously at White and Hematite, fangs bared.

–

"Oh _hush up_ , you filthy _beast!"_ White hissed through her teeth, summoning another polearm. Taking a few slow steps forward, she pointed the bladed end at the monster and fearlessly glared into its eyes. They needed to get rid of the biggest one to knock down the number of the smaller ones. "Hematite, go for the gem! If we take down the mother, the copies will fall!" she shouted, not diverting her attention.

–

Nodding, the giant gem bared his teeth, leaping over White and going in for a direct hit on the monster. It scrambled back and pounced for Hematite, but its head was still swimming from the blow to its jaw, and it missed just enough to let the service gem toss it off with ease. He watched the wolfish creature fly across the room and land heavily on the other side.

Suddenly, Hematite felt something in the back of his mind tug at him. Hesitation. Even for a disgusting, murderous creature such as this, Hematite suddenly felt a twinge of _empathy_.

No, no, not _now_!

 _This thing has shattered gems._

 _But it's corrupted... It doesn't know what it's doing, right?_

The creature slammed into a nearby broken pillar, stunned, claws scrabbling at the dirt to hoist itself up. Hema didn't hesitate. He charged, landing directly atop the creature, grabbing its muzzle and holding its mouth shut.

 _Do it._

 _You have to._

 _There are no second chances for monsters like this._

 _It doesn't matter if it knows what it's doing. It's still going to do it._

Hematite's expression faltered. He'd only shattered three gems in his life...

 ** _DO IT!_**

The service gem shook his head as he held the monster down. His eyes went wide with fury, his teeth bared in a vicious snarl. He suddenly didn't seem entirely _there_. The usual light in his eyes vanished, replaced with a glassy, distant look of blind anger.

 ** _This is for all the innocent lives you've taken!_**

The harvester quickly turned the gem monster's head over and brought his fist up high before slamming it down, knuckle-first, into the blue gemstone.

With an abrupt screech, the gem monster poofed into a cloud of light-blue smoke, its shards falling to the floor. Hematite was left breathing heavily, his eyes wide, staring at the pieces. For a long, tense moment... he didn't move. Something in his gut twisted, and the glassy look in his eyes faded away, leaving him with a vague, _guilty_ expression. But no, there was something else there. Something akin to _fear_. He kept his head low, his face turned away from his leader.

–

White spun her polearm in hand, undeterred by Hematite's actions. Business was business, and this was no different. Turning without a word, White glanced quickly at the smaller wolfish creatures snarling behind them. As soon as the mother monster was destroyed, the smaller copies hissed and poofed away one by one. White smirked to herself.

"Good job, Hematite," she said slyly, poofing away her pole arm "Go ahead and bubble that away. We aren't quite done here..." She narrowed her eyes.

Something was off...

She could feel it.

There were supposed to be _two_ monsters.

–

The service gem was frozen in place a moment longer before he rapidly shook his head, snapping out of his stupor. He tapped the shards with a single clawed finger, bubbling them together. Moving the bubble up to his gemstone, he turned around, storing the shards away. After the bright flash of his gemstone died down, Hematite slowly scanned the surrounding ruins. White was standing a little distance away from him, and he slowly, carefully, made his way closer, should anything ambush the two of them. Sweat started to form on his brow, his breathing shallow.

They were being watched. Hematite's visor radar was still foggy, trying to clear out the overwhelming signature of the previous gem monster.

Rescan.

With a click, the hunting visor's radar 'refreshed', some of the 'noise' from the gem signature clearing out of the map. There was something else here. It was faint, but Hematite could detect another gem creature within the ruins. And it was close.

Hematite took to kneeling close to White, in an almost protective stance. He looked around the room, his breathing noticeably heavy. After a long pause, the service gem grimaced slightly, lifting a hand slowly towards his face.

 _"Oh no."_

–

White glanced up at Hematite quickly, curling her lip into a sneer.

"What do you mean, 'oh no'...? There were supposed to be two," she said, clenching her fists. She could have sworn that on the reports, there were two gem monsters. "What's wrong?" She turned quickly, trying to see if she could spot anything.

–

Hematite reached up, holding his face in his hand. His clawed fingers dug slightly into his hair, his teeth bared in a pained grimace.

"Tsss. N-no, it's nothing. Sorry." He looked around, trying to pinpoint the other signature. "It's in here. Stay alert. I'm not sure where it's hiding." His gemstone glowed faintly.

–

White quickly noticed the tone in Hematite's voice and turned to look back at him, eyes wide. _Oh stars, already?! Not now!_ Baring her teeth, she started to glow. Within a few short seconds, her form started to change slightly, before it stopped. Her hair fell down into place, and her outfit now sported a dark cape.

"Hematite, fall back!" she shouted, standing in a more defensive position. "We need to find somewhere safe, quickly!"

–

The service gem growled in frustration, still looking around the room.

"No, I'm fine! I can hold on a little longer! We've gott-" He winced heavily, holding his head with both hands. His ears were ringing, a sharp pain shooting through his gemstone. No, he couldn't force it back this time. If he resisted down-shifting, he didn't know _what_ would happen.

Stumbling to his feet, the giant gem did as he was told and retreated into a more secluded part of the ruins. His form began to glow, and he shifted down involuntarily.

 _C'mon, why now?!_

He kept himself big as long as he could, but within a few moments, there was a bright flash, and the now-tiny service gem was left to run ahead of his leader. Though, his pace was now far slower.

–

White glanced over her shoulder. She knew at any given moment, the other creature would show up, if it wasn't already planning to strike. Time to get a move-on. Abruptly, her pace quickened and she went low to the ground.

"Brace yourself!" she said, scooping up the tiny gem in her hand, pulling him up close to her chest. She picked up speed now that she didn't have to worry about leaving him behind.

About this time, as she'd expected, a howling monster came barreling through the rocks over a set of fallen rubble. White swiftly made her way through the area, ducking in and out of more shaded places. The monster was never far behind, relentlessly chasing after them. White was staring up at the walls, but occasionally glanced down to the tiny gem cradled within her hand.

"Are you alright?" she asked quietly, still running with tireless energy. As soon as she could shake this thing, she'd find a safer spot to carry out her next plan of attack. But first, she needed to get herself and Hematite out of harm's way.

–

Hematite, admittedly, was caught off guard by White suddenly snatching him up, but he quickly adjusted and hunkered down. He could hear the monster on their trail. The tiny service gem shut his eyes tight as the creature let out a fearsome roar. Trembling from exhaustion, Hema clung tightly to White's fingers, looking up at her.

"I-I'm fine!" he called up, his voice cracking just slightly.

–

White frowned, looking sternly ahead. He really overdid it this time. Her eyes widened suddenly, spotting a break in one of the walls. Time to take a chance. She ducked down low and took a sharp turn, diving into the dark tunnel. As soon as she had made it through the crevice, she grabbed her cape with her free hand and swiped it around her body, crouching down. She was completely encased in shadow, and the jet-black cape made her blend in perfectly with the darkness.

"Shh," she whispered, quietly holding Hematite close. She stayed as perfectly still and quiet as she could be.

Hematite looked around with mild curiosity as White ducked into the tunnel, pulling her cape around her. So _that's_ what it was for! He glanced up as she gave the warning to be quiet, and the tiny gem settled in her palm, closing his eyes.

From outside, there was a low rumble of growling disturbingly close by. A huge figure passed by the opening, but the monster huffed in defeated frustration, having lost its target.

The low growling outside the hole in the wall made Hematite tremble involuntarily for a moment, but he put a hand over his mouth, staying quiet. After what felt like an eternity, the creature stalked off to look elsewhere.

After a few minutes of stalking around, the creature wandered off somewhere. White slowly looked behind her to make sure the coast was clear. Once she deemed it safe enough to move, she shifted and stood up slightly, letting go of her cape with her other hand and maneuvering it under her other palm.

"That was too close. It might still be around, so we need to be very careful," she whispered, looking down at the smaller gem with concern.

–

As White stood up, Hematite opened his eyes and uncovered his mouth, looking up at his leader. He bit his lip nervously, still clinging to her fingers.

"What should we do? Do you think we should wait it out, like we did with Howlite?"

–

White narrowed her eyes, glaring out of the dimly lit cavern. For a moment, she said nothing, as if trying to think of what to do. Her grip remained loose on Hematite, but she wanted to make sure he was safe.

"No, we can't risk staying here and being found. I'm going to have to take that thing out myself... But..." She paused, glancing back down at Hematite. "This could be a problem... we can't risk you getting hurt out there. You've already overworked your body as it is," she said quietly.

–

Frowning, Hematite peered over the side of White's hands, to the dimly lit ruins outside their hiding place.

"W-well... I can stay here. Stay hidden... That thing doesn't seem to have gem copies running around." Though those could _easily_ be in hiding... The tiny gem scratched the back of his head, looking around. "Tch.. I could try to shift back temporarily, maybe."

–

White shook her head briefly, narrowing her eyes.

"No, that won't work. We can't risk you getting found or hurt any further. You're at your most vulnerable state right now, and shifting back up could cause undesirable side effects." She lifted her spare hand to her lip, thinking. Blinking suddenly, she slowly looked back down at Hematite and lifted him slightly.

She had an idea.

–

The tiny gem bit his lip, looking out at the ruins again. There had to be something they could do, or somewhere he'd be hidden...

Blinking, Hematite arched a brow as White lifted her hand. He turned back to her, curious.

"Did you think of something?"

–

White sighed, curling her fingers gently around the tiny gem's form. She glanced away almost... _awkwardly?_

"Well... yes. I do have an idea. I need to get you somewhere safe and take out this gem monster as soon as possible." Gradually, she straightened her back and lifted Hematite up closer to eye level. "It's a little... unorthodox, though."

–

 _White... unorthodox?_ _Ha! That was a good one. Blue, maybe. But_ _ **White?**_

"Well, what is it? It can't be _that_ unusual," he chuckled quietly, shrugging. He finally unwrapped his arms from White's fingers and turned to her fully, his knees drawn close to his chest.

–

White grimaced a little, but brushed it off. She paused for a long, thoughtful few seconds, as if trying to find the right words to say.

"Do you trust me, Hematite?" she asked, her expression unreadable. Her hand loosened, and her palm opened up completely, letting Hematite sit freely.

–

Noticing the momentary falter in White's face, Hematite's smile faded to a more puzzled expression. Why was she acting like this? Was something wrong? Her question caught him even more off-guard than the hesitation in her expression. The tiny service gem, his eyes never leaving White's, set his jaw, brows furrowing in a semi-serious frown. He nodded.

"Of course I do, White. Do whatever you have to."

–

White nodded and gazed right through the tiny gem.

"Alright, try not to move around too much. I'll try to do this job as quickly as possible," she said calmly, holding him up a little closer to her face.

Then she opened her mouth. She didn't make any sudden movements or make any attempt to push him in. If she was going to do this, she'd at least make sure that he wasn't too spooked by it.

–

Try not to move around? What was she talking ab-

Hematite's eyes widened subtly in surprise, and his shoulders tensed as White opened her mouth in front of him.

 ** _Oh._**

The tiny gem's eyes flickered up once or twice to White's face before finally settling back on her mouth. Hematite had always been aware that the diamond's tongue and such were black, but being face to face with it felt far more ominous than he cared to admit, or _dared_ to admit.

Images of that one night with Yellow years ago flashed through Hematite's mind, making his form go cold. He'd never been in this situation since that day, at least not with a non-corrupted gem.

 _He'd never_ _ **wanted**_ _to be in it again._

 _... But this was_ _ **different**_ _. This was_ _ **White**_ _. She wasn't trying to hurt him. She wanted to keep him safe._

Blinking, Hematite took a deep breath and glanced at White, giving her a reassuring nod. Half for her, half for himself. He looked back down and exhaled, forcing himself to relax.

 ** _Show some courage._**

–

From the outside of the cave, there was a distant, low screech. White flinched, turning her head slightly and closing her mouth. Worry flashed across her face, but she quickly tried to push it aside and regain her calm, collected demeanor. She sighed and looked down at her exhausted service gem.

"We have to hurry. The only reason I'm doing this is because I need both my hands and I don't want to risk dropping you in the fray. Don't be afraid, Hematite, I won't hurt you. By the Diamond Authority, I swear it," she reassured softly, looking back and lifting him closer to her mouth, which parted once more. She didn't want to pressure him, but this was the most efficient way to do what she needed to do. She couldn't bubble him away; if she needed him again, she wouldn't have access to him. She couldn't carry him, she needed her hands. And she couldn't let him run around on his own, lest he be harmed. She wasn't exactly enthralled with this option, honestly, but she had to do what she had to do. And in this case, that meant taking a note from the pages of past harvester gems she'd known. This had worked in the past before, _why not now?_

–

The tiny gem flinched at the low screech and looked out at the ruins outside the hole in the wall. Turning back to White, he frowned and nodded again.

"Right." Hematite's fingers brushed together for a moment before he forced himself to move forward. Every instinct he had was screaming at him to stop, to refuse, to turn back, to offer a different idea. But he trusted White's judgment. He knew that if this was all _she_ could think of, it was their best option right now.

Taking a deep breath, Hematite moved carefully, but with purpose, to climb onto White's tongue. He shuddered momentarily, but quickly recovered. He thanked his lucky stars that he was smaller than the last time this had happened. It was far less cramped.

–

White made sure that Hematite had crawled into her mouth enough for her to move. If she twitched, she could hurt him, so she forced herself to remain steady. Slowly, she carefully closed her mouth around the smaller gem and encased him in darkness. Well, at least he didn't taste _bad_. She'd been worried this would be made more complicated by that possibility. She moved her tongue slightly under him to make sure he had enough room. Alright, it felt like he was in a good position. She was cautious not to press him against her teeth; she was incredibly aware of how sharp they were.

With the tiny gem now _relatively_ safe and secure, it was time to take care of that nasty creature. Narrowing her eyes, she poofed the cape away in a dazzling array of light and darted out of the cave, keeping her jaw locked into place.

–

 _Alright, it's dark. This is fine. Everything is fine. Nooo problem._

Looking around, - a pointless venture - Hematite slowly forced himself to relax. The tiny gem flinched slightly when White's tongue shifted underneath him, but the tension left him when he realized he was now in a slightly more secure position. The moment White started to move around, Hematite's eyes widened, and he involuntarily clung to the surface below him. _He immediately wished he hadn't done that._ The tiny service gem grimaced at the foreign feelings around him, and did his best not to think about Yellow. Things being better between them or not, that night still shook him to this day. And this wasn't helping matters. _Still..._

 _This_ _ **did**_ _seem to be working so far._

Deep in the ruins, a huge, draconian gem mother was snuffling around some fallen debris, its pointed 'snout' easily knocking over a destroyed piece of pillar. Its long, snake-like body was heavily armored with long, light-green crystalline 'scales'. In some ways, it resembled a poisonous crystal shrimp. Despite being mostly snake-like in appearance, the creature did appear to have small limbs at its front, and a little further down its body. Though they were small, the creature's arms and legs appeared to be relatively stocky and strong.

The corrupted gem growled lowly, its rows of needle-sharp teeth glinting in the low light of the ruins as it turned and slithered over a small rise. There was no sign of where this creature's gemstone was.

–

White snuck around a rather large piece of fallen debris, hunkering low. There it was, the horrible thing. This one looked particularly vicious. She was glad she didn't risk Hematite trying to fight this one, the more she observed it. Quietly, she swiped her hands over her gem and summoned two long spears. The draconian monster hissed, having heard something behind it.

White ducked behind the debris, but didn't take her eyes off of the end of the monster. It started to slink forward, the end of its body disappearing out from her range of vision. She squinted and rushed out.

It was gone.

Her eyes widened again. _Where did it go!? It couldn't have gone far; it was_ _ **right**_ _there!_

–

 **SLAP.**

The creature's armored tail whipped out from behind White, sending her a good ten-or-so feet away. The serpentine creature quickly rose up to its full height, hissing viciously at the Diamond before it. The gem was situated on the roof of its mouth. As soon as it rose up, it lunged back down, heading straight for the smaller gem, teeth bared.

Hematite flinched and shut his eyes tight, hoping against hope that White could handle this. Silently, he prepared himself mentally to grab White's gem and hide if worse came to worse. He hoped it wouldn't come to that, but he had to be ready.

–

White pressed her tongue against Hematite gently, keeping him steady in her mouth. She grimaced, quickly righting herself in the air. _Okay, so that tail was tricky. Best to keep an eye on it. Or better yet..._

She landed skillfully on her feet and swiped her polearms forward. If this thing was going for a direct attack, it'd have to hit the blades before it got to her. As she steadied herself on the ground, her jaw lowered very slightly and allowed Hema more room. She wanted to ask if he was alright, but that was impossible right now. She'd have to trust her own judgment. Pacing forward, she zig zagged out of the gem monster's path and lunged up onto its back. With a quick thrust of her arm, one of her polearms went flying down into the back of its neck. At the sound of a sharp, blood-curdling screech, White knew she'd made a direct hit.

But of course, that wasn't quite enough.

–

Hematite relaxed when he was given more room, though with how things seemed to be going, he almost wondered if he preferred being held in place. What was going on out there?

 _Chirp._

Blinking to life, Hematite's half-visor began to glow, illuminating the space around him. The service gem blinked once or twice. Slowly, he lifted his hand back up to the eyepiece and tapped it, shutting it off.

 _Alright, no thanks, I don't need to see the back of White's teeth._

The creature's attacks grew more erratic as each one failed. It snapped and lashed out at White with furious screeches and hisses, but couldn't make any headway in its barrage. Screeching in confusion, the creature attempted to look back at White as she leapt onto its neck, but let out another horrible sound as her polearm hit its mark.

A flicker of movement passed by in the far corner of the ruins, almost invisible.

–

White was dead-set on getting to the monster's head. She wasn't going to dare get close to its razor-sharp teeth, so she'd go for the next best thing. She ran up the creature's spine, carefully twisting and turning with its writhing motions. The beast whipped its head around suddenly, but White leapt up into the air and landed on its head directly. The creature snarled and let out another hideous roar, thrashing its head back.

White's eyes widened. _She needed to act now!_ Taking her tightly-gripped polearm, she thrust it down into the top of the monster's snout, sending the blade straight through the roof of its mouth.

Another deafening screech, and the monster's body tensed up suddenly. White was held suspended by the end of the pole, her feet pressed up against the top of its skull. Within a few moments, the monster came crashing down onto the ground. Just as it made impact with the dirt, the monster exploded into a cloud of smoke as its glimmering shards fell to pieces on the ground.

The polearm vanished, and White took a deep breath through her teeth. Glad that thing was taken care of. And, fortunately, Hematite still seemed to be in one piece. She stood up straight and looked around. The monsters were gone, but she could have sworn she had caught a glimpse of something before. Though, it might have just been her eyes playing tricks on her, or the monster themselves. It was probably nothing.

–

The sounds of the screeching monster quickly died down, the last echoes fading through the half-destroyed ruins.

 _Crick_

 **Cold.**

Though the air in the ruins was already rather chilly, the temperature suddenly seemed to _plummet_. Sharp, needle-like frost formed out of thin air, spiking along the ground and nearby debris.

 ** _"Tch!"_**

Off in one of the nearby halls, where White had spotted movement, a furious _,_ muffled scoff preceded rapid, retreating footsteps.

 _Someone was there._

–

White's eyes shot open, but narrowed again quickly. No sooner than she'd spotted the figure, she started running towards it. She almost opened her mouth to shout for them to stop, but quickly remembered that Hematite was still in there. Wading through and over heaps of rubble and corners, she found herself in the same hall that she swore she'd seen and heard someone standing. Glancing back and forth, she tried to look for any signs of where they could have gone.

–

The footsteps were quickly fading. It seemed the figure had retreated down the same hall and was headed outside, of all places. The half-destroyed passageway went straight to the direct exit.

Hematite looked around, confused. He'd heard White take out the second gem mother, so what was going on _now?_

–

White shot out of the exit, quickly summoning another polearm. Reeling her arm back as she prepared to strike, she felt another wave of confusion rush over her. No one was there.

 _What? She lost one again?!_ Slamming it down into the ground in frustration, the pole exploded into sparkling dust. She growled lowly, but quickly stifled it, her lips curling into an awkward, lopsided frown. _Ah, hm. Probably best not to do that right now_.

–

Hematite stiffened considerably at the sudden growl, and he lowered himself reflexively, eyes wide.

 _Okay, never do that again, please._

 _Oh, but she_ _ **hadn't**_ _lost them._

The exit of the ruins led to a decrepit 'garden' filled with huge marble pillars. The plants were long-since faded and overgrown, and any semblance of beauty in the place was now lost.

All, of course, aside from a glimmer of short, white-blue hair. A flowing cape followed behind a retreating figure, fluttering as it ran off through the garden.

From out behind one of the pillars, a tall, thinly-built gem darted out, away from White and the exit to the ruins. Sharp spikes of frost followed her every step, instantly frostbiting any plants she passed.

No sooner had she appeared, the retreating gem had leapt gracefully over the outer garden wall.

–

White's eye twitched, and her arm shot up to her gem reflexively upon spotting the retreating figure.

But it was too late.

Dammit, if she hadn't have destroyed her weapon out of frustration, she might have had a shot. She'd have to send someone out to perform some recon later, assuming whoever-that-was stuck around. If there was one gem here, there might have been more. But for now, their mission was complete. It was best not to dwell here for too long. At least now she could let the smaller gem free.

Steadily, White held up her palm to her chin and slowly opened her mouth.

–

A moment after the gem had vanished over the wall, there was a bright flash of light just behind it, and then silence.

No further retreating footsteps, nothing.

Hematite squinted, covering his eyes with his arm as White opened her mouth. Slowly, he moved it away, quickly adjusting to the low moonlight.

–

White watched the flash of light with curiosity. Where did that come from? And where were they now? More importantly, who were they and what were they doing here? Blinking, she looked down, having noticed that Hematite wasn't moving much. She cleared her throat quietly, furrowing a brow.

–

The small gem blinked and realized she was waiting for him. Clumsily, Hematite managed to make his way back onto White's palm. He sat up, brushing his bangs away from his face. Hema looked around, realizing they were now outside the ruins, and turned to smile awkwardly at his leader.

"So, I take it the rest of the mission went well?"

–

White closed her mouth and wiped a finger across Hematite's face, soon motioning her entire wrist over him, as if drying him off.

"Well... The mission went fairly well, yes. But there's something else... Fortunately, that shouldn't concern you. I'll send someone out to check on things later." She smirked, relieved to see that he had taken that well. "Sorry about that, Hematite. I trust you are alright, then?" she asked.

–

Hematite chuckled slightly at White's attempts to dry him off. This wasn't going to come off as easily as she thought. He knew _that_ for a fact. Adjusting his sleeves, the tiny service gem nodded and gave his leader an encouraging smile.

"I'm fine... It wasn't as bad as I thought. That's..." He grinned awkwardly, pushing away any discomfort that was still lingering with him. "Actually a rather effective tactic! I'll have to remember it, if something like this should ever happen again."

–

White raised a brow, but never lost her smirk. She started to walk, holding her hands steady with Hematite still sitting in her palm.

"Well, just be careful about that! You do have a kind of... reputation, you know," she said idly. "But I'm glad you're okay. We'll head back to the towers immediately so you can rest up. Consider this one a success." She smiled down at him, relief underlying her calm.

–

Looking ahead, Hematite sighed softly and nodded at White's words.

"Right, right. Harvester. Forgot about that detail," he said quietly, pursing his lips.

 _Still..._

 _Who knew something like that could be used protectively..._

The tiny gem tapped his clawed fingers on his knees.

 _Well, if it came down to using that himself, hopefully it'd go as smoothly as this mission had._


	48. Brief

_Summary: Hematite tries Blue Diamond's tea._

* * *

"And so I was able to finish the deconstruction job, but unfortunately ended up poofing a few of the citizens. Because they attacked me when I was at my civilian size, they caught me off-guard and I was unable to take all of them down peacefully." Hematite was standing professionally, his feet squared, his eyes glancing over the report that was written over the screen of his visor. In the small room, White, Blue, and Yellow all sat quietly at a meeting table, listening to Hematite recite his recent incident. They were all there to check up on each others' progress, and the ivory-haired gem had offered to go first.

Hematite's visor chirped quietly as the report changed to a list of gems. "There were two that ended up poofed and bubbled. I'll be transferring them at the soonest leisure, Yellow." The eyepiece dimmed as the service gem turned to look at Yellow Diamond. He gave her a polite nod. "I apologize for the inconvenience. I will try not to let it happen again."

–

Yellow tapped her fingers together, listening quietly to Hematite's report. She knew that many gems were still very upset over the whole ordeal between her and the service gem, but it was unnecessary for them to get involved. After all, it was illegal to attack a service gem unprovoked. Raising her hands just slightly over her lips, she seemed deep in thought.

"Mmmm I see...Thank you, Hematite. I'll see to it that their punishment is appropriate. Though, it is..." She paused, glancing over at White and placing her hands on the table, "… _concerning_ that you have gems still attacking you within the city. Perhaps we should do something about that."

White caught onto Yellow's hint immediately, but she had a feeling that the only solution she could think of wasn't going to sit too well with her.

"Right..." She responded, nodding at the service gem. "Hematite, it's become apparent that it might be too dangerous to walk around at your normal height," she stated simply. Yellow momentarily seemed to twitch, her expression seeming a little surprised, but it was swiftly hidden.

"Ah, what are you suggesting?" Yellow pitched in quickly, clasping her hands together tightly. White sat up straight and gave Yellow Diamond a reassuring look.

"I'm suggesting he starts traveling around at a taller height, somewhere around ten to twenty feet perhaps. That way, gems might be discouraged from bothering him," she said simply. Yellow bit the inside of her cheek and glanced away, her face unreadable. She said nothing, but Blue leaned in and placed an elbow casually on the tabletop.

"I think that's a great idea, White! You always know what to do!" she beamed gleefully. White narrowed her eyes at the other Diamond and crossed her arms.

"Flattery won't excuse you from your reports, Blue. I still expect you to give me a rundown of everything you've done this week. You too, Yellow," White said. Blue's smile soon faded into an annoyed pout. She hated reporting to White.

–

The service gem listened intently to Yellow and White conversing, and his brows raised slightly at White's suggestion.

"O-oh, well. Hm." He'd caught Yellow's odd expression. "... That would probably reduce the amount of gems that end up heckling me." Hematite brushed his fingers together behind his back and glanced to the side. "... And I suppose that would let me travel around the districts faster."

It was a practical solution. Sure, it'd take a little while for citizens to get used to, and he'd have to take slightly different routes to avoid most of the district 'traffic' of busy gems that might give him dirty looks. But honestly, with him working in the Yellow District more often, Hematite would take whatever solution he could to avoid being attacked more than he had.

A similar solution had worked when he was being guarded by Puff during his punishment, but that was back when the wounds from his ordeal with Yellow were still very fresh. He'd hoped he wouldn't have to resort to such a thing again, but it seemed... well. It was still very much needed.

For the time being, anyways.

"That sounds like a reasonable plan, White. I'll see to it that I try to adjust my routine around the change."

And with that, he sat down at his own seat, politely folding his hands in his lap. He looked at Blue expectantly.

–

White gave Hematite a simple nod and glared back at Blue.

"Alright, it's your turn then. Speak up," White ordered. Blue grit her teeth and made a 'tch' noise, looking away.

"You're so bossy, White. To this day I still don't get why we have to report to you." Blue grumbled, tapping her fingers on the desk. White took a sharp breath and scratched a single nail silently on the table.

"Blue, you should know that we all keep each other in check, equal or not. I simply set up meetings! We have to keep each other grounded, organized, and up to date... and YOU shouldn't be slacking!" she growled, pointing a finger at the other Diamond. Yellow sat up straight at White's sudden raise of voice, noticeably uncomfortable for a moment. Blue blinked and rolled her eyes.

"Alright, alright. Whatever, look... so I'm falling behind, alright? I've kind of been having a problem with a rebellious group of gems out in the Pink District." Blue glanced at Yellow and sighed. "They're pretty elusive and I keep getting some... rather ominous letters from them," she said, the last part almost too quiet to hear. White raised a brow and stared at Blue, scowling.

"Excuse me?"

"They're empty threats, and nothing too serious honestly. They aren't even written very neatly..."

The tallest Diamond stiffened slightly.

"Blue, this is serious. If you are getting threats at all then shouldn't we know about it?" White clenched her fists and huffed, sitting back in her chair. Blue shrugged, however, and seemed to brush the statement off.

"Trust me, it's really nothin' to worry about. Just something about 'oh release these gems or we'll do something terrible.' Nothing's even happened, and they won't even say what bad thing is gonna happen. It's just another one of _those_ groups." She smirked. "Still I'd like to get my hands on 'em and teach 'em a lesson..." she said. Yellow raised her hand to interject, but quickly brought her hand back down as White spoke again.

"Alright, Blue, just get on those files as soon as you can."

"Files are so boring though! Why not give those to Yellow; she loves doing them!" Blue complained. Yellow shot Blue an irritated glare, but sighed and looked away. White didn't find it very amusing.

"Because it's your district, Blue. You need to be responsible for your own work; how many times have I told you this?"

"Yeah yeah, whatever ya say!" Blue got up from her seat and stretched. "I'll be riiiight back," she said. It was obvious she just wanted to leave; she hated these briefings anyway. White groaned but waved her hand to dismiss her.

"Fine."

–

Watching the three Diamonds talk amongst themselves, Hematite frowned just slightly. He hadn't seen them all in the same room together often, especially after his ordeal with Yellow. As he watched, it felt as though something wasn't sitting right with him.

White was being rather... disrespectful to Blue. He would never say anything about it, but the more he saw these three interact, the more he began to notice the disparity between how the three treated each other. Once in a while he found himself wondering how things had been with Pink Diamond around... was it much different? Better? Worse?

Despite these three working together for so long, they sure seemed to carry a lot of tension.

Hematite watched as Blue left, and he frowned just slightly, wondering where she was headed. The ivory-haired gem quietly swung his feet under his chair, turning his attention back to White and Yellow.

–

Yellow crossed her arms over one another and leaned slightly over the table.

"I suppose you'd like my report next, then?" she asked, staring at the only remaining Diamond at the table. White cocked a brow without a word and crossed her arms. Yellow shrugged. "Right, thought so. Well, actually... things have been going pretty well, I'm happy to say. The electrical storms have died down significantly, and the reconstruction of destroyed buildings within the district has been going well! Crime rate, too, has also gone down significantly." She placed a single finger to her lips, thinking for a moment. "Hematite has been particularly helpful throughout the city, as well. Aside from his little... undesirable encounters with the occasional spiteful gem, I'd say things have been going much more smoothly with him being in the Yellow District." She glanced over at the service gem for a moment, nodding in unspoken thanks.

–

The service gem perked significantly at Yellow's praise, a smile replacing his frown. He nodded back to her, his hands still folded in his lap.

"I'm just glad I can help. Even if not everyone is happy to see me around." Hematite suddenly blinked and sat up a bit straighter. "Oh! Yellow, I forgot to mention, I'm available to patrol the Yellow District, should you need some extra eyes on things around the city. I've taken to patrolling the Blue and White Districts on and off, and forgot to mention those services are also available to you," he nodded politely, "Should you need them."

–

Raising her brows slightly, Yellow nodded once more.

"Well, that's nice of you to offer. We can discuss a possible schedule later, then," she said, regaining her proper posture. About this time, Blue kicked in the side door completely, cackling. The sudden slamming noise startled the two Diamonds, and their attention shot quickly over to the approaching gem. In her hands, Blue carried a tray with four cups of piping hot tea and a teapot.

"I made us a beverage! I figured it would, ah, ya know... calm some of us down a little bit!" she said snarkily. White groaned and Yellow made a strange, sickly face. Blue placed the tea onto the table and moved it into the center. White stared at it distastefully and cleared her throat. There was a long, awkward silence. "Well? What are you all waiting for? Have some!" Blue said, grinning ear to ear.

No one made a move.

–

The ivory-haired gem had been startled by the door as well, and he turned around to watch Blue enter the room with the tea tray. His brows raised, and Hematite offered a smile.

"Oh, thanks, Blue!"

He reached over for a cup and pulled it closer, sparing White and Yellow a glance.

What was their deal?

Hematite sniffed the tea in the porcelain cup and blinked in surprise.

 _Oh._

 _ **That**_ _was their deal._

Now, Hema prided himself on having rather acute senses. Came with the territory of being a Hematite. Even if his sense of smell wasn't _nearly_ as sensitive as some of the others of his kind... he could tell that the tea Blue had prepared was rather... _sub-par._ Keeping a straight face, Hematite steeled himself and took a sip.

 _Well, it at least tasted_ _ **marginally**_ _better than that drink he'd tried years ago at Morganite's._

–

Blue clasped her hands together with sheer happiness and giggled.

"Wonderful! See? Hematite's got the right idea! 'Atta gem!" she said, picking up a glass for herself. Taking a sip, she licked her lips and sighed. "Aaaahhh I love this stuff!" she said. Yellow and White looked at each other, almost pained. They both took a glass, but Yellow was the only one who actually brought it closer. White's hand trembled for a moment, as she stared down at the gem-forsaken cup. Quickly, she let go with a loud clatter and stood up.

"I JUST REMEMBERED," she said loudly, staring off into space at nothing. "I have an extremely important event to attend today! I must be off!"

Before anyone could say a word, White walked alarmingly fast towards the door, rushing off as fast as she could. Yellow stared as the tallest Diamond left, her jaw dropping slightly. Nervously, she glanced at Blue, who had turned to watch White run out the door, too. Blue turned slowly, peering right at Yellow with hopeful eyes.

Yellow blinked and looked down at the cup, then back up at Blue. Without another word, she slowly lifted the cup to her lips and took a small sip. She flinched, the hair on the back of her neck standing on end. She almost seemed to pale, slowly lowering the cup to the table. She gave a shaky thumbs-up, forcing a dreaded smile.

Blue at the very least, seemed pleased.

–

Hematite would admit that the tea was rather terrible, especially when he was used to how White prepared it... But seeing Blue so happy made him bite his tongue. That, and Yellow's reaction was rather amusing. The service gem took another sip and stifled the grimace that tried to cross his face.

 _Was it terrible? Yes._

But in all his days harvesting, catching rather unsavory criminals of all sorts, had he tasted worse?

 _Absolutely._

He could weather a cup of terrible tea if it meant making Blue happy. He certainly wouldn't take any invitations to have it again, however.

–

Yellow stared over at Hematite in a strange confusion. How could he drink this?! Surely he had better standards than this. Looking back down to the glass, she dreaded taking another sip.

"Say, Blue, don't you have some files to organize?" Yellow looked up at Blue, narrowing her eyes. Blue blinked, and her smile faded.

"Ugh, you're right; I doooo. I don't want to, but I should." She shrugged, placing her hands on her hips. "Alright, I guess I should be off then. I don't want Miss Priss yelling at me again," she said, frowning. "Oh well, enjoy the tea you two!" she continued, smiling again and giving them both a wave. Turning, she headed for the door, humming a jolly tune. Yellow watched the Diamond leave with a blank, hollow expression, never taking her eyes off of her.

–

Hematite had glanced over at Yellow, taking another sip of his tea. He managed to drink about half of it before Blue left. As soon as she was out of range, the service gem put his cup down, slid it away from himself, and put his hands neatly in his lap, his eyes staring dead ahead.

After a moment of silence, a visible shudder ran up Hematite's spine, and he grimaced, shaking his head for a moment.

"Echhh." The ivory-haired gem smacked his lips once, trying to get the taste out of his mouth. He didn't plan on finishing his cup.

–

Yellow looked down at her own glass again, picking it up and looking into its contents. Suddenly, the smallest of smirks found its way to her face.

"Heh... Blue's tea is terrible..." she said quietly, cupping the glass with her hands. "Don't tell her I said that." She reached over to the teapot and poured the tea back into the pot, placing the cup down on the tray.

–

Brows raised, Hematite looked over at Yellow and blinked curiously.

"Why not? Wouldn't it be better to show her how to make it properly?" He watched her pour the tea back into the pot and looked at his own cup. After a moment, he followed suit.

–

Yellow hissed through her teeth, putting her hand behind her head.

"Weeeeell... we kind of... don't want to upset her? Or offend her, rather." She frowned, placing her hands on the table and looking away. "She'd probably get incredibly angry. Or sad. Or both. Blue isn't very... desirable to be around when she gets that way. So, we kind of just... avoid it," she said blankly.

–

Pursing his lips, the service gem glanced away.

"I'm sure there are polite ways of bringing it up." He quietly patted his hands on his lap. He was well aware of how Blue got when she was angry, but honestly, he doubted she'd get in such a mood from being shown how to make tea properly... Much less if it was well-intentioned. Hematite suddenly blinked and smiled, giving Yellow a look. "So you'd rather risk having to drink that again than chancing her getting upset?" he teased, a small smile on his face.

–

The Diamond involuntarily shuddered, glancing back at Hematite briefly.

"Ergh..." She made a disgusted face, crossing her arms. "Well, we kind of avoid that too." She narrowed her eyes suddenly, eyeing the door. "Like... White... did..." she said, partially spiteful. _How could she have just left her there like that?!_

–

Fidgeting, Hematite looked around the room, a bit awkwardly.

"... White _is_ rather particular with her tea." He tapped his feet together. There was an odd air to the room now that he was alone with Yellow, and he glanced at her once or twice. "... S-so. Uh. Had any good. Spars lately?"

–

Yellow found herself strangely quiet as well, caught in the same awkward air. She was a tad better at hiding it, though, but not by much. Blinking, she looked off to the side and then back at Hematite, shrugging.

"Not really, actually," she said simply, staring at him with an unreadable expression. Her resting face made it seem as though she were perpetually annoyed, but she actually wasn't this time, at least. Besides, if she were annoyed, it wouldn't be hard to find out.

–

"Ah, that's a shame. I mean, I guess you wouldn't have, with how busy you've been..." His expression fell after a moment, and he looked away, rubbing the back of his head. "Sorry. That was a stupid question." His voice faded slightly toward the end of his sentence, and he sighed, not looking directly at the Diamond.

–

Yellow stared at Hematite, fingers twitching at his latest remark. Well, he wasn't exactly wrong... Another awkward silence filled the air, and Yellow glanced over at the teapot.

"Hm... I only wish I had more gems to fight that were actually a challenge. They're all so... weak compared to us." She stopped suddenly, eyes widening. That was probably not the best thing to say either. She could tell this conversation was going sour very quickly. "I mean... we're Diamonds, and all. And not many gems really challenge us, nor do we really challenge them." She looked away quickly.

–

Turning back to Yellow a moment, Hematite furrowed his brows, expression unreadable.

 _Right. Still Yellow. That hadn't changed._

The tiniest twinge of bitterness pricked at the back of the service gem's mind at the Diamond's words, but he quickly repressed it. Instead of making some snide comment about how he certainly seemed to hold his own well enough against her and Blue, Hematite shrugged and decided to try and play it off.

"Well, I can think of a few gems that might pose a challenge."

Swiping his hand toward his eyepiece, Hematite tapped the surface and brought up a specific HUD on the screen.

"There's your Jasper that's the head of enforcement in the third sector. There's a particularly skilled sword-fighting Aquamarine that visits the Coliseum every once in a while. There's always Morganite... Hah! There's uh, General Topaz," he teased, offering Yellow a quick smile. "I've never seen her fight, but being a war veteran and a general and all, I'm sure she's quite skilled. Though it may be hard to get ahold of her back on her planet." He turned back to his eyepiece and began listing off some other powerful and skilled fighters he'd either met on missions or learned about in the cities. He had a mildly impressive list.

–

Yellow couldn't tell if what she had said had fazed him at all. Judging by how he'd responded, perhaps it hadn't. That was good, then! Snapping back into the conversation suddenly, she actually considered some of his words.

"Topaz, hm? She's a very busy gem, and, you're right, she's terribly hard to get an appointment with, especially for a casual spar, as much as I'd like to. We used to spar all the time back before she was set in charge of her own small city... And... Morganite? Which Morganite? I know there aren't too many left, but I know of a few. Are you referring to Blue's friend?" she asked, fidgeting with the sleeve of her glove.

–

Blinking, Hematite looked over and gave her an awkward smile.

"Ah, yes. Sorry... I've only ever met one Morganite. I've yet to run into any of the others." He shrugged slightly and glanced to the side. "He's a very skilled fighter. Kept me on my toes, haha..." His smile faded just slightly. "So, yeah. If you want a challenge, he might be more up your alley." His eyepiece chirped offline, and Hematite tapped his feet together again. "He's got one day off a week, and most mornings aren't too busy for him."

–

Gripping her fingers tighter around her wrist, she bit her lip and glanced away.

"I'll um... be sure to keep him in mind," she responded. Her mind blanked, unsure what to really even follow up with. Awkwardly, she looked back to the service gem for a moment, then slowly looked over to the tea.

"You know uh, why don't... You try showing Blue how you make tea! Or... I don't know, do it in a way where she won't get mad! You know how to talk to her, it seems," she said, closing her eyes with a somewhat snooty look. Though, on the inside, she could feel the tension rising. Stars, it was really hard to keep this conversation going smoothly.

–

Glancing back at the Diamond, Hematite pursed his lips for a moment.

 _Alright, he wasn't having any more of this._ Discussing jobs with Yellow was one thing, but this was ridiculous. Standing, Hematite gave a polite bow to his superior.

"I actually do have some business to attend to in the Blue District, so I'll see if I can bring it up to her before I head out." Standing up straight again, he folded his arms neatly behind his back. He managed to crack an awkward, lopsided grin. "If I don't come back, she didn't take my lesson well." He gave her a playful smile before turning to walk out of the meeting room. "Oh, and if she asks, I'll let her know you finished your whole cup."

–

Yellow gave Hematite a nod, reluctantly waving. It was awkward, to say the least.

"Alright, then... Er..." Pausing, she sighed, tapping her fingertips on the tabletop. "Thank you, I guess." Watching the service gem leave the room, she frowned, brows furrowing. She was left to her thoughts in the quiet meeting room. Shrugging to herself, she, too, stood up and glanced out the window. Perhaps it was best that she went back to her study and had some of her own tea to clear her palette.


	49. Dangerous Feature

**Summary: After a match in the Coliseum, Hematite meets someone new.**

* * *

"Come on, kid, you're gonna have to try harder than that!"

It had been a while since Blue had a spar with Hematite, and, needless to say, the lack of time they'd had together really took its toll. The already-excitable Diamond was extra riled up the entire match, and could barely contain her zealous vigor. A rather sizable crowd had gathered to watch the Diamond and Harvester spar; it was always quite a dazzling show! They'd both landed quite a few significant hits on each other, but neither of them seemed deterred.

Blue spun her mace in hand as if it were weightless. Cackling, she stepped to the side, eyeing her massive opponent who stood far taller than her at the time. The crowd cheered wildly; they were both putting up a good fight!

Thankfully, it seemed that as time passed, the gems that tended to watch Hematite spar were becoming less wary about his existence and fighting methods. There was still a hint of worry, but over time it became apparent to them that he wasn't crazy enough to do anything like what he did to Yellow Diamond. At least, they hoped he wasn't. He hadn't done anything terrible since the incident with Yellow, but it had only been about two or so years. Many were still wary of him, especially those of the Yellow District. But the gems that merely came to watch a good fight? They were just happy that one of their most unusual, unpredictable sparring pairs were back!

–

Taking a few quick steps back, Hematite put his fists up in front of him, the knuckledusters on his hands sparking wildly. He was still getting used to sparring at his slightly larger height, and found that it cut down significantly on his ability to dodge and make quick hits. Since the recent meeting with the three Diamonds, Hematite had heeded White's suggestion and started going about his daily routines in a larger form. He stood around fifteen feet or so; which wasn't too tall, but also wasn't small enough to warrant being bothered by would-be thugs. While it did make his day-to-day life a lot easier, it made sparring a bit more awkward.

Hematite glanced at Blue, sizing her up as she skirted around him. It was far harder to keep his eyes on his opponent at this size, surprisingly. He'd run into the same problem when he'd tried to spar with Morganite. At least Blue didn't seem as agile as the pink-haired warrior. While Morganite leapt around a lot more and never seemed to be in one place for very long, Blue kept to the ground more and kept far more of her focus on delivering hard hits.

The service gem suddenly got an idea.

Without warning, Hematite crouched low and struck the ground with his fists. With a startling show of light, his knuckledusters sent out a wave of electricity through the ground around him, creating a huge wave of static. It spread quickly, racing toward Blue's feet.

–

Blue grinned from ear to ear, slamming her mace on the ground and hopping up on top of the pole. As the electricity raced towards her, she vaulted off of it and pounced right onto the service gem, grabbing his suit in her fist and delivering a swift punch to his side. The crowd stood up and howled with excitement. The rush of approval sent a surge of energy through Blue, and she quickly hopped down off the service gem before he could grab onto her. Getting back to her feet, she bounded back and grabbed her mace. Swinging it over her shoulder, she shot Hematite an eerie smirk.

"C'mooooon!" She beckoned, lifting up the mace and pulling at the pole. It glowed brightly, extending into a longer weapon. Suddenly, at the end of the mace, another spiked ball appeared, creating a double-ended weapon. She clutched the bar tightly, crouched and ready to move at any given second.

–

Hematite's eyes widened as Blue's weapon changed to a double-ended mace, and he swallowed nervously. That was going to be a lot harder to dodge.

Clutching his hands tightly, Hematite took a few steps back, instead of forward. He looked over Blue's head, wondering if he'd be able to pull off his next attack.

But something caught his eye. Hematite stood straight, his hands falling away from his front. He stared over his opponent, unblinking.

Behind Blue, on the other end of the coliseum, was another spar. It didn't have nearly the audience he and Blue did, but there were still a considerable amount of gems watching. A short-haired Jasper was sent tumbling to the side by her opponent, nearly crashing into the wall. In the quickly-clearing dust stood a tall, lithe figure. The Jasper growled viciously and re-summoned her gauntlets, making a wild charge for the half-hidden gem.

But their opponent was too quick.

Though Hematite couldn't make out who it was, the lithe figure leapt back into the air, flipping effortlessly out of the way of the furious orange gem. They landed lightly on their feet and dodged the Jasper's wild attacks, seeming to deliver quick, precise punches while doing so. The Jasper swung wildly, yelling something at the quicker gem as they suffered the barrage of attacks. Skirting behind the warrior gem, the lithe figure suddenly stopped.

And there was a flash of light.

Suddenly, the orange gem was sent flying into the wall, landing with a heavy THUD. Their opponent now stood among the dust clouds, their back turned to Hema and their form now far bigger than before.

The silver-haired gem bounced slightly in place and twirled around to face her audience with a flick of her hair. She gave a theatrical, graceful 'bow', earning a roar of applause from her own crowd.

Eyes wide, the ivory-haired gem stared across the arena. That... that was another Hematite! But it wasn't just any Hematite; it was Ti, if he remembered her name correctly. It was strange to see another of his kind. Mago of course had shown up once, as far as he knew... but aside from himself, he'd never seen them _fighting_ here with other gems!

–

In Hematite's distraction, Blue sneered confidently and went for an attack. It wasn't like him to stand still, but oh well! He needed to focus! Swinging her arm, she sent the double-sided mace flinging through the air like a spiraling projectile. With a massive force, one of the ends slammed into Hematite's midsection. Thankfully, he was at a big enough height that it wouldn't poof him, really, but it was going to sting. As the weapon made contact, it exploded into a cloud of sparkling dust. Blue quickly summoned another one and made a run for him directly.

–

With a loud grunt of pain, Hematite flew back a considerable distance before managing to regain his footing. He held his abdomen, grimacing heavily, inhaling sharply through his teeth. The wind was knocked out of him, and he dropped his head slightly, shutting his eyes. The moment he heard Blue summon another weapon, he looked up sharply, taking a quick step to the side.

His eyes wide, the service gem swung his leg around, going in for a direct side-sweep, much like he'd done with Morganite.

–

Blue's attention was caught by Hematite's leg. She tried to get out of the way, but miscalculated its range and took a direct hit, sending her stumbling over. Her mace clattered against the ground, and she coughed. Quickly recovering, she spun over and got to her feet. The Diamond clenched her fists and growled, baring her teeth with a twisted smile.

"Nice shot, kid!" she shouted, abruptly picking up the mace yet again. Giving the end of the mace a tap on the ground, she cackled.

–

The service gem crouched low, a little distance from Blue. Alright, no more distractions. Sitting up, he made a go for Blue, for once, closing the distance between them. His gemstone began to glow, his hands following suit.

–

Blue raised a brow and backed up quickly, making sure to keep her distance. If he had any plans to shift sizes, she'd need to be ready for it. Holding up the mace, she braced herself for an oncoming attack.

–

Hematite's gem stopped glowing. He grinned and whipped his arms to the side, sending out two electrical whips. Without warning, he flicked his wrist, sending one of the tangible lines to Blue's mace, wrapping it around the handle. He tugged back on it, _hard_.

–

Blue gave a sharp grunt, thrust forward with the handle of the mace. If she let go, she'd be flung somewhere and find herself probably face first on the dirt. Not a position she desired to be in. As she flew through the air, a bright flash of light blinded her, throwing off her trajectory as she suddenly sped through the air at a far quicker rate. Unsure what happened exactly, she used the increased momentum to her advantage and twisted in the air to try and leap over Hematite. But instead, she adjusted herself just enough to slam right _into_ the service gem. She looked up sharply, _Well, that wasn't much better, either!_

–

Hematite's eyes widened, and he let out a sharp yelp as Blue collided with him. Her momentum offset his balance, and he found himself stumbling backwards. He'd shifted up to try and give himself an advantage, but it seemed it'd backfired. His arms reflexively moved to catch the Diamond, even as he was trying to regain his footing. The service gem's whips quickly vanished, the mace at the end of them landing heavily on the ground nearby. Clumsily, the larger gem flailed and fell backwards onto his back. He lie there for a moment, blinking up at the sky.

Glancing down, he picked up Blue with both hands, loosely, and held her up over himself.

"... So did you win that one, or did I?"

–

Blue cackled maniacally and squirmed in his grasp, quickly escaping and sliding down his arm.

"Neither of us, yet! BUT I'M GONNA CHANGE THAT!" she crowed, falling down from his hands. Bouncing up from his chest, she landed ungracefully on his face and crawled her way up to his forehead. With a mischievous snicker, she lunged into his ivory-white hair.

–

Letting out a rather unintelligible string of surprised noises, Hematite flailed and sat up, making a rather amusing face. The hair on the back of his neck stood up.

"BLUE, what the heck are you doing?!" he exclaimed, hands held awkwardly in front of himself. He shook his head slightly, unsure if he should directly remove her or not.

–

For a moment, it seemed like Blue had completely disappeared. That is, until she erupted from his hair after a moment, a mace held high up in the air.

"HEMAFIGHT ME!" she shouted, cackling.

–

"BLUE WAIT NO-"

The giant gem's eyes widened, and he grimaced heavily, shutting his eyes and bracing for impact.

–

Bursting into crazed laughter, Blue swung her mace down and landed a direct hit square in the center of Hematite's forehead.

–

Hematite winced as the mace made contact with his forehead rather abruptly. It didn't hit too hard, but it was certainly enough to sting. His body tensed, and the service gem suddenly growled in pain from both the previous hit to his abdomen, and the new strike to his head. Quickly, Hematite shot his hand up, grabbing Blue and pulling her out of his hair, mussing it in the process. He brought her down in front of his face, teeth bared.

"Be careful with that! You nearly took my eye out!" He kept his grip firm this time. She wasn't wriggling out of this one.

–

Blue was surprised, to say the least, but actually found this little turnabout to be interesting. Still holding her mace, she took it and acted like she was going to swing again, smiling fiercely. But instead of cracking him over the head, she lightly tapped it in the same place as before. It was much softer; not enough to particularly hurt, but it wasn't a gentle gesture, either, considering it was a mace. Regardless of her situation, she still seemed rather optimistic. _Was she even taking this seriously anymore?_

–

Hematite, understandably, braced himself for impact again as Blue swung her mace, but was surprised when it made relatively-light contact with his face. He muttered a quiet 'ow' and rubbed his forehead, his expression now closer to a pout than a snarl. Squinting at his superior, he arched a brow.

"Mind if we call this one even? I feel a headache coming on." The tiniest of smirks crossed his face.

–

The Diamond chuckled for a moment, fizzling her weapon away.

"Sure thing, kid! You put up a good fight; we'll call it a draw!" She grinned. Soon, though, she too cocked a brow, staring up at the service gem's face. "Under oooooone condition..."

–

The service gem relaxed considerably the moment Blue's weapon vanished. As her tone changed, however, he narrowed his eyes more, holding Blue just a tad further from his face.

"What kind of condition?"

–

Blue bore the cheekiest smile, looking from Hematite's eyes, down to his mouth.

"Lemme see your teeth!" she said, beaming excitedly. She clasped her palms together, eagerly staring at him.

–

Hematite was silent for a long moment, staring at Blue with an unreadable expression. He finally managed to arch a brow.

"Come again."

–

"Come ooooon! Lemme see 'em!" she said, flailing about in his hands. She tried prying herself out of his grasp, chuckling under her breath.

–

The service gem suddenly looked rather flabbergasted, and looked around at the audience.

"B-Blue what are you talking about, I'm not- we're in the middle of the arena, why would I do that?!" He held her firmly, so she wouldn't try any funny business. Turning to her, he lowered his voice to a more hushed tone, his expression an odd mix of embarrassment and confusion. "Why do you want to see my teeth, anyways?" he asked quietly.

–

"Diamond's orders!" she cackled, swiping her arms over towards his face. Some of the crowd grew a little confused, the worry buried deep within them started rising somewhat. Still, they remained calm, at least. Blue continued to writhe and chuckle, attempting to grab his face. "I dunno, they're pretty cool! It's not often you get to see things super-sized! It's neat! Come on, you gottaaaa!" she pleaded.

–

Hematite leaned his face away nervously, out of Blue's reach. He glanced at the crowd and frowned slightly. He could tell some of the gems watching were getting antsy. Taking a deep breath, Hema glanced at Blue.

"I don't wanna cause a scene. Last time I had a Diamond close to my face like that, I nearly caused a riot," he stated quietly, with as much respect in his tone as he could manage. "How about... outside the Coliseum, where there are less gems to freak out."

–

Blue's face didn't change a bit.

"Alright!" she agreed, crossing her arms. She finally stopped grinning widely as she looked down, then back up at Hematite. There was a small pause, and her grin returned, though there was more of an expectant look to it than a crazed one. "Caaaaan I ride on your shoulder, too?"

–

Blinking, the service gem got to his feet, dusting himself off. He glanced over towards the other side of the arena, quickly noting that the other Hematite was gone. After a moment, he nodded and shrugged, holding Blue up to his shoulder and loosening his grip.

"Sure, I don't see why not." With his free hand, he gave a wave to the audience, easing some of the tension among the more anxious gems. _Ah, if he was letting Blue climb onto his shoulder, that was far less worrying!_ Sure, the fight had ended with a draw, but it was still entertaining to watch.

–

Blue happily leapt up onto the giant gem's shoulder, turning and giving a wave to the audience herself. She bowed, then stood up proudly. She always enjoyed riding on Hematite's shoulder. After all, how many gems could say they had a Harvester for a friend? Turning to the service gem, she sat down and placed a palm on his cheek.

"Alright, let's head out, then!"

–

Hematite's tension all but left him as Blue sat on his shoulder, and he smiled fondly at her. He'd never admit it out loud, but something about Blue's casual attitude toward being carried around always made him incredibly... happy. She was the only gem who seemed _completely_ unbothered by his larger forms.

Giving a final wave to the crowd, Hema made his way toward the large, gated exit to the Coliseum. He was surprised to see that the other Hematite he'd spotted earlier was nowhere to be found.

Walking out of the arena, Hematite glanced at Blue and walked toward the nearby training grounds. They often rested there after a match, and Hema figured that if there was any place they could go that wouldn't draw a crowd, that'd be the one. It was big, open, and rarely had more than a few gems around.

–

The Diamond relaxed on Hematite's shoulder, staring up at the sky as they moved along.

"Nothin' like a good ol' roughhousin', eh, kid?" she asked, smiling and nudging her elbow against his cheek. "Ya know, not a lot of gems can stand up to a Diamond. I bet you're proud of your strength!" she continued, complimenting him warmly. She really admired his perseverance. "And, hey, if you have fun sparring with me, someday you should spar with White."

–

The service gem blinked in surprise, his cheeks turning a darker shade of purple. He glanced at Blue, brows raised.

"W-well, I. T-to be fair, I hardly stand a chance without my size shifting... I'm not that powerful on my own." He turned away and rubbed the back of his head. At her other suggestion, he stiffened and laughed nervously. "Hah, yeah. I've seen how White fights... I'd never take her on directly. That's just asking for it." 'It' being a rather quick and embarrassing defeat.

–

Blue smirked and crossed her arms.

"I still think it'd be pretty fuuuun! Though, you'd only want to do that when she's in a good mood." Blue's face faltered for a moment into something of brief nervousness. "Yellow and I have both caught her at bad times before. It... didn't end well." There was another pause, but her gleeful, laid-back demeanor returned. "Sheee's definitely best to pick a fight with when she's not in a sour mood." Blue lifted her arm and scratched the back of her head. "She's bested me and Yellow plenty of times in combat simply by fighting with her mind. She's unpredictable; it's almost unfair. She always seems to know what everyone's going to do before they do it. That on top of being a bit stronger than us both physically doesn't help." She pursed her lips, thinking about the last time she'd sparred with White. It had been a while ago, but, needless to say, it hadn't gone very well.

–

Hematite nodded thoughtfully as he listened to Blue. Oh, he was well aware of how White was in a bad mood, and if he ever planned on sparring with her, he'd make sure she was having a good day if, by the off chance, he did. It'd be interesting to fight his leader in a friendly match, though he was ninety-nine percent sure she'd have him beat in a matter of moments.

"Hmm." One step ahead of the opponent; no wonder she was such a skilled fighter. He'd never understand how she almost always seemed to know what her enemy would do. Then again, he supposed that came with all the knowledge and experience she had as a Diamond. The service gem stepped onto one of the training fields and sat down, finally turning to the gem on his shoulder. "Well, I don't plan on fighting her anytime soon. Maybe once I've, you know, gotten a handle on fighting Rubies and such," he chuckled good-naturedly.

–

Blue grinned softly, standing back up as Hematite got comfy.

"That's the spirit!" she said, standing proudly once more. Now that they were alone, Blue excitedly looked down at Hematite's hands. She paused for a long, thoughtful moment. "… Hey Hema, what's it like?" she asked, glancing back up at him. "To tower over people like you do?" She herself was an incredibly tall gem, all things considered, but she was the shortest of the Diamonds, and certainly not Hematite's size. She'd never even thought to ask anything like that before.

–

Holding his palm up for Blue, Hematite blinked in surprise at her question.

"What do you mean?" He paused for a moment. "It's... nothing special. I guess it's kinda... 'normal' for me?"

–

"Yeah, it's normal for ya, but not for everyone else," she said, placing her hands on her hips. "I can tell there's more to it than that. I'm curious; does it ever bother you? That you're... different? That your height might scare gems off? Or do you, like, use it to your advantage?" She had spent a lot of time around Hematite, but it only just occurred to her that she didn't ask him all that much about how he felt about his powers. There was obviously a lot he never told anyone, not even White. That very thought made her incredibly curious about how he viewed his rather unique abilities. "Considering you're the only gem type in existence that can turn so... huge, I'd say that's pretty special!"

–

Hematite froze.

 _Does it ever bother you? That you're... different?_

The service gem's expression subtly twitched. He looked hurt.

 _That your height might scare gems off?_

 _ **Or do you use it to your advantage?**_

"..." Hematite slowly closed his hand. There was a long pause before he drew his knees up to his chest, wrapping his arms around them. "… Yeah, I guess it's 'special,'" he said quietly.

–

Blue frowned suddenly, and a twinge of regret welled up inside of her. Perhaps she had gotten too curious. He was visibly bothered, that much she could tell... but what was he hiding? She didn't quite know what to say, but guessed it was best not to pry any further than she already had.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to bother ya. If it means anything, I think you're pretty cool," she said, offering a warm smile and placing a palm to the side of Hematite's head, patting his cheek.

–

The gem muttered a quiet 'it's okay' in response to Blue's apology. He looked away. There was a long moment of silence, and a soft breeze blew through the training grounds, sending up small clouds of dust. It lightly brushed Hematite's hair into his face.

"... How are you so calm around me? When I'm like this? Everyone else is nervous around me," he asked, glancing at the Diamond.

–

Blue kept her smile, for him, but she couldn't help but feel a bit disheartened. She hadn't meant to bring up any bad memories, if that's what he was zoning out over. The least she could do now was try to cheer him up.

"Well... I mean, I dunno? Somethin' about you, I guess. I trust you, for one. I've seen the way you act; I've seen how you think and how you do things. I've seen how gems have treated you. I guess part of me figured that even if other gems treat you badly for the way you are, at least one gem should give you a fair chance." She looked down at nothing, staring blankly at the ground beyond them both. She paused. Her eyes clouded over in remembrance, an almost haunted, distressed look crossing her face. "I mean, so what if you went off on Yellow ONE time? That doesn't make you a different person. It isn't fair to assume you've changed and that you'll always be that way..." she said with an odd tone to her voice.

–

The service gem tilted his head, still staring off into space. Something about the way Blue was speaking sounded strange. Was she alright? Or was she… speaking from experience?

"Why do you say that, Blue? Hah... did you attack Yellow in front of a crowd one time?" he asked jokingly.

–

Blue frowned faintly and lightly ran her thumb over Hema's cheek. She didn't reply right away, but when she did, her voice was distant and laced with regret.

"During the first few thousand years of my life, I was a ruthless leader..."

–

Hematite lifted his head in surprise and turned back to Blue, watching her intently. He wanted to say something, but he held his tongue. It didn't seem like Blue was done.

–

Blue's smile faded entirely, unbeknownst to her. She seemed to zone out.

"We were a lot like dictators, more or less. Technically, you could _still_ consider us that. It's for the greater good of gemkind, sure, but... Back then, I had to be mean. I had to be intimidating. I had to be merciless." She crossed her arms with discontent, still glaring at nothing in particular. "Then, one day... I didn't want to be like that anymore. I saw what it got me. Everyone either hated me or was scared of me. I just..." She paused again, looking back at Hematite with a shrug. "Wanted gems to like me, I guess. I wanted to be a leader that gems could look up to and admire. Sure, fear worked for keeping gems in line and minding rules... but I found you don't need to be so stoic and cold for gems to behave." She glanced away again, biting her lip. "I mean, sure, my district has the highest crime rate, but... For the most part, gems still mind, I guess. Even if... part of me wonders if that's because of how I run things now."

–

As he listened, Hematite bit his lip and fidgeted with his fingers, occasionally picking at the fabric on his suit. Imagining Blue as a ruthless leader... Well. It wasn't that he couldn't picture it. He'd seen what Blue Diamond was capable of when she was angered...

But he didn't _want_ to picture it.

"... Yours may have the highest crime rate, but at least your gems aren't jumping a Harvester while they're trying to do their job." He attempted a smile and chuckled, messing with the end of his sleeve. There was a pause. "If it's any consolation... I prefer you like this, rather than how you used to be."

–

Blue couldn't help but smile; his words meant a lot to her, even if she wouldn't say it.

"Thanks, kid. That's why I'm like this, I guess. So... I guess, to an extent, I kinda know how ya feel. Everyone's so intimidated by ya; it's hard to meet friends in this world. And if you even make one mistake, everyone assumes you're always someone to distrust. Gems are always looking after themselves, and anything out of the ordinary is either wrong, dangerous, or bad in some way. But I think it's cool... depending on what it is, of course. When you've been around as long as we Diamonds have, anything new is exciting." She shrugged a shoulder and grinned ear to ear. "Like you! Why, you're one of the few gem types that can stand up to a Diamond, you can size-shift to be really big or really small, and you've got those, uuuuh, really neat lightning whips!"

–

The service gem couldn't help but smile warmly at Blue, and he reached up, scratching the back of his head bashfully.

"Funny story, I actually learned that from a gem back on Earth. Rubes helped me perfect the method... but Celestite is the one who taught me to use my elemental abilities in different ways." Hematite's expression softened. His smile faded, and he couldn't hide the regretful look in his eyes. "... I wish she could have come back with me. I miss her."

 _Well maybe if you'd gone back for her when you heard that bird, she'd still be around._

–

Blue crossed her arms. She hadn't heard much at all about this Earth gem he'd come across, but she hadn't really asked about her much after he returned to Homeworld. The fact that she taught Hematite so much was peculiar.

"Unfortunately, we all have to say goodbye to some friends in our time." Blue paused, her eyes narrowing. She, too, seemed struck by something she'd said. "You just gotta move on and enjoy the time that you have today... With friends that are still around you. The friends that appreciate you. Care about you. It's okay to miss them but... You understand, yeah?"

–

"I understand... I just." He held his knees close to his chest and shrugged with his free shoulder. His voice dropped to a more hushed tone, and he sighed. "I just wish I could have said goodbye."

–

Blue frowned and nodded.

"Yeah... I mean, I bet you... do. Wish that." She shook her head, clearing her throat. Quickly, she decided it was probably time to change the subject. She turned to him again and placed her hands on his face. "Hey, so..." She paused, grinning again like she had before. "You still up for showin' me your chompers?" she asked quietly, her excitement returning to her tone.

–

Hematite blinked and sat up a bit straighter, turning to Blue and giving her an odd look. His brow was arched, his lips pursed.

"Why do you wanna see 'em so bad? They're just teeth. And they're not exactly the safest things, you know." He frowned slightly.

–

Blue shrugged, looking up at Hematite with an almost impatient smirk.

"I already told ya. It's not often you get to see these things up close, safely. And, between you and me... I find some 'dangerous' things to be cool. Ya know, you get to use 'em for your job sometimes, so you might think of 'em as dangerous weapons… but I think they're pretty neat!" she babbled. "I guess what I'm trying to say is, I just want to see them. It's kind of one of the Hematite's defining features, as a whole! Sure, all gems have teeth, buuuut Hematite teeeeeeth are something ellllse!" She raised her eyebrows, a sly tone in her voice.

–

The service gem gave a soft groan of nervous disapproval, but he soon sighed through his nose. Right, she _did_ say Diamond's orders. Might as well get this over with.

"Alright, alright. Fiiine." Hematite smiled just slightly at how ridiculous this all was, but he lifted his palm back up to Blue, letting her step on. Turning to his shoulder was starting to hurt his neck. He held her close to his face. Glancing to the side, he swallowed quietly. Well. At least no one was around.

The giant gem bared his teeth, much like he'd done when he was sparring, but this time there was far less tension in his expression. He seemed more awkwardly-curious than anything else.

–

Blue's eyes widened, her smile following. She slowly leaned in, glancing over for a moment. She narrowed her eyes, placing a few fingers curiously over her mouth. After a few moments, she blinked, getting an impish look on her face. Quickly, she motioned forward, grabbing onto Hematite's teeth where they parted slightly, and started to pry his mouth open.

"Woooooahhh..."

–

The giant gem blinked in surprise, giving a soft noise of objection. He tried to lean back slightly, but Blue had a good grip on his teeth, and he knew if he leaned too much, she'd be pulled off his hand.

"'Ey." He made a rather amusing face, the corners of his mouth turned down into a confused frown.

–

Blue ignored Hematite's noise, focused completely on his pearly-whites. She seemed strangely mesmerized by them, and forced his mouth open. Glancing around, she pursed her lips with bewilderment.

"Oooooh!" she hummed out, lifting one of her hands from his bottom jaw. She seemed utterly undeterred by what most gems would see as a death trap. Gradually, she moved her hand forward, looking up at the roof of his mouth. Then she glanced around at his molars, pressing her hand against his tongue. Awe and fascination overtook her to the point where she didn't even realize she was leaning further in. "This is so awesome! You have teeth kinda like White's! They're so sharp!" she called out in awe.

–

 _Please, nobody walk over here right now,_ Hema thought to himself in distress.

Hematite's face, aside from his open mouth, was scrunched into a rather distressed look. She'd said she wanted to see his teeth, not his whole mouth! He was glad she seemed to think it was cool and all, but he'd never, ever had a gem near his mouth like this when he wasn't on a job. And yet Blue was acting like this was some normal thing!

Hematite gave a short hum of agreement. He didn't want to risk moving or talking.

 _You're going to hurt her. Don't move, don't breathe, don't let your teeth close._

–

Blue let go of Hematite's teeth completely now, placing her other hand on his tongue. She leaned in further, eyeing the Harvester's impressive set of chompers. It was almost unreal to see them up close, and at such a massive size. To think, at any given point, he could easily bite down and hurt her. But she knew he wouldn't. _She trusted him_. The Diamond smiled widely, and after a few more uncomfortably-long moments, she finally motioned herself back out of his mouth, brushing her hands against the leggings of her pants.

"That was incredible!" Her eyes were gleaming, and it looked like she was could jump up in excitement. Balling her hands into fists, she held her hands beside her and started chuckling joyously. "They're so cool! I see now why they're such a big thing about Harvesters! No pun intended!" she chortled, beaming up at the much larger gem. _That was so worth it._

–

Closing his mouth, Hematite blinked in utter surprise at Blue's reaction. He couldn't understand how she wasn't the least bit off-put by the very thing that Harvesters used to shatter gems. Perhaps _he_ didn't do it personally, when he could avoid it, but still. It wasn't something to go messing around with.

And yet... She was genuinely enthralled with it. Hell, she even seemed _comfortable_ with it. Anyone else would be shaking in their boots, being that close to a Harvester's teeth, but her? This was just some new, exciting thing for her to check out.

Hematite arched a brow and looked away bashfully.

"Naah, they're not that great." He scratched the back of his head with a free hand, a shy smile on his lips as he tried to push away the haunted discomfort in his gut.

–

"Whaaaat?! I think they're amazing! They're so pristine and sharp and, and... well, I think they're great," she said, smiling ear to ear. Crossing her arms, she wore a cocky expression. "I'm glad you let me see 'em, Hema. Thank you!" She looked down to the ground below. It was a long drop, but that, too, didn't seem to even faze her. "Heh, you remind me of White the more I see ya," she said, crouching down and grabbing onto Hema's arm. Casually, she started to climb down the large gem, jumping from his arm to his leg, then back down to the ground. Turning to face him, she stared up at him. "Don't worry, I'll stop botherin' ya, though! I just..." She stopped, chuckling for a second. "Figured I'd take advantage of the chance.~"

–

 _You remind me of White the more I see you._

Hematite watched Blue climb back down to the ground, his brows raised. The faintest bit of color found its way to his cheeks, but he quickly tried to will it away. That comment hit him in a way he didn't quite understand.

"O-oh, you're not bothering me; it's fine." He smiled awkwardly and rubbed the back of his head, the blush finally fading from his face. "I'm just not used to anyone- you know. Not being petrified of this." He pointed at his teeth for a moment and chuckled. "It's..." His fingers gripped at his hair. He glanced to the side, his smile widening for a moment. He seemed almost shy. When he spoke again, his voice was quieter, softer. "I don't know. It's nice to have people around that don't see me as just a Harvester." His hand slid down from his head and gripped at the back of his neck as he looked away, his eyes lidding just slightly. "Sorry. I know that might sound dumb."

–

Blue stepped forward and placed a hand comfortingly on the service gem's leg.

"Heh, it's not dumb, kid, I getcha." She smiled reassuringly. "You might be one, but you're a lot of different things. If ya ask me, neat is one of them." She pointed her finger at him and backed up again, grinning. She hoped that he would at least have a little more confidence in himself after all of this. Not only that; she'd gotten to see something new and exciting, so that was a major plus.

She turned and sighed, looking up to the sky.

"Unfortunately, it's getting to be that hour, though. I really should be heading back to the Diamond Tower," she spoke, a small hint of annoyance in her voice. "I have a lot of work to do tonight and if I don't get it done, White's gonna have my gem..." She chuckled slightly, turning her head a tad. "I think I'm gonna walk home, though, this time! While I'd love to ride on your shoulder again... I think I'd like to stretch my legs."

–

Hematite blinked down at Blue and nodded quietly.

"Right, well, good luck with all your paper-"

The giant gem froze mid-sentence in surprise and stared behind Blue.

"Oh, I'm so sorry; am I interrupting something?" called a soft, friendly voice. The Hematite from the arena was standing, just a little over Blue's height, across the training field. She appeared to be practically standing on her toes, her hands clasped neatly in front of her. There was a bright, but slightly nervous, smile on her face. "I am, aren't I? Apologies, I'll come back later!"

–

Blue spun around, grinning once more.

"Oh, hey! Naaaah, you aren't interrupting. Actually, I gotta get going," she said, running her fingers through her hair. "Did ya need somethin'?" Blue asked, placing her hands on her hips. _Neat, another Hematite!_ She didn't get to see too many around. Since there were so few of them in the first place, actually seeing one was very rare, unless they were reporting to the Diamonds directly for something.

–

The smaller Hematite perked and trotted over to the two, incredibly light on her feet. Hema stared at her, still rubbing his neck.

"I was just wondering if I could borrow Hema here for a little while!" She beamed at the two, looking up at the giant gem before her. "I saw your spar in the arena. You two make such a great team. The crowd seems to love you!"

–

Blue chuckled and looked away for a moment.

"Aw, it's nothin', really! We just like beating each other into the ground!" she said with another impish look. After a moment, she motioned her hand towards Hema. "But yeah, go right ahead! I must be off, though! I've got an awful lot of work to do." She shrugged, sparing them both an awkward glance. "It was good seeing you again, Hema! I'll catch ya later!" Blue waved at them both, then turned to head out. She couldn't help but wonder what all the other Hematites were like. Were they all nice like Hema and this new one?

–

As soon as Blue was out of range, the Hematite turned and smiled up at the giant gem, holding her clasped hands close to her mouth.

"It's so nice to _officially_ meet you, Hema! I know we've kinda run into each other now and then and there was that little spat in the Kindergarten, but I never got to really introduce myself!" She let go of her hands and offered one up to him. "I'm Ti. Mago's told me so much about you!"

Hematite blinked and reached down, shaking Ti's hand with two of his fingers.

"Mago, huh? I'm sure none of those things were 'good', then." He snorted, rolling his eyes. Ti chuckled and brushed her hair aside, away from her face.

"Oh, I wouldn't say that! She actually has a lot of good things to say about you~. She's just a tough nut to crack."

 _Yeah, he'd heard that one before._

"Well, anyways. What did you need me for? I have a job I have to do later tonight..."

"Mm, right! Sorry, I'll try not to keep you long. I was just wondering..." The small Hematite smiled shyly and played with a lock of her hair, looking away slightly. "Well... Mago says you're a skilled fighter. I was wondering if maybe... perhaps-" she looked up at him, her eyes shining. "-You would consider having a little spar?"

Hematite's brows raised, and the service gem blinked in surprise. _First off, Mago called him a skilled fighter...? Secondly..._

"You wanna spar with... me?" he repeated, clearly baffled. "I... kind of have a reputation, you know... my fights can tend to end rather... well. Badly."

Ti giggled at Hema's response and shook her head.

"I know how your spars can be, but that's alright! I think you'll be surprised to see..." A slightly devious smile found its way to the silver-haired gem's face. There was a bright flash of light, and Hema winced, putting his arm over his eyes. The light faded, and the service gem moved his arm. He found himself staring at Ti's knees, the now-huge gem standing over him, tall and proud. She leaned down, her hair falling over her shoulder. Hema leaned back slightly, eyes wide.

The taller gem smiled sweetly and lifted a hand to Hema's chin, tilting his face toward hers.

"…I can hold my own in a fight quite well~."

Hematite swallowed. The faintest bit of color painted his cheeks, and he smiled awkwardly.

"R-right. Well. Uh... Then, sure!"

With a soft gasp of surprise, and a delighted grin, Ti stood up straight, one of her legs lifting slightly off the ground in excitement.

"Excellent! I'll do my best!"

Hematite smiled and stood to his feet, dusting himself off. The color on his cheeks slowly faded as he took a few steps back and shifted into a fighting stance. His weapons appeared in a brilliant flash.

"Alright, Ti, don't hold back!"


	50. Rematch

**Summary: Yellow Diamond challenges Hematite to a spar.**

* * *

Yellow stood nervously behind her office door, staring dead ahead through the thick carbonite. She was anxiously messing with her gloves, pulling at the fabric and obsessively straightening them out. She appeared to be muttering something too quiet to make out _. Right, this was it_. It was time to try something, despite every part of her telling her not to.

As of late, she'd been trying her best to shake what fears she still had of Hematite. They certainly weren't as bad as they used to be, and she was relieved to see that her dreams were no longer plagued with horrendous nightmares. But despite that, the fear was _still there_. It may have subsided slightly, but it was still strong enough for her to notice. Hanging around him made her nervous, even if she tried not to let it show. Hearing about any of his missions or endeavors brought unpleasant feelings to the surface, and she often found herself trying to derail even the most casual conversations the Diamonds brought up about the ivory-haired bodyguard. It wasn't just fear, she still held on to something much deeper. Resentment.

She hated fearing _anything_. She was the gem of courage; how could she be considered courageous if she feared a service gem? Alright, so perhaps he wasn't _just_ a service gem, and even she knew that. He was a harvester. Still, that didn't excuse how she felt. After all, she had faced fusions twice as big as him, and monsters _just_ as mean as her nightmares. And Hematite, since that day in the Sky Arena, had never shown any real signs of meaning her harm. _So why did this still shake her? Why did she still see that_ _ **thing**_ _whenever she looked at Hematite?_

The door slid open, and Yellow stepped out after a brief moment of hesitation. She made her way down the Sky Bridge, heading for White's tower. According to a brief exchange she'd had with her fellow Diamond the previous night, Hematite was free from his missions today. It was time to pay him a visit. No, even more than that... She had something specific in mind that she wanted to ask him. Surely this couldn't be that bad, if things had improved between them.

She stared at the ground blankly as she walked. _Were things getting better, though? It was hard to tell._ She could hope that their brief apology to each other had mended some damage, but even if it had, she still felt some lingering caution when interacting with Hematite. Surely if just sitting around and talking to each other now and then wasn't helping things, maybe _this_ would? _Maybe it would make it worse?_ Regardless of the outcome, she'd do whatever it took to make things right, and to help her fears subside once and for all. Or, at least, she'd be able to say she _tried_.

It took an hour or so to get to White's tower. She stared up at the windows that dotted the side of the tower, shining brightly in the fading light. Yellow pursed her lips, wondering what was going on inside the huge structure. The Diamond's steady steps echoed coldly against the polished marble stone as she crossed the threshold between the Sky Bridge and the inside hall leading to White's office. She took a deep breath, stopping in front of the door. She raised her hand to knock, but paused, her knuckles hovering over the metallic surface. Blinking, she stared at the door, her brows furrowing. Maybe he wasn't here. What if he said no? Or worse… what if he said yes, and this whole thing went south? Yellow frowned at herself and shook her head, lifting her hand over the door once more. No, she had to try. She had nothing better to do today anyway.

 _Knock knock knock!_

–

"And so this thing gets tangled up in my hair, I'm still holding up two Peridots in one hand, a gem copy in the other, who is, by the way, NOT happy to be held up, and-" Hematite stopped midsentence, his arms still up in front of him rather goofily from telling his story. He looked back at the office doors as they started to open, and blinked once or twice, slowly lowering his hands. _Well shoot, I was just getting to the good part._

–

The metallic doors hissed open just in time for the Diamond on the other side to catch the last bit of Hematite's excited storytelling. Yellow raised her brows, looking curiously at the two gems in the room. _Oh, he_ _ **was**_ _here!_ That saved her a lot of trouble, then. White looked up at her fellow Diamond with a warm, fond smile. Though, there was a hint of confused curiosity in her eyes. Yellow pursed her lips and glanced between the two.

"Oh, don't let me stop you!" she said, raising her hands quickly in defense. She walked in, the door closing behind her. White raised up a tea cup at Yellow in greetings.

"Hello Yellow. Hematite here was just telling me about one of his more recent missions. What brings you here?" she asked, taking a sip from her glass. Yellow stood up straight, regaining her professional posture. For a moment, she closed her eyes and lifted a hand to her mouth. She cleared her throat.

"I hope I'm not interrupting. I came to ask Hematite something."

–

Hema's eyes widened subtly as he shifted in his seat.

"N-no, that's fine." Needless to say, Hematite was surprised to see Yellow of all people standing in the doorway. But, that wasn't to say he was displeased. No, quite the opposite. Instead of a sense of dread weighing down his very chest, he felt himself lightly curious as to what Yellow was doing here.

And what it was she wanted to ask him.

The small service gem turned around entirely in his chair, putting his hands on the back of it. However, after a moment, he realized how childish he must have looked, and he hopped down out of his seat, quickly taking a professional stance. He folded his arms behind his back and stepped closer to the gem, stopping in front of her.

"What is it you wanted to ask, Yellow Diamond?" He looked up at her, waiting quietly.

–

She opened her eyes but didn't move her head. Yellow gazed down at the small gem, her eyes as thoughtful and piercing as always. She had the look of a calculating hawk about her, especially with her chin tilted up the way it was. But… after a few seconds, she lowered her head to get a better look at him, her expression softening subtly.

"I am free today, but my Pearl is off running some errands... I was wondering if you, ah. Hm..." She paused, turning her gaze away as she picked at the wrist of her glove. _No, not now... Just say it._ _At least there's a chance he'll say no._ "Would you like to... well, spar with me?" She looked away quickly, biting the inside of her lip. White's eyes widened, but she promptly turned in her seat to face the window instead of saying anything. _Well… Oh dear. That certainly wasn't she was expecting._

–

 _ **Spar**_

 _Hah. So she's still calling them that, is she?_

"..." Hematite's expression fell slightly, to something far less readable. His fingers brushed together behind his back. One of his feet shifted. "I. Mm." The small service gem quickly cleared his throat and stood straighter, a forced smile on his face.

 _So it begins again._

"As you wish, Yellow Diamond."

–

Yellow's eyes widened suddenly. She looked surprised for a brief moment. Bewildered, she cleared her throat again and gave Hematite a nod, regaining her professional demeanor.

"Right! I'm glad to hear it. Shall we depart, then?" she asked, glancing up at White, who was still turned in her chair.

–

Hematite's forced smile widened slightly, and he gave a curt nod. The corner of his mouth twitched.

"Lead the way."

–

White turned in her chair, standing up suddenly as Yellow started to move towards the door.

"Wait."

Yellow stopped, her breathing pausing. White took a single step forward from behind her desk, narrowing her eyes at the two.

"Would you... like me to come with you?" she asked, looking a little concerned. Yellow considered it for a moment. She took a deep breath, a frown crossing her face.

"No, thank you, White. With all due respect, I'd like this to be a private match," she said, turning to the door again. "Come along then, Hematite."

–

Hema stiffened.

 _Private match._ _ **It really**_ **is** _**starting all over again.**_

The moment Yellow turned to the door, the service gem looked back at White Diamond over his shoulder. Only half of his face was visible, but his expression was clear as day. His brows were raised, mouth slightly parted, eyes wide. His lower lip trembled, a frightened expression crossing his face before he turned forward again. White and Yellow were equals. She couldn't make Yellow cancel this match; he'd already agreed to it. And he already regretted it.

There was no helping him.

Closing his eyes, Hematite clutched his fingers together tightly behind his back, following stiffly after Yellow Diamond, his head hung slightly.

–

White gave Hematite an encouraging nod. If Yellow pulled anything, she'd see to it herself that she'd be get an earful from her later. Alas, if Yellow didn't want her to come, she wasn't going to disrespect her wishes... even if she really felt she needed to go with them. She'd have to trust her on this one.

The warm-colored Diamond stepped down the hallway, not even turning to make sure Hematite was following. Her posture was stiff, her steps measured.

–

The small service gem trailed after his yellow superior, giving her back a glance every once in a while. He didn't like this. Why, after over a year... why would she challenge him again? He never wanted to 'spar' with her again. He didn't want to belittling to continue...

 _He couldn't handle being called 'nothing' again._

Hematite stayed silent. He didn't want to say anything that could put Yellow in a sour mood, and he certainly didn't want to question her.

 _Just... do your best. Don't anger her. Don't let yourself pass out. You'll be okay..._ _ **it'll be okay. Right?**_

–

After a few long minutes of silence from the both of them, Yellow raised a brow, glancing off to the side. She could hear Hematite's footsteps softly following behind her. Looking back ahead, she left a soft sigh escape her, expression looking blank and distant.

"You know, I half expected you to decline," she said, neither turning nor slowing down.

–

Hematite looked up sharply at Yellow's comment. He arched a brow and looked away again, nervous.

"... Why would I decline? If a Diamond asks to spar, it would be. Rude. To refuse," he said slowly, his words careful and hesitant.

–

Yellow didn't stop, nor did her posture change. But, what Hematite couldn't see was her gaze drifting down slightly. She frowned, furrowing her brows.

"No... It wouldn't be rude. It would be understandable," she said simply, looking back up.

–

The service gem was rendered speechless. He turned his attention back to Yellow, eyes wide. His steps faltered for a moment, but quickly returned to normal. _Understandable?_ Since when did she understand anything about him? _Or, was that not what she meant?_

Fidgeting behind his back, Hematite frowned.

–

Sighing, Yellow looked ahead. They both went quiet again. The two of them, in their silence, made haste towards the center warp that lay in the middle of the Diamond Towers. They still had a little ways to go before they got to their destination. Suddenly, the Diamond broke the silent pause after a few more long mintues.

"We've never had a _spar_ before, Hematite. Let's be honest. Those weren't spars. Those were... well, I'm not sure what to call them." She paused again, moving her hands closer together as she walked.

"I believe it's time I had one of my _real_ spars with you. At the very least, you deserve that much."

–

 _I think 'slaughter' is the word you're looking for,_ Hema thought to himself, frowning as he looked off to the side.

"... And may I venture to ask what constitutes a 'spar?'" he asked as politely as he could. He wasn't sure he wanted the answer, and he wasn't sure he wanted to know what she meant by him 'deserving' it. Did it mean she was going to be tougher on him? Was it referring to the way she handled him? Would he be facing her in hand-to hand combat? A wave of different worrying thoughts overcame him in his anxious state.

–

"You'll find out when we get there," she responded, straightening up and clasping her palms together. She hoped this whole thing would go just as she'd planned.

–

 _He was afraid of that._ Hema looked down at the floor, a mildly pained look crossing his face.

"Yes, ma'am," he replied quietly.

No more than a quarter of an hour later, Hematite stepped onto the warp pad beside Yellow, his hands still tightly clasped behind his back. He turned forward, his expression unreadable.

–

Yellow stood in the exact same pose, but kept her head held high. _Right, if she was going to do this, she had to put on a brave face, no matter what sort of doubts she had about the outcome._ With a bright flash of light, the warp pad activated and sent the two gems towards the Sky Arena. Upon their abrupt arrival, Yellow was pleased to notice how quiet it was. _Good_. Her request to close the Sky Arena hadn't gone unheeded, it seemed. Looking down at Hematite, she gave a quick nod of her head, gesturing for him to step off of the warp pad.

–

Hematite looked up at her for a moment without moving his head before he stepped off the warp. He forced himself to stop fidgeting, now that she could see behind his back. He took a few steps away before he stopped and turned to her, waiting.

–

Yellow stepped swiftly off of the warp pad and made her way for the entrance of the arena. Taking another deep breath, she closed her eyes for a few steps. She felt strangely _numb_. She knew deep down that this wouldn't be easy. As she made her way through the archway, she found her footsteps meeting the slick marblestone flooring of the arena instead of the courser ground of the entrance. Her gaze quickly lifted to the empty, warmly-lit arena around her. Remembrance flashed through her eyes, and her teeth grit together subtly. A sharp inhale rushed through her teeth, and her hair stood up on the nape of her neck. The last time she was here, she was with Hematite as well. The last time she had a spar with him, well... _She refused to think about it…_ but the mind is a fickle thing. If one gives it even the briefest escape to the often unpredictable realm of memory, it's hard to escape.

 _Fear._ Her anxiety spiked up, much to her displeasure. Her head rung with distant crashes of thunder, her eyes ached at the memory of the flashing lightning. The cries of the panicked, screaming crowd slowly overtook her mind. And, though there was nary a soul in the arena seats… she could have sworn she saw the faces of her distressed citizens crying out for Hematite to stop attacking her, to leave her alone… to spare her. Yellow's lips drew into a tight line, and she felt a dull, but familiar dread start to rise within her. She tried to conceal it, she tried to make it go away, but it didn't work well. She frowned and closed her eyes.

 _That was then, and this is now. Things will be different this time._

 _Things will be_ _ **better**_ _._

–

Hematite followed slowly after Yellow, his footsteps falling behind as they neared the archway leading into the Sky Arena. He stopped.

The service gem was left staring at the floor near the archway. Faint scuff marks were still present in the marble tile near the exit, left there by the large piece of rubble he had placed to keep the arena guards out of his way over a year ago. He hadn't been here since. He'd never wanted to come back here. This was the place he'd lost it. The Sky Arena held nothing but bad memories for him.

It was a place of humiliation, anger, hatred, grudges, distrust. He wanted nothing to do with it. And now, here he was again. The cycle was going to restart.

And there was no-one around to witness it.

–

Yellow stepped forward, stretching her arms out forward. Placing a hand to her gem, she turned to face Hematite, standing tall and proud. She looked professional, determined, and fierce. But, little did Hematite know… it was merely a façade this time.

"Whenever you are ready."

–

The service gem finally tore his attention away from the marble floor, and he finished stepping into the arena, a little distance in front of Yellow. Hematite looked up at her, tense. He quickly looked away, an unreadable expression on his face. Suddenly, it turned to something akin to resentment despite him trying to hide it, and he closed his eyes, sighing. His gemstone began to glow. The service gem took a couple steps back as his body began to brightly gleam, and his form shifted up. But he didn't take one of his giant forms. No, he stopped soon after he began shifting, and his body ceased glowing in turn. He'd only changed himself to match Yellow's height.

His expression was far more calm and serious when he turned to her again, and he held his fists up in front of him, his knuckle dusters sparking into existence. His brows were furrowed, eyes tired, lips drawn into a tight line.

 _Let's get this over with._

–

Yellow felt a faint spike of suspicion and near panic flare up in her core at the sight of Hematite shifting up, but she managed to hide it well. Swallowing thickly, she gave him a nod, her gem glowing. From her gemstone, she pulled out one of her swords and looked it over quietly. She hadn't had to use this in over a year. Swiping it around in her normal array of showmanship, she stopped with a graceful point towards him. Her eyes narrowed, fixated upon her opponent.

 _ **Be brave.**_

–

Hematite tensed visibly, his eyes widening. He pulled his fists closer to him, but swallowed, forcing himself to stand his ground. _Don't let this end like some of your other fights. Don't give in._

He wanted so badly to call the entire ordeal. He wanted to run. He wanted nothing to do with Yellow in the arena. But he couldn't give her a reason to degrade him. He refused to give her an excuse to go back to talk down to him.

 _ **Show some courage.**_

–

Yellow stood poised to strike, holding her sword up with one hand. She crouched low, her other hand behind her back. She never took her eyes off of him, moving around to the side slowly. Strangely, she made no move to attack.

–

Hematite frowned and started circling the opposite direction, keeping himself directly across from her at all times. He didn't like this. He didn't want to make the first move. _He never did._ But if Yellow wasn't going to do anything, maybe he should take advantage of the opening?

Slowly, the service gem took a step back. Suddenly, he shot forward, going in for a direct jab before he stepped back, faking her out. However, it was a clumsy and nervous move, and he stumbled slightly, his coordination greatly impaired by his unfocused state.

–

Yellow flung herself out of the way with one gracefully swift movement. She raised a brow curiously. Then, after landing, she rushed forward herself, a rather bold move. However, she too faltered when she got close enough to meet Hema's eyes. She stiffened subtly, stumbling a little and darting back once more. She held her sword up in front of her defensively. She hadn't even done anything significant yet, nor had Hematite landed a hit, but the memories came flooding back to her all the same. Bad memories. _Lots of them_. She had to do something. Something besides this awkward dance of nervous advancements.

With another quick movement, she skirted to the side again and went for another attempt to close in.

–

Hematite glanced at Yellow, his teeth gritted, and skirted back, away from her. He'd seen the moment of hesitation. She'd never done that in a spar before.

The service gem's eyes widened, and he tensed as his superior closed the distance between them. He ducked down and made a go to sweep her legs out from under her. It was a risky move, but maybe if she was already stumbling, he could catch her off-guard.

–

Unfortunately for Hematite, Yellow's reactions were at an all time high. She was on-edge and expectant, ready for anything to go wrong at any point. She leaped up in the air well above the service gem, landing skillfully on her feet behind him. As she landed, she delivered a swift punch to his back.

 _She'd made the first hit._

Grasping her sword tightly, she darted back again, eyes widening. She'd gotten _one_ hit in at least, but she had no idea how he was going to react or how he'd counter her. Once again, she stood ready, her sword pointing towards him, stance wide.

–

Hematite inhaled sharply through his teeth as Yellow hit him between the shoulder blades, and he stumbled forward, turning to her quickly. He lifted his fists up in defense, but he made no move to advance toward her. He made no move to attack. The service gem stepped back, his anxiety clear as day on his face. _He couldn't hide it like she could._

–

Yellow paused, staring at him. They were both in an awkward, unmoving stalemate. The Diamond wanted to keep this spar going, she wanted them to actually make some progress. But she couldn't fight a gem that wouldn't fight back. She _wouldn't_ fight him if he didn't fight back.

Suddenly, Yellow let her sword dissipate into sparkling dust. Slowly, she held both of her fists in front of her, mirroring Hematite's stance. She watched him intently, taking a step back.

–

The service gem blinked in surprise, his stance relaxing slightly. He stopped stepping backwards.

Furrowing his brows, Hematite frowned in confusion, but said nothing. He took a step forward. Suddenly, the ivory-haired gem darted a few flighty steps to the side before making a go for the Diamond, his fists sparking with electricity. He tried to land a few quick hits, his eyes never leaving her fists.

–

Yellow kept her eyes on Hematite and blocked each of his jabs. A mildly distressed grimace crossed her face as memories raced through her mind. Without thinking, she darted back and skirted around the service gem, sweeping her leg under his feet to try and knock him over.

–

Thankful that he'd kept his eyes peeled, Hematite just barely dodged his superior's attack and leapt over her leg. He spun around on her, his eyes widening. He had a clear shot. He could easily kick her aside, or land a rather nasty blow to her arm. But he hesitated.

Taking a few quick steps back, he frowned, holding his fists up. Swallowing, he narrowed his eyes nervously, waiting for her to come to him.

–

Yellow regained her normal stance quickly, putting her fists back up. She narrowed her eyes again, her hands sparkling with electricity. _Maybe_ _ **this**_ _would get him to move more._ Advancing again, she moved in a zig-zag pattern, quickly bounding side to side and closing in fast.

–

Hematite inhaled sharply through his teeth as Yellow closed in. He fled back at a much quicker rate than before, his own fists suddenly sparking with electricity. He knew his attacks had little to no effect on her, but it gave him some false sense of security.

And it suddenly gave him an _idea_.

Eyes wide, Hematite frowned and quickly flicked his hands to the side, his lightning whips fizzling to life. Without warning, he launched toward his opponent, lashing out one of the whips at her feet, the other one readied.

–

To say the least, Yellow hadn't quite expected the whips. _Right, she forgot about those!_ With a sharp gasp, Yellow skidded to a halt, and the whip made contact with her ankle, wrapping around it. Electricity coursed through her, and while it didn't exactly hurt, it didn't feel very _pleasant_ either. It did, however, stun her in her tracks for just a moment. She took a quick step back, tugging at the weapon that clung to her, but it didn't let go.

She froze, another pang of anxiety striking through her. Yellow suddenly remembered the strings from her nightmare some months ago, and a cold wave of dread swelled in her chest. She couldn't move.

–

Hematite didn't stop.

His entire form was tense, all his flight instincts telling him to get Yellow out of the way so he could _run_. With a grunt of effort, the service gem tugged sharply on the whip, tossing Yellow to the side with a mighty heave.

–

Yellow yelled out in surprise as she was flung across the arena a fair distance, tumbling onto the ground. She landed on her arm, rolling over and shaking her head. The force of the impact knocked her out of her senses for a moment. Slowly, she stood, raising her head to face Hematite. Her expression seemed... completely blank.

–

He froze.

Eyes wide, Hematite stood up, his hands held in front of him. He'd crossed the line. He'd angered her. His weapons suddenly fizzled away in a shower of sparks. Hematite took a step back, not taking his eyes off of the Diamond standing some distance from him. When he managed to speak, his voice was soft and small, breathless with apprehension.

"I-I'm sorry... I didn't mean to."

–

A long pause followed. At first, it seemed as though Yellow hadn't even heard the service gem. She looked entirely unfazed. Then, she _smirked_ , narrowing her eyes with her old, fierce determination she usually wore. But this time, there was something new there. Something other than _malice_...

"Didn't mean to? Well that's a shame, it was a good move!" She swiftly brought her hands up again, fists alight with electricity.

–

 _What?_

Wincing, Hematite reflexively balled his hands up into fists, his weapons quickly reappearing. He didn't want to fight her. _This could only end badly!_

But... She had just paid him some.. sort of praise. _Hadn't she?_

The service gem took a few steps back and flicked one wrist to the side, preparing a whip.

–

Yellow kept her eye on the whip this time, her speed picking up as she made a run for him. She did, however, keep a short distance away. With a loud crack, Yellow struck the ground next to Hematite with a bolt of lighting she shot from her arm. Hematite yelped and clumsily dodged the strike, only having a split second to see where it was going. The service gem's balance was knocked off, and instead of focusing on getting away, he seemed to concentrate on regaining his footing. Yellow narrowed her eyes.

"Be swift, like the lightning!" she called out, turning sharply and skidding across the marble stone floor. She furrowed her brows, a dark grin spreading across her face. "Be strong, like a Diamond."

She lunged forward, her entire body alight with electricity. She moved unnervingly fast, and she reeled her arm back, going for another direct, stronger hit.

–

Hematite foolishly kept his eyes on his feet to try and avoid tripping. By the time he lifted his eyes to look at his opponent, she was closing in fast, her fist reeled back, a dark grin on her face. Hema's entire world went quiet. Time seemed to slow down as Yellow's voice echoed through his head.

 _What's wrong?_

Hematite's eyes widened, and the arena around him suddenly darkened, and he found the arena around him suddenly filled with the sounds of a jeering crowd.

 _Why won't you fight now?_

Despite not being struck, Hematite felt a sharp phantom pain in his abdomen, again... and again.

 _ **Are you scared?**_

He froze in place, completely open for the Diamond's attack.

 _ **FACE ME, YOU COWARD!**_

–

Yellow swung her fist forward, her smile fading. Just before she made impact with him, she unclenched her fist and forced her palm against his chest. That strike alone was enough to knock him back, but it was nothing compared to her fist. The electricity fizzled away, and Yellow leapt back as soon as she made contact with him. While she was pleased she'd landed another hit, she was a little confused as to why he'd stood still for so long.

–

The service gem winced and stumbled backwards, clumsily losing his footing. Yellow's lightning coursed through him, making him tense up involuntarily, despite it not hurting terribly. However, his nerves were shot, and he couldn't regain his footing. He fell onto his back. And, oddly, despite Yellow standing her ground and not going for him again... he made no attempt to stand.

Hematite sat up, his expression unreadable. His clawed fingers clutched at the tile as he stared ahead at nothing in particular. The smallest trace of tears pricked at his eyes, barely visible. The service gem grimaced in anxious distress. Everything about his expression, his body language, his entire demeanor, said one thing.

 _I don't want to do this anymore._

–

Yellow stopped, placing a palm on her hip. Pursing her lips, she paused and stared across the way at the downed service gem. A chill breeze drifted through the battered Sky arena, sending small, lonely clouds of dust across the tiled floor. Wisps of sunset-stained clouds drifted over the horizon and through the very arena itself. They were so close, one could reach out and touch them. The cool gust disturbed Yellow Diamond's hair, and she lightly ran her fingers through the tuft at the side of her cheek. She gazed down at Hematite, suddenly taking slow steps toward him. Her footfall echoed through the Sky Arena. Yellow didn't understand Hematite's body language very well yet, but despite that... she could tell something was wrong.

She stopped in front of him, standing quietly. Her expression betrayed nothing, nor did her stance. She stood tall and proud as always, gazing down at her reclined opponent.

–

Hematite looked up at her, freezing in place. Despite being the same size as the Diamond, the very sight of her towering over him made him feel as though he were shrinking where he lay. He felt so small, so defenseless. He stared at her with wide eyes, managing to swallow weakly. _What was she going to do? Attack him? Kick him while he was down? Berate him, call him a failure or a disappointment?_ Hematite trembled subtly. The service gem waited with bated breath, bracing for whatever was coming.

–

Yellow gazed down at him, her eyes thoughtful, yet guarded. She didn't smile, nor did she frown. No, instead, she merely shifted her stance and leaned over. And then, without so much as a word...

She held out her hand.

–

Hematite winced as his superior reached out her hand, and he waited to be struck. But no attack followed. The ivory-haired gem opened his eyes and blinked at Yellow, his brows raising as he glanced between her face and her hand.

–

"Come on, you can't be done now. You were doing so well, and I still have much to teach you," she said calmly.

Then she smiled.

Not only was she smiling, it seemed _genuine_. There was no sarcasm to her expression, no forced stiffness. It almost looked unnatural. Never before had she let herself look like this around Hematite, in all his years of working for White. But she was determined to change that.

–

Brows raised, Hematite stared, in shock. Yellow Diamond. _Smiling_. No, not only that, she wasn't making any moves to attack him while he was down, nor was she taking her chance to talk down to him. It wasn't a trick, and it wasn't faked; unless of course Yellow was suddenly a very skilled actress. Hema had never seen that, not with the funny stories he'd tried to tell her, or the jokes Blue would crack, or even things like Yellow's Pearl tripping and kvetching about the floors being uneven. That always made _him_ laugh, at least. But Yellow had never so much as cracked more than a malicious smirk or a furious grin around him. Hematite paused, a soft breeze disturbing his hair as he gazed at his superior's extended hand.

The service gem's weapons vanished, and Hematite cautiously lifted an arm, taking Yellow's hand as he lifted himself off the ground.

"Y-you." He stared at her, utterly bewildered. "You want to _teach_ _**me?**_ _"_ he asked, glancing away. His brows furrowed together faintly as her words from their first spar stung him to his very core.

 _Why don't you teach me?_

 _ **You don't deserve it.**_

–

The Diamond glanced away for a second, eyes half lidded. Her smile faded just slightly, but it was still there nonetheless.

"Yes," she said simply, looking back at the service gem. Placing her hands behind her back and standing tall once more, she took a single step away from the gem before her. "That is... if you would like to give me that opportunity." Pausing, she felt her lips press tighter together, brows furrowing faintly for a brief moment. "I believe you... deserve it."

–

Hematite felt his chest tighten, and his breathing hitched for a moment.

"... I-I'd." The service gem cleared his throat loudly, trying to cover the waver in his voice. He forced himself to stand a bit taller, a semi-professional air returning to him. However, he couldn't keep eyes from shining. "I'd be more than happy... to learn whatever you can teach me, Yellow Diamond."

–

Yellow's brows raised. _He was willing to give her another chance_. With a soft, sharp exhale, she stood a little taller. A faint, unexpected warmth spread through the Diamond's chest.

"Excellent!" she said, her smile widening. Motioning her palm to her gem, it flickered momentarily and from it, she pulled another sword. She clicked its tip to the ground. Her eyes widened, a much more serious expression befalling her. Inhaling sharply, she stood tall, stance widening subtly. "Stand proud! Stand ready!"

–

The service gem felt the smallest smile cross his face, and he took a deep, steadying breath, quickly exhaling through his nose. Shifting to his usual fighting stance, the ivory-haired gem furrowed his brows, his smile widening slightly in anticipation.

She was acting different.

She hadn't made a single snide comment.

No, instead, she was _encouraging_ him. She wanted to teach him, to make him a better gem.

Hematite's knuckle dusters appeared. He gave Yellow a quick nod that he was ready.

His anxiety vanished, replaced with a cautious sense of excitement.

Hematite was ready for her this time.

This spar was going to be different.

 _He could feel it._

–

Yellow skipped back a few paces, holding her sword in front of her. Narrowing her eyes, she tilted her chin up.

"First rule! Never take your eyes off of your opponent, no matter what." She dashed to the side at lightning speed, sparks trailing behind her blurred form. She stopped to his left, the electricity fizzling away. She now stood a little closer. Then she did it again, this time running over to his other side with unnatural speed. She was closer that time as well. "Be prepared for anything. If you so much as blink..." Once more she dashed around, but this time she seemed to disappear completely. Without warning, her voice sounded behind Hematite, loud and clear. "Your enemy could be upon you."

–

The service gem tried to keep his eyes on Yellow as she skirted around him, but she was far too quick, and he wasn't as alert as he should have been. The hair on the back of his neck stood on end as Yellow's voice appeared behind him, and he whirled around, taking a step back in the process.

–

Yellow stood with her sword pointed towards Hematite, inches from his body before he backed up. She didn't move to make contact with him, however. Eyes narrowed, she clicked her sword to the ground again and darted back.

"Second rule! If you wish to make any progress, you _must_ make some sort of offensive move. Your opponent won't fall unless you _make_ them! You _could_ tire them out by dodging them, but you cannot manage that forever." She stood completely still, swinging her sword up in a diagonal position, as if guarding with it.

–

Hematite frowned slightly. Alright, time to venture a question, even if every part of him told him not to speak up.

"What do you do if you're faced with an opponent with a ranged weapon?" He motioned to his knuckledusters. "These are rather limiting." As soon as he asked his question, he started to advance, though he didn't go all-out as he went in for a quick jab. He knew she'd be able to block it, and it didn't seem like he was really trying to hit her.

–

Yellow smirked and blocked his attack, her sword glancing off his knuckledusters. Crouching low quickly, she bound just past Hematite, now behind him. She swung her sword out, facing towards him.

"Good question. A ranged fighter who relies on distance is usually vulnerable when fighting in close combat. Therefore, you must get close _quickly_. Try to disorient them!" She suddenly lunged forward, electricity swirling around her blade. Swinging the sword, she shot out a massive bolt of lightning towards Hematite, but it missed. Considering how close she was, it was clearly on purpose, as if for demonstrating her point. "They might be able to hit you, but if you are close enough and keep attacking, it can throw them and their aim off. An archer can only do so much in hand-to-hand combat."

–

Hematite spun on his heel again, stumbling back a step as Yellow dodged behind him. As soon as he regained his footing, he glanced at the shot of lightning that'd missed him, seemingly distracted by it. His body seemed rather relaxed, all things considered. He started to turn his head, as if he was going to return to his previous position or as if still distracted by the missed shot of lightning. But instead, he turned on a dime and shot forward, closing the distance between himself and Yellow in an instant. He went in for a direct punch to her abdomen, his eyes filled with a fierce light. Yellow's eyes widened, but she had little to no time to respond quick enough, and took the full brunt of the hit.

–

Stumbling back, the Diamond gripped her sword tighter, coughing. Despite having taken a sharp hit, she looked up at him with an unwavering, confident grin.

"Good. Now do that again!" She swiped her sword up and waited for him to advance, though this time she returned to a defensive stance.

–

The service gem finally broke a bright, genuine smile. His brows furrowed as he closed the distance between them again, his jabs far more aggressive, but still measured. He wasn't trying to land a hit this time, but he also wasn't giving her any easy guards. He kept his eyes on her, his gaze flicking between her feet, her sword, and her own eyes.

–

Yellow smirked, thrusting the side of her sword forward and blocking Hematite's first initial hits. The metallic weapons clanged off of each other with bright sparks, ringing clearly throughout the arena. Yellow kept her eyes on Hematite, easily blocking his strikes with her sword. She held one hand behind her back, making measured, practiced strides away from the service gem.

"Rule number three! The same tactic won't work forever. Be clever, be sharp of wit, and think on your feet." Swiftly, Yellow ducked low and rolled forward quickly, turning to deliver a swift kick to his back.

–

Hematite smirked as well, watching Yellow dodge to the side. In an instant, he dodged back, getting a sharp scuff in the shoulder from Yellow's kick. But the hit he took was worth it. Since he'd kept his eyes on her, he caught where she was rolling to, and his hand flicked to the side, a whip snapping from his hand. The string of energy crackled aggressively, the electricity coursing quickly up the service gem's arm. As her foot started to come back down to the ground, Hematite snapped the whip toward her leg, grabbing onto her ankle. However, this time he didn't chuck her to the side. He pulled her toward him and landed another blow to her stomach, though it was far less aggressive this time.

–

Yellow stumbled again, but not quite as ungracefully as before. Her grin widened, and she glared fiercely at the ivory-haired gem.

"Excellent! You're a quick learner. That will be valuable to you," she praised. Tossing her sword up in a showy manner, Yellow watched the sword spin around in a circle before catching it upright again. Her eyes narrowed once more, and she motioned her sword out to the front. She started to jab at the air around Hematite and step forward rhythmically, eyes fixated on her opponent. She was poised in such a way that she could dodge at any given time, ready for another attack. Still, she advanced, getting closer and closer with her sword. The closer she got, the quicker her steps became.

The sky overhead was strangely clear. A few clouds floated by, but that was the extent of it. There were no dark clouds, no lightning storms, nothing out of the ordinary. Both of the fighters in the Sky Arena were in a calm, mutual synchronization.

–

Hematite smiled again at his superior's words of praise, and he stepped back as she advanced, blocking her attacks with his knuckledusters. Sparks flew, metal met metal, and he skillfully dodged each attack, his old training from Celestite serving him well. However, as Yellow continued, Hematite's smile faded.

 _No, it's fine. She's just training you._

The pattern of attacks was all too familiar. Certainly, there were none of the condescending sneers or biting remarks, and he knew deep down that he was in no physical danger... But muscle memory is a _**powerful**_ thing.

As Yellow's attacks quickened, Hematite's blocks became stiffer, more erratic. Remembrance flashed across his face.

 _ **You are predictable.**_

 _ **Pathetic!**_

 _ **You're small. Weak.**_

Hematite visibly grimaced, trying to force the haunting words out of his mind. To Yellow, it probably just seemed like he was getting tired. Perhaps the nick to his shoulder was effecting him.

–

With one swift movement, she thrust her sword sharply towards him, past his hands. The sword rested inches in front of Hematite's chest, and she stopped taking steps forward.

"If you find yourself being overwhelmed, you can always flee. Sometimes, a fight isn't worth fighting." She retracted her sword and stepped back casually, tapping the end to the marble stone floor. "Depending on the fight, that is..." She paused, her face expressionless. Raising a brow, she looked to the service gem and observed the way he stood with sharp, watchful yellow eyes. "If you're tired, we can stop anytime."

–

Hematite was breathing heavily, frozen in place. As soon as Yellow backed off, however, he relaxed slightly. His eyes were wide, though, and there was the faintest trace of terror in them. The service gem shut his eyes and took a deep breath, stepping backwards, dropping his fists. There was a trace of sweat on his brow.

"I think that's a good idea," he said softly. His weapons fizzled away in a show of sparks, and the ivory haired gem winced, holding his shoulder.

–

Yellow followed his motion, her gem glowing brightly. However, instead of poofing her weapon away, she actually placed it into the gem much like a warrior sheathing a sword. She took a step forward, her hands folded neatly behind her back. There were a few silent moments that followed. Yellow's professional stance remained steady despite her having a few scuffs herself. With a neutral expression, she offered a quick bow to the service gem before standing up straight once more.

"You did well. White would be proud."

–

Hematite blinked and watched Yellow's polite bow, and he returned it, albeit a bit awkwardly. He stood straight and blinked in surprise.

"... Thank you," he replied, looking a little caught off-guard. The tiniest smile crossed his face. The service gem felt the faintest swell of satisfaction at Yellow's praise, but something in the back of his mind made his smile falter.

 _I know White's proud... but.. What about_ _ **you?**_

Hema cleared his throat and rubbed his thumb into his shoulder, glancing at it with a frown. He tried to set aside the discomforting thoughts. Praise was praise, after all. He rolled his arm slightly.

"Got me harder than I thought, hah. Guess I'm a bit rusty. I forgot how hard you could hit."

–

Yellow shrugged a single shoulder, closing her eyes.

"Can't say I'm much better really, I haven't sparred in over a year. These are good for keeping you on your toes, keeping your skills in check. I haven't even had a decent _fight_ in a while." She opened her eyes slightly, glancing off to the side. A soft breeze passed through, brushing her messied hair over her face. Reaching up to smooth it back out, she started for the archway behind Hematite. "You should get some rest, you did well today. If you'd ever like to spar again..." She spared a glance back, stopping just shy of him. "Don't be afraid to ask."

–

Hematite watched Yellow intently, his expression open, but unreadable at the same time. He clutched at the fabric on his sleeve, ever so slightly.

"... Right. I'll keep it in mind." The smallest of warm smiles crossed the service gem's face.

–

Yellow returned the smile as well, but turned quickly back to the entrance before the other could get a good look at her face. She continued walking, the world around her becoming silent.

She did it. A wave of relief washed over her, her shoulders hanging low. She took a deep breath, sighing heavily. Passing through the entrance way, she looked down to the ground as she walked, spotting the scuffs in the floor. To her surprise, she felt no prickle of anxiety at the sight of the old scars to the marble stone, despite what it reminded her of. _Had... had this actually worked?_ Yellow raised a brow and smiled to herself, looking baffled, but pleased.

She was glad that White wasn't around. If White had come with them, Hematite may have thought that she only said and did the things she did because she was being watched by someone. No, Yellow wanted to make a point. She wanted him to know that she wasn't doing what she did here today because someone made her, or to put on a show. This wasn't for anyone else. This wasn't to get in good favor with White, like her closure with General Topaz had been during the incident with Diaspore. All this was for him and her alone. For their sakes, for their... relationship. However small and budding it may have been.

She felt pleased that things went as smoothly as they did, however awkward they'd been at first. Maybe now Hematite would be able to see her in a different light. He could have been acting, he could have pretended to enjoy any part of that spar... but Yellow had seen his false smile before. She knew what it looked like. Deep down, she had a feeling that even if he was still wary of her, something about this outing had done some good for him. If nothing else, she could already tell it'd done some good for _her_.

 _Maybe now, at last, things really would get better._

–

Hematite watched Yellow Diamond leave, and as soon as the bright blue gleam from the warp pad faded, he turned fully to the exit of the arena. He crossed his arms, his hands clutching at his sleeves. A cool breeze whispered through the Sky Arena, carrying small wisps of clouds along with it. The sunset-painted sky dyed the Sky Arena a gentle shade of pink, casting soft shadows through the empty stands. Even the half-destroyed edges of the end of the fighting grounds seemed softened by the warm light.

Despite the chill wind that blew through the Sky Arena, Hematite felt... oddly warm. It was faint, and it was cautious, but it was there.

He smiled.

For the first time after a spar with Yellow... he felt something.

No, he felt _like_ something.

He didn't feel empty, numb, hurt. Sure, his shoulder was aching, but it was overshadowed by a strong sense of pride. Hematite smiled wider and held himself tightly, the softest hum of contentment escaping him.

 _He was glad he'd said 'yes'._


	51. Small Talk

**Summary: Hematite hides somewhere he shouldn't have.**

* * *

Twilight had fallen over Homeworld's capital. Stars twinkled overhead in a bright, clear sky. There wasn't a cloud to be seen this evening, not even over the Yellow District. It was quite the refreshing sight. Surely tonight was one for relaxing, kicking back, and watching the stars.

"OUTTA MY WAYYY!"

A few gems started in surprise at the rather panicked yell, and looked around. There didn't seem to be a source.

Well, not at first.

Until a tiny, ivory-haired gem sprinted between two passing gems, not even caring how close he was to them.

Hematite was bolting down the slanted sidewalk, making his rapid way down a hillside street in the Blue District. Behind him, snapping its rather sharp-looking beak, was a bird-like gem monster. The tiny service gem glanced back, his hair standing on end when he saw how close the creature was to him. He let out a rather unflattering shriek, sprinting down the street at an alarming speed. The corrupted gem swooped back up into the air, keeping a close eye on Hematite before it made another dive for him.

 **SNAP!**

Hematite yelped at the sound of clacking talons directly behind him, and he pushed himself to run faster. If he could just find a hiding place, somewhere that was safer than outside!

Hema looked up. He could see the Blue Diamond tower in the distance; normally, it'd only be about a ten minute walk from where he was...

But at this size, he'd be dodging the creature on his heels for another thirty minutes, at least.

Teeth gritted, eyes wide, Hematite looked around, trying to place where he was as he ran. He hadn't been to this part of the city while he was small, and everything looked so different from the new perspective.

But then he heard the familiar, muffled sounds of dance music.

Dodging the creature as it dove for him again, Hematite rolled around a building corner, looking down the next street.

 _Morgan's bar!_

Hematite sprinted toward the building, startling a few civilians that were making their way down the street. Many of them gave him odd looks, and one even had to double-take, as if they didn't believe what they'd seen.

However, all the gems jumped aside as the furious, bird-like creature made its way toward Hematite, talons outstretched.

 _Just a little closer!_

Hematite looked up as he neared the club, and he grimaced at the sight of a group of gems standing outside the door. The tiny service gem frowned and steeled himself, sprinting under their feet, dodging to the side as one or two of them shifted, unaware of his presence.

 _Don't look down here don't look down here._

Hema desperately dove in through the doorway, and it closed just after he hit the floor inside the building.

 **WHAM!**

The gem creature slowly slid down the thick glass window, a few feathers falling to the ground as it did so. Well, it certainly wasn't catching its target now.

The birdlike monster shook itself off, angrily flying away from the building as a few gems shooed it away.

Hematite stood plastered against the wall, the muffled pounding of dance music filling his ears.

After a moment, his brows raised, mouth pulled into a rather straight line. He tossed his fists up over his head, taking a sharp breath through his nose.

"Still alive," he whispered, a sense of victory in his tone.

However, his celebration was cut short as the bouncer beside him shifted, turning in his direction. Hematite squeaked quietly and dashed away underneath a decorative lounge chair, out of sight.

–

The bouncer glanced over at the door briefly when she'd heard the creature's impact.

"Tch. Pesky little thing," she grunted, turning back.

A few gems were walking in and out of the club, some dancing around idly in the main part of the bar. It was a particularly busy night, probably the most lively of the week. Morgan was out and about performing the normal routine, except tonight he was a little bit overwhelmed. He didn't show it though, and kept on grinning. After all, it wasn't really anything he wasn't used to.

–

Peeking out from underneath the chair, Hematite bit his lip nervously, eyes wide. Of course it had to be packed tonight...

 _Maybe this wasn't such a good idea..._

A few gems walked by, talking and laughing with each other. The tiny service gem flinched back, hiding in the shadow of the chair. Alright, alright... Maybe if he found a place to hide, or got Morgan's attention, tonight would go smoothly... The question was, which of those options was safer?

As soon as he saw an opening, Hematite slipped out from his hiding place and darted to another one, underneath a table with various gems' belongings on it. He peered out from under the table, trying to see where Morgan was at the moment.

–

The pink-haired warrior was busy tending to the many gems that sat at the bar. There wasn't a single seat that was open, and all of the patrons seemed to be inebriated in some way or another. Humming an upbeat tune, Morgan had a pep in his step that he only seemed to have when he was working hard. Making one drink after another, he kept his focus. He took a glass now filled with an unusually-colored liquid and slid it down to a gem at the corner of the counter.

–

Hematite frowned. _Great... there's no opening that way._ He'd be spotted for sure, and not by the right person, more than likely. And the last thing he wanted was someone getting ahold of him like this while they were drunk. Biting his lip, the tiny service gem took a few steps from under the table. Two gems approached his hiding place, forcing him to scurry back. It was a Sapphire and an Aquamarine. The one-eyed gem of the two noticed the small movement.

"Hey, did you see that?" she asked with a slightly raised voice. It was hard to tell if she was just trying to be heard over the music coming from the room over, or if it was from her slightly inebriated state. The aqua-haired gem thumbed in the direction of the table.

Hematite tensed, plastered against the wall. _Oh no, not this soon!_

–

The other gem standing near the light-haired gem raised a brow curiously.

"What? I think you're just seeing things; maybe you should tone it down on the drinks," she giggled, giving the other a playful nudge with her elbow. Back around the bar area, Morgan wiped away the sweat that had accumulated on his brow. All of the patrons were taken care of, for the moment. Time to bring the drinks to the other people in the room. Grabbing a tray of drinks he had prepared a minute or so before, he skillfully carried it with one hand, continuing to hum. He stopped by a few tables, handing off drinks accordingly. Soon, he'd arrived at the table where Hematite was hiding, spinning the tray in a showy way, stopping it suddenly and handing them their drinks with a wide grin.

–

Wait a sec; he recognized those boots. Eyes widening, Hematite quickly stepped away from the wall, making his way closer.

"No, seriously, hold up. I wanna check this out." The slightly-tipsy gem took a few paces away from her friend, her brow furrowed curiously. She knew she was a little buzzed, but that wouldn't make her _see_ things. Especially when those things appeared to be a certain gem she recognized.

The aqua-haired gem waited for Morgan to walk away from the table to bring drinks to some other patrons, and she looked around for a moment, narrowing her eyes.

"Ah, wait, Morgan!" Hematite objected in a hushed, almost whispered tone. The tiny service gem grimaced and looked around, watching the pink haired bartender make his way back around another part of the club.

 _Damn..._

Glancing up, Hematite made sure that the patrons at the table weren't paying attention to him, and he bolted, running along the wall to try and get to the main bar without being seen.

But he'd failed to look behind him.

The aqua-haired gem's eyes widened, a soft gasp escaping her.

 _It_ _ **was**_ _him!_

 _Wait, why the heck was he tiny?_

 _Oh well, who cares? It's HIM!_

Looking around quickly, the small gem grabbed a large empty glass off of a table, shooting a quick apology to the gems sitting at it.

"Sorry, I'm just gonna borrow this for a sec."

She looked sharply over her shoulder, a devious, excited grin on her face. Rushing over, she stuck out her tongue slightly in concentration, closing in quickly on Hema.

 _Hm. He felt like he was being watched- Oh stars, that's why._

Hematite froze in place in shock at the sight of the quickly approaching gem, and he stumbled forward, trying to duck behind a decorative, crystal-like light fixture. However, he was just slightly too slow.

 _CLINK_

The tiny service gem gasped loudly as an ear-piercing 'THUD' echoed through his head, and he suddenly found himself on his backside, his head hitting something hard. He inhaled sharply through his teeth, gripping the back of his head. Managing to squint one eye open, Hema felt his breath catch in his throat. He was surrounded by a glass.

Not daring to take a breath, Hematite slowly turned his head. Over the glass was a single, light-blue hand. And though the surface of the drinking utensil was slightly frosted- for decorative purposes- he could make out the face of a rather long-haired Sapphire. She was grinning cheekily. She turned away, motioning quietly to her friend, whom she'd left in the dust in her little escapade.

"Heeey, c'mon you gotta see this!" she giggled, her tone hushed.

–

The other gem made her way over, grimacing at her friend.

"Ugh, what is it now-" She stopped suddenly upon seeing the glass. Eyes widening, she leaned down next to her and looked through, gasping quietly. "Oh my **stars** , is that..." A wide grin spread across her face, and she looked excitedly to her friend. "AAAAAAHHH!" She squealed with excitement, grabbing a hold of the Sapphire's shoulder. "Look at himmmm! He's so cute!" She said, looking back to the glass in endearment.

–

The Sapphire giggled and nodded, her fists balling up in front of her.

"I knowww! See, I told you I wasn't seeing things!"

Hematite stared, bewildered, at the two gems outside the glass. He stood up, frowning, putting his hands against the glass. Well, now that the Sapphire had taken her hands off of it...

 _Clink_

"I dunno why he's so tiny though, but it's adorable-! Hey, hey, wait!"

Hematite had knocked the glass over, scurrying off toward the bar as quickly as he could. The aqua-haired gem let out a distressed squeak and hopped up to her feet, quickly catching up with Hema. She scooped him up, earning a rather unhappy yelp from the ivory-haired gem.

"H-Hey! Put me down!" He tried to turn to look at the Sapphire, frowning at her. He did _not_ need another club incident, not at this size.

–

The excited screech from before hadn't gone unnoticed by many of the bar patrons. However, most of them quickly went about their normal business after they took a quick look at what was going on. Seems they were too drunk to care or just couldn't be bothered by it. All except Morganite, who was among the few that had noticed. Hurrying back out from behind the counter, his brows raised in concern. He wasn't entirely sure what kind of scream that was, but he was going to check it out. Making his way over to the duo, he had a faint smile.

"Oh, excuse me! Is everything alright?" He stopped, spotting the tiny gem that the Sapphire was holding. "Oh, dear!" He placed a palm to his mouth in shock, his smile twitching for a moment. The taller of the duo stepped forward, her eyes still gleaming with admiration.

"YES, everything is great, Morgan!"

–

Turning, the Sapphire raised her brow in surprise, but she didn't seem to let Morgan's sudden appearance bother her too much. She smiled brightly and loosened her grip on Hematite just slightly, much to his relief. The tiny gem looked up at Morgan with pleading eyes, silently asking for help.

"Sorry, Morganite! It's just that you've got a Coliseum celebrity sneaking around your bar!" she giggled cheekily, and Hematite blinked in confusion, stopping his struggling for the moment.

"Wait, celebrity?" He turned away from the warrior in front of him, arching a brow at the two excited gems. The Sapphire beamed at the ivory-haired service gem.

"Well duh! We've been to all your big matches. Your spars with Blue Diamond are great, and oh MAN that fusion fight!" she looked excitedly to her friend and suddenly snickered, throwing an arm around her. "You gotta love Diooooo!"

–

Morgan snickered quietly, looking down upon the much shorter gems. Well, he couldn't hide it; this was pretty amusing, to say the least. There was another excited, shrill squeal from the other gem as they grabbed the Sapphire's shoulder again, shaking at it rapidly.

"OH please, can I hold him?!" she asked. Morgan bit his lip quickly and took a single step forward. _Okay, the fun was over._

"Sorry gems, but this one's mine." He grinned widely, narrowing his eyes. Holding out his palm in front of the Sapphire, he stared down at them with a charming smile. "'Fraid this celebrity here has to get back to White Diamond. You know, to prepare for his next match! You wouldn't want to delay that, now would you?" he hummed out quietly.

–

While she HAD been ready to hand Hema over to her friend, she looked up as Morgan took a step forward, her brow arched. Her face turned a subtle shade darker, and she gave a soft, shy giggle before she carefully reached up, handing the service gem over.

"Noo, no, we wouldn't wanna do that. Sorry!" As soon as Hematite was out of her hands, she balled them up in front of her again and turned to her friend, snickering excitedly. "Oh man, we actually got to meet the Harvester in person- we GOTTA tell Freckledot later! She's gonna be so jealous!" she said quietly, too hushed for Hematite to hear. Though he was a bit distracted at the moment, as it was.

While he was glad to be out of the rather excitable gem's hand, he was admittedly a smidgen nervous to be passed over to Morgan. It's not that he didn't trust him! But, well.

 _He couldn't really place what made him nervous about this._

He tried to shrug it off, his shoulders relaxing. _Well, at least he'd gotten his attention one way or another._

–

The Aquamarine giggled, excitedly chattering with the Sapphire.

"Gosh, I'm so starstruck!" She placed her hands to her cheeks and squished them excitedly, gushing about the tiny gem. She continued gossiping with her friend, but by this point, Morgan turned and started back for the bar. Their words became muffled with the sound of music. Looking down, Morgan raised a brow, his grin returned to a much calmer, softer smile.

"Well now, I knew you could get bigger, but this is a surprise! What happened to you?" the pink-haired warrior whispered, making his way back behind the bar counter.

–

The service gem stared at the two gossiping gems for as long as he could, but once he lost sight of them around the corner, he turned to Morgan, raising a brow.

"Oh yeah, guess I never mentioned this, huh?" He smiled awkwardly and shrugged, lifting a hand to muss the hair on the back of his head. "This happens when I push myself too hard on the job... It's. Kinda involuntary."

–

Morgan smirked, holding Hematite loosely in his palm. His back was turned to the rest of the patrons so that they wouldn't see him.

"Oh my, that sounds like quite the problem," he said softly, brushing his thumb carefully against Hematite's arm. Curiously, he lifted him up closer to his face, getting a better look at him. "I had no idea... hmhm.~" His expression was unreadable, making it hard to tell what he was thinking aside from being mildly amused by Hema's predicament.

–

Blinking, Hematite glanced at Morgan's thumb before turning his attention back up to his face, which suddenly was a bit closer. The tiny service gem smiled awkwardly, giving a single chuckle.

"Yeah, it can be a, well. 'Big' problem. It's worse if I pass out, though. That's happened a few times." Hematite grinned lopsidedly, his clawed fingers drumming rhythmically on Morgan's gloved palm.

–

Morgan glanced quickly over his shoulder to make sure no one was watching. A few gems every now and then looked at him, but didn't seem to wonder anything out of the ordinary.

"Well, it's a good thing you aren't passed out now. How did you even get in here?" He blinked, looking back over to the service gem. Carefully, he took a few steps back, the side of his hip bumping into a shorter counter which he'd used to prepare drinks. Turning to it, he lowered his hand to its surface, allowing Hematite to step off if he so pleased.

–

As the counter came into view, Hematite perked, glad for some solid ground. He slid off of Morgan's hand and took a few steps aside, so that no passerby could spot him. He sat down with a little huff and looked up at the pink-haired warrior.

"I was being chased down by this corrupted gem and I thought, well, this might be a safer place to drop into than some others. I wasn't going to make it to Blue's tower like this, so." With the smallest, coy smile, Hema arched a brow up at the bartender. "And your bouncer isn't exactly on the lookout for gems my size."

–

Morgan grabbed onto a glass that was on the counter next to where Hematite was, picking it up and continuing his normal work.

"Hm, yes, Amber's helmet makes it rather difficult to see things at her feet. That, and she isn't really bothered by small gems coming in here. Eveeeen if I know quite a few small gems that could hold their own in a fight!" He spared the tiny gem a grin, chuckling. "I digress. You can stay here as long as you like... juuust don't cause any trouble." He narrowed his eyes, smile widening ominously.

–

Watching Morgan lift the glass, Hematite raised a brow. It was still incredibly surreal to him, watching gems do their daily tasks this close up... He'd be lying if he said it wasn't a tad unnerving.

But not nearly as unnerving as the smile Morgan gave him.

The tiny service gem's brows raised, and a small, nervous smile found its way to his face. He gave a thumbs-up.

"Yup, no trouble from me, haha. I'm just... gonna find a place to rest for a while, until I can change back. If that's alright with you..." he said, his tone trailing off towards the end of his statement. His gaze drifted back up and around the club, brows raised curiously. He'd never seen this place at this size... it was the same building, sure. But at such a tiny height, it felt completely different.

–

Morgan's warm smile returned quickly, and he turned away, pouring a drink.

"Not a problem. If you need anything, just give me a wave," he hummed out, sliding the drink to another bar patron. "Oh, and do try not to rest anywhere precarious. Glasses, bottles, crowded shelves, anywhere clearly in sight, the sink area. It'd be best to steer clear of those." He said casually. "Sometimes I get lost in my work, if you get my drift. I don't want you getting hurt."

–

Hematite was looking around, admiring the counter top, and then the lights above him. He blinked and looked at Morgan, seeming to have zoned out for a moment. Awkwardly, he glanced to the side, lost in thought.

"Hm? Oh, right. Got it." _Got what? Something about work and glasses?_ "Thanks, Morgan." He offered the bartender a tired smile, his exhaustion finally catching up with him, now that he was out of harm's way. The tiny service gem stood, stretched, and made his way over to the edge of the counter top, peering over. Aha! He climbed down, walking along one of the edges until he found a suitable cubby.

Making his way in, Hematite looked around, walking by a few bottles and glasses, his hands lightly running over them as he passed by. The tiny gem gave a curious 'hm' as he peered into a bottle of odd-colored, sparkling liquid. He could have sworn he saw Morgan use this in Blue's drinks before.

Hematite yawned, rubbing his right eye before he took his eyepiece off, tucking it into the little insignia pocket on the front of his suit. The tiny gem walked to the back of the cubby, next to a tall glass, and settled down in the corner, leaning back against it with his knees to his chest. Wrapping his arms around his legs, he leaned his head back, closing his eyes.

 _Alright... if he could just get some rest... He'd be back to normal and back to the towers in no time._

The night went on like normal, gems coming and going. Soon, it reached late hours when things quieted down.

–

As the hours passed by, Hematite found himself unable to rest. The noisy club's sounds were echoing in the small cubby, and the squared-off corner made it impossible to get comfortable. Cracking open one eye, Hematite grumbled crossly, standing up. He could still hear muffled music thumping in the other room, and he pouted, looking around. His gaze stopped on the large glass beside him.

 _This one is all the way at the back... Morgan won't need this one._

Unfortunately, Hematite failed to notice that that glass was the last one in the cubby. All the others had been used throughout the busier time of the night.

Frowning, the tiny gem huffed and hopped up, gripping the edge of the glass. He heaved himself up with a soft grunt and flopped into the glass with a soft 'tink'. To any other gem, Hematite would have looked rather uncomfortable. But a small smile crossed his face as he shifted, curling up at the bottom of the glass, one of his arms bent, his face in the crook of his elbow.

 _Much better._

An hour or so passed. Hematite was fast asleep, unaware of a new arrival to the bar.

–

The club was about half as full as it was earlier in the night, and things started to relax until a familiar voice came shouting through the door.

"HEEEEYYY Morgaaan!" The rowdy voice blasted through the air. Morgan spun on his heel and faced the entrance, greeted with none other than Blue Diamond herself.

"Aaah good to see you again! You haven't dropped by in over a week. Have you been well?" he asked, placing a palm on the counter top. The upbeat blue gem made her way over to her normal bar stool, sitting down and tapping her fingers against the polished stone counter.

"Yeeeeah, just really busy! Today's been pretty hectic though; thought I'd come here and chill out." She grinned.

–

"Well then!" Morganite, clasped his fingers together, giving Blue a rather charming look. "The usual?" He asked. Blue crossed her arms on the counter and leaned forward a little, giving him a nod. Morgan clicked his tongue and spun around. At this point, a rather catchy tune was playing on the speakers. The pep in his step had returned, and he'd found himself humming yet again. He leaned down to one of the cubbies that held the mix for Blue's normal drink, pulling it out from the dark shelf. With a bouncy step, he strut himself over to the counter and placed the bottle down, giving it a spin before tapping his finger on top of it, stopping it. Blue chuckled, watching the bartender idly.

"Heey, I know this one! I haven't heard this in decades!" Blue said with a new found interest. Leaning back slightly, she looked up, staring off into space. She tapped her heel on the chair, swaying subtly to the song.

 _Which was unfortunate for the much tinier gem still hiding in the cubby._

Morgan made his way back over to the same place he was before where he'd pulled out the alcoholic mix. Reaching his hand in, he tapped the bottom of the cubby with his fingertips, trying to figure out where the glass was. Still humming, he finally made contact with the glass, gently wrapping his fingers around it.

Pulling the glass out, he turned again, still swaying to the music. Eyes half lidded, he hadn't even seen that the glass wasn't empty. Placing it on the smaller counter swiftly, he grabbed onto the concoction, uncorking it and spinning around.

Closing his eyes, he seemed to dance in place, pouring in the alcoholic liquid into the glass where the much tinier gem was residing. After a moment, he stopped, and grabbed the glass, sliding it over to Blue.

"Enjoooy!" He spun around again, continuing to move around to the music. Blue caught the glass, her attention snapping back to the bartender at last, just in time to catch the glass.

"Thanks Moooor!" She cooed, lifting the drink in thanks.

–

Hematite blinked awake, groggily frowning when gravity seemed to shift. He didn't seem to process that his napping place had been completely picked up. However, the moment the cup made contact with the counter with a loud 'clink', the tiny gem's eyes opened fully.

"Wha-"

SPLASH

"!"

Before Hematite had a chance to react, the glass was completely filled with Blue's usual, and was quickly slid down the counter. The tiny gem flailed around in a panic, unsure what was going on.

Until he finally popped his head out of the drink, blinking in shocked confusion.

"Pah!" Hematite frowned. He looked _offended_ , almost.

The tiny gem coughed once before staring up at the Diamond in front of him. His expression didn't change.

–

Blue lifted the glass to her face, but as her eyes drifted down, she stopped and stifled a small gasp. Eyes widening, she blinked in surprise.

"Hematiiiiiiite?" she said, confused. "Whaaat are you doing in there?"

–

The gem's hair drooped into his face, his bangs half covering his eyes. Hematite's face didn't change. It was an odd mix of 'well I got myself into this mess' and 'there is nothing fine about this'. The tiny gem popped his lips once before glancing around.

"You know. Not quite sure." The tiny gem smacked his lips, grimacing at the terrible taste on them. He scrunched his nose up, huffing. " _Ugh,_ I _still_ hate alcohol," he grumbled.

–

Blue snickered mischievously, lifting the glass and shooting Hematite a _less-than-reassuring_ glance.

"Kehehe! Now isn't this something! Ya know, _I_ still **like** alcohol. I didn't know Morgan was putting such strange ingredients in his drinks!" She said, quirking a brow. Bringing the glass alarmingly close to her face, she chuckled and pressed the corner to her lips, taking a very small sip from the glass. The colorful liquid rushed past Hematite for a few quick seconds, before leveling out once more as she steadied the glass. "HMmm! Yep, tastes different! Can't say it's not tasty," she joked, licking her lips.

–

"Pardon-AH"

Hematite hopped back, hooking his arms back on the rim of the glass. His eyes widened as Blue took a sip of her drink, and he felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up. He relaxed slightly as the glass evened out. However, he blinked in surprise and an odd sort of nervousness at her comment.

"... Hah. Hahaa, yeah, good one, Blue."

With another chuckle, she set the glass down onto the counter top, her unnervingly-dark expression finally replaced with a far happier, amused face.

"Sorry, I gotta mess with ya sometimes." She smirked and snickered.

–

He finally let go of the edge of the glass as she set it down on the counter, and he sighed, letting out a deep breath.

"Bluuue, that's not funny." He squinted up at her, pouting slightly. He glanced over the edge of the glass and paused. Wait, if he jumped down, he'd get the drink all over the bar. But if he didn't climb out, well. He might have to suffer more of Blue's 'teasing'. "Aagh, Morgaaan." The tiny gem called over, his hands on the edge of the glass. "Do you have a towel or something?"

–

Blue chuckled, offering a hand beside the glass.

"Sorry kid," she said, "I just coooouldn't help it!" Just as she spoke, Morgan turned his head, a brow raised. He suddenly noticed the much smaller gem, and gasped quietly.

"Oh dear, I'm so sorry!" He said, trotting up quickly to the counter. Grabbing the hand towel that was wrung around his belt, Morgan held out the small cloth to the two.

–

Hematite shot Blue a half-hearted, grumpy look before he climbed out of the glass, hopping into her hand. He lifted his arms to his sides, grimacing.

"Eeech." Hematite looked up at Morgan, brows furrowed. _How could he not notice him?! Why did he happen to need THAT glass? It's not like-_ The tiny gem suddenly blinked, his expression going blank. He vaguely recalled Morgan's warning that he'd half-missed in his tired, distracted state earlier. "... Ooooh. _That's_ what you said." Hema huffed again, brushing his bangs away from his face. "I guess I had that coming."

–

Blue took the towel from Morgan, grinning as she ran the cloth around the service gem, drying him off. Morgan pursed his lips, squinting.

"I warned you..." he said softly, sighing. Blue took a good look over the smaller gem, wiping off the remainder of the drink.

"There!" she said, lowering her hand slightly to let him off onto the counter. "Gooood as new!" She grinned, placing the towel down onto the counter top.

–

Hematite felt the smallest shiver go up his spine at Morgan's comment, but he quickly shrugged it off. He grunted softly as Blue dried off the drink, and the tiny gem sat up once she was done, his hair sticking up in all different directions, rather amusingly. Glancing up, he gave a soft noise of distress and started mussing his hair, attempting to fix it. As Blue lowered her hand to the counter, he blinked and hopped down, still trying to fix his bangs.

Turning to the Diamond behind him, Hematite finished adjusting his hair. Well, at least it looked somewhat alright.

"Well, now that that's done with. How've you been, Blue?" He tilted his head curiously. "I haven't seen you since our last spar."

–

Blue grabbed her drink again, taking another sip. She didn't look away, raising another brow.

"Oh, I've been alright. Just really busy. What about you, Hema? Looks like you've gotten yourself into a bit of trouble today." she said, frowning.

–

The tiny service gem smiled awkwardly and rubbed the back of his head.

"Yeahh, I... might have tired myself out before a mission, nooot a good idea." He shrugged, and looked to the side. There was suddenly a rather... interesting expression on his face. One he'd never had around Blue before. He seemed distracted and... well, it was hard to pin it down. "But it was worth it, and everything worked out in the end, so!"

–

Blue leaned her head on her hand, listening intently to the service gem speak.

"How'd ya do that?" she asked, taking another sip of her drink.

–

Hematite looked up to the side, a goofy smile on his face. He scratched at his hair.

"I miiight have been sparring the whole afternoon. Hah." The tiny gem tossed Blue an awkward, bashful smile.

–

Blue grinned, stifling a chuckle.

"Oh, really, now?" she said, leaning in a little closer. Morgan turned his head, glancing to the side towards the two gems. A spar, huh? That should be an interesting tale.

–

"Yeaaah." Hematite's eyes half lidded, and he bit his lip for a moment. Was he... _blushing_? "Youuu know that Hematite that showed up before you left the training grounds? Welllll she came there to challenge me to a spar, and..." He chuckled, the color fading from his cheeks for the moment. "We've been having regular fights on and off, for the past few weeks."

–

Blue's eyes widened, her mouth parting slightly.

"Whaaaat? That's awesome!" she said, grinning ear to ear. "You gotta tell me more!" she said in hushed excitement. Morgan however, narrowed his eyes curiously. _Another Hematite? Did he mean Mago?_

–

Hema chuckled shyly and crossed his arms, drumming his fingers along them.

"Well, that first spar... towards the end of it, it looked like she was going to win."

–

"C'mon, I thought the Harvester would be quicker on his feet!" Ti taunted, skipping back lightly, her dodge looking utterly effortless. Hematite huffed, breathing heavily as he stood up straight again. His opponent was wearing him down, delivering barrage after barrage of small, precise punches. She had speed on her side, along with her considerable extra height. Hematite stood at least two heads shorter than her, if not more, at any given size.

The smaller service gem frowned and skipped back a few paces. Ti's smile widened, and she grinned mischievously, closing the distance between them. But her brows raised when she saw that Hema's gem was glowing, and he vanished in a flash. Her speed had her at a disadvantage, and before she could slow down, there was a sharp, electrified blow to her abdomen, and she was sent backwards, Hema having size shifted right under her.

There was a long pause.

"Hah... hahaha! Wow, you're no joke, Hema!" The lithe Hematite sat up, holding her stomach as the last of the electricity coursed through her, earning a grimace.

The smaller service gem blinked in surprise and fizzled his weapons away, walking closer.

"Sorry, are you alright-GAH!" Hema's feet were suddenly kicked out from under him, Ti having delivered a quick spinning kick to his legs. The smaller Hematite hit his head on the dirt floor, wincing and inhaling sharply through his teeth. His hands clutched the back of his head, and he groaned in pain. "Tsss, ouch." He opened one eye, brows raising as he stared up at the silver-haired Hematite. She was standing right over him, her hands on her hips.

"... Shall we call this even, then?~"

The smaller Hematite stared up at her, blinking slowly.

"U-uh. Sure."

That was a bit of a nasty trick, though...

Ti smiled brightly and offered her hand to Hema, pulling him up as soon as he took it.

"That was excellent, though!" She practically bounced in place, clasping her hands together. "I had no idea you were such a skilled fighter! I'd heard the stories, but to see it for myself..." The lithe gem smiled shyly and put her hands close to her lips, looking away. Her tone dropped slightly, much softer this time. "I can see why White chose you... You're one of the best among us, as far as I'm concerned."

A deep-purple blush found its way to Hema's face and he covered his cheeks, looking away in shock.

"O-oh. Uh. Th... thank you?" Ti glanced at him curiously and gave a soft giggle at his reaction.

"Don't be so modest, some of the other Hematites would kill to have such a position!" She tossed her hands out to the side, beaming. "You should be proud, Hema!"

The smaller service gem smiled widely, cupping his cheeks even more to hide them.

"W-well. I don't know. You really think so?"

Ti grinned warmly.

"I don't say things I don't mean, you little cutie."

Hematite fully hid his face in his hands, shaking his head slightly. Ti put her hands down, clasping them neatly in front of her.

"Do you think we could do this again some time? I'd love to learn some techniques from you... They're amazing."

Finally removing his hands from his face, Hematite peeked through his fingers, a bashful smile on his lips.

"You'd wanna learn from me? Well... sure!" He balled his hands in front of him, an eager gleam in his eyes. _More time with this Hematite? Yes please!_ "Of course, we can do this again whenever you're free!" Ti gasped softly, clapping her hands in delight.

"Excellent!"

–

"And, well. Now she and I are having regular spars. I'll teach her a few things, she's taught me some stuff... it's nice." He rubbed the back of his neck, a goofy smile still plastered to his face. He didn't mention Ti's name the whole time.

–

Blue had finished two and a half drinks by the time Hema was done with his story. Throughout the whole thing, she was beaming.

"That's incredible!" she said, spinning her remaining drink in hand. "I'm pleased to hear you've found another friend that treats you well." She nodded. Morgan had gotten quiet, listening. He too, smiled. Turning to the two, Morgan had prepared Blue a third drink.

"You'll have to show me some of your new tricks, then!" the warrior intervened, sliding the drink over to the Diamond.

–

Hematite casually swung his legs underneath him. He'd taken to sitting on the edge of the counter, one hand holding him up, and the other still on his neck. He lowered it and gripped the counter with both hands, smiling coyly at the pink-haired bartender.

"Well, unless you plan on being one of my mission targets, I don't think you'll be seeing any of the stuff she's taught me, Morgan."

–

Both Blue and Morgan's eyes widened in surprise.

"Oh, that kind of trick! Alright then, never mind!" The bartender shrugged with a wide grin. He didn't exactly fancy being on the receiving end of a hunting harvester. Blue, however, leaned in further, palm pressed to her cheek.

"Well it's good you're getting lessons and that you've found a new friend, Hema! You should properly introduce us to her sometime!"

–

Hematite chuckled good-naturedly and looked at Blue, smiling lopsidedly.

"Well, I dunno. She's pretty shy around other gems. Doesn't talk much with them... But I can try! She might be less shy if she knows I'm friends with you guys." The tiny gem swung his feet contentedly, nodding his head from side to side with the music playing in the club.

After a moment, the service gem perked, and he looked at Blue. "Oh, by the way! Blue, do you think you could possibly give me a lift back to the towers? I need to rest up, and I don't fancy walking all the way back there." He smiled awkwardly.

–

Blue perked up, glancing at Morganite, then back at the smaller gem.

"Hey, sure thing kid!" Blue said, lifting both glasses to her mouth and turning them both up at the same time. After a few moments, once she'd drank the rest of her drinks, she clacked both glasses on the counter and sighed contently. "A'ight Hema! I got this perfect little spot for ya to curl up when we get there. I took a cushion from White's office the other day, I've been using it to prop up my feet but you can sleep on it if you'd like!" She said, holding out her palm to the tiny gem.

Morgan chuckled and turned away, offering them a wave.

"Come back anytime!" he said, beginning to tend to the next customer.

–

Hematite smiled brightly, although he did shoot Blue a look.

"So that's where that cushion went!" He laughed and hopped into Blue's hand, quickly sitting down in her palm. He turned to Morganite and waved with a friendly grin. "See ya around, Morgan! I'll try to avoid any glasses if this happens again!"

–

Morgan turned his head and winked at them briefly, pouring a drink. _He'd better, for his own good_. He was lucky that it was Blue who had that drink. Blue cackled and got out of her seat, heading for the door.

"Heh, yeeeeeah. Don't tell White; I planned to return it! It's just so comfy! I should really find out where she gets them." Blue glanced up, opening the door. The stars flicked brightly above, brightly enough where even the lights of the city couldn't drown them out.

–

The tiny gem nodded and looked up, staring at the stars as Blue walked down the street.

"Don't worry, your secret's safe with me." He chuckled and pulled his fingers over his lips in a 'zipping' motion before turning his face back up to the sky.


	52. Deja Vu

_Summary: Hematite and Yellow Diamond have trouble working as a team._

 _Notes: This chapter marks the end of arc 3._

* * *

Tap. Tap. _Tap._ _ **Tap**_ _._

Rhythmic footsteps echoed through the Sky Bridge connecting the Yellow and White towers. They were medium-paced and steady, nearing the White Diamond tower. Yellow Diamond carried herself along with a professional stride, her head held high and confident. It was morning, rays of light shining through the pillars that stood high at the sides of the bridge. The Diamond stared off into the distance, her eyes half lidded and clouded over with thought. Her job for the day spun through her head, a thousand possibilities racing through her mind. Both her fellow Diamonds needed to know she'd possibly be gone for a few days, so it was time to speak with White. She had already spoken to Blue, and White was her last stop before she headed out.

After a brisk stroll, Yellow neared White's office. Standing in front of the door, the Diamond knocked three times and entered the room without waiting to be invited in. She looked as slightly annoyed and serious as ever, her entire air formal and dignified. Gazing around the room, she was greeted with an all too familiar sight. As was the norm nowadays, White and Hematite were having tea together near the east window. _How often did they do this? It seemed they were either chatting or having tea almost any time she happened to come to White's office._ Yellow stood tall, arms folded behind her back.

"Hello White, Hematite. I trust you two are doing well today?" she asked simply. White gave Yellow a subtle nod, taking a sip of her drink.

–

For once, Hematite didn't turn to the door immediately. He took a small sip of his tea, finishing it off with a content sigh. Politely putting his cup down, he folded his hands in his lap and looked to Yellow, giving her a nod.

"Very well, actually. It looks like it's going to be a gorgeous day." He offered her a small smile, clearly relaxed from his morning with White.

–

Yellow glanced to the service gem, bowing her head politely.

"Indeed," she replied monotonously. White raised a brow, looking to the other Diamond.

"So what brings you here today?" she asked.

"I am here to report that I will be going off on a rather lengthy mission today, and I may not be back for a few days, if things don't go smoothly. An old quarry of mine, which was _supposed_ to be made into a kindergarten has apparently been tampered with out in the Pink District. You remember the one, White. With the crystal spires?" she asked, already sounding annoyed.

White blinked and looked up to the side, pursing her lips. After a quick moment, she blinked in remembrance and nodded.

"Ah, yes. I remember it."

"Yes, well. There's a small handful of rebellious gems out there that have been taking out my guards. I can't spare too many gems currently, and since I needed to inspect it myself _some_ day, I might as well destabilize two gems with one swing and take care of them while I'm out there. I can't have some nuisance faction setting up station in one of my would-be kindergartens," she grumbled, glancing off to the side. "I'll have to up the security around there after this. Hopefully I can scrounge together a unit," she muttered to herself.

–

Hematite's smile faded, his expression dropping to one of concern.

"That's terrible..." He bit his lip, glancing at White. "Shouldn't you take someone with you? Strength in numbers and all that? Surely some warriors would stand a better chance with you behind them, instead of on their own." He looked at her, still nibbling his lip nervously.

–

Yellow spared Hema a glare.

"I can take care of myself, thank you," she said rather bitterly. Pursing her lips, she rolled her eyes. "I've handled far worse on my own, hundreds of times. A group of warriors for this sort of mission would just slow me down. Besides, I'd be lying if I said I haven't been itching for a little fighting. Taking out a few rebels will be refreshing," she said simply.

White stood up and looked to Yellow with a surprisingly sly grin.

"I think Hematite has a good point, actually," she said, taking a sip of her tea. Yellow raised a brow, looking mildly offended.

"Excuse me?"

"Missions like this are unpredictable, Yellow. You may have handled many like this in the past, but you never know what could happen. It wouldn't hurt to take someone with you. In fact, _you and Hematite_ have been making _such_ good progress as of late, why don't _you_ two go together?" she suggested, staring at the other Diamond with a smirk. Yellow crossed her arms in front of her, narrowing her eyes.

"Absolutely not! What if he gets hurt?" she said.

"And what if _you_ get hurt out there on your own?" White retorted, her expression unchanging. Glancing between White and Yellow, Hematite slowly crossed his arms, a look of barely disguised curiosity on his face. It wasn't apprehension or anxiety, no. He seemed to like this idea. Yellow blinked, grumbling something cross under her breath. The monochromatic Diamond continued, her tone insistent. "Come now, Yellow. This could be a valuable learning experience for Hematite. That, and having a harvester as backup could be a valuable asset to your mission! They're very good at intimidation, as I'm sure you're aware. He could very well be the key to handling this as nonviolently as possible," White said with an odd smile. Admittedly, White's intimidation comment made Hematite's expression falter for a moment, but he quickly shrugged it off. _It was true, after all._

Yellow remained quiet, eyeing the Diamond with exasperated distaste. An awkward pause filled the room. After a good moment, she sighed in defeat.

"… Are you sure about this?" she said finally, shrugging her shoulders and pursing her lips.

"I think it would be for the best. What do you think, Hema?" she asked, turning her head to look at the service gem.

–

Hematite's eyes widened, and he looked sharply at White, mouth slightly agape. _Did he just hear her right? She'd... never called him that before._ It took him a moment to recover, very nearly forgetting what she asked. He cleared his throat and stood from his seat, folding his arms behind him politely. However, when he looked at Yellow, there was a barely disguised gleam of excitement in his eyes.

"If Yellow Diamond would permit it, I think it'd be a great idea. I promise I'd be an asset to you, I can show you what I'm capable of on a mission!"

–

Yellow sighed heavily, placing her fingers to her mouth, grumbling. Without turning her head, she looked away, thinking.

"Mmmnn... Well... I guess you do have a point, White. It... couldn't hurt." She shrugged, crossing her arms. "Very well. I shall take Hematite on this mission with me. Maybe we can get this done faster, that way." Her eyes clouded over in thought for a moment. Her disdainful look faded, replaced by a more relaxed, almost pensive expression. She suddenly straightened up, as if White's suggestion fully sank in. Hematite was a rather skilled gem, as far as she'd been told and from what she'd seen in her little exposure to Hematite being on the job. Sure, part of her was a tiny bit nervous about being on a job alone with him, but she knew that was just her deep-seated mistrust talking. She was still working on that. But despite her apprehension, she knew that Hematite could be a valuable gem to take with her, should she need an extra pair of eyes, or someone to talk down a couple of measly rebel gems.

A look of pride suddenly befell her, and she balled one of her hands into a fist, patting it into her palm.

"I suppose if Hematite were to come with me, he could take care of the rebels while I go to inspect the kindergarten... We could cut a few days off of the search. Yes, finishing missions more efficiently! Working diligently, quickly! I like it." She smirked, furrowing her brows. White sat her teacup down on the saucer and smiled warmly.

"That's what I like to hear. Well then, looks like you have a job, Hematite. Just keep in mind, they could be a rough group. Buuut I'm sure you both can handle them! Keep your wits about you," she advised, looking to the other Diamond with a reassuring nod.

–

The small service gem smiled brightly, rocking on his heels a bit. _Yes! A mission with Yellow? He'd finally have a chance to show off what she'd taught him, let her see how he was out in the field._ Of course, he hoped he wouldn't have to fight anyone himself, lest he startle Yellow. Maybe he could convince Yellow Diamond to let him inspect the quarry while she took care of the other gems, should they even appear. Either way... he couldn't keep the flicker of excitement from his chest.

"Right! I'll do my best." He saluted proudly, head held high. "Lead the way, Yellow!"

–

–

The warp pad flashed brightly, Yellow Diamond and Hematite standing proudly on top of the teleporting device. Glancing around, Yellow couldn't help a disgusted sneer from appearing on her lips.

"I hate this place," she muttered quietly. Dark clouds were scattered overhead, overcasting the sky with a dreary gray gloom. Stepping off of the warp pad's surface, Yellow started to walk into the district. "Alright Hematite, thankfully, I know exactly where these rebels should be hiding out. We just need to get there." Placing a hand to her gem, she pulled out a diamond pad, turning it on. A holo-map projected itself above the screen and spun around. A yellow diamond insignia flicked on the map somewhere far away, information popping up next to its location once the mark was set. "Thankfully it's not too far off. We should be there within the day if we move at a steady pace."

–

The service gem blinked and opened his mouth to say something, but quickly thought better of it. He didn't mind this place too terribly, but he remembered that Yellow probably had more... personal reasons for disliking it. He stepped beside his superior, his arms folded neatly behind his back. For a moment he considered offering her a quicker ride to the location on the map, but held his tongue. _No, that wouldn't be the wisest choice._

"I'll be right behind you. Lead the way."

–

Yellow didn't mind the journey, even if it did take a little while. She was used to traveling by foot. It helped her think better. She made sure not to travel too far ahead of Hematite, occasionally glancing behind her to make sure he was following. Part of her wanted to travel as she usually did, at near lightning-quick speeds, but she knew that Hematite had some sort of stamina problem, so he wouldn't be able to keep up. Instead, she kept her pace steady enough to arrive in a reasonable time, but slow enough that Hematite wouldn't run himself ragged. The mission details ran through her head again and again, keeping her thoughts occupied and away from where she was and who she was traveling with. Hopefully things wouldn't get too hairy when they arrived. Of all the Hematites that White suggested go with her, why did it have to be him? While her fears _had_ subsided significantly, they were still very much there, deep in her core. She knew that at any given point, they could flare up again. They'd done it before, and she was mildly concerned they'd do it once more.

She'd pushed the thought away. No, it was best not to think about that now. The more time she devoted to worrying about it, the more likely it was that it'd become a problem. They were making good progress lately. There was little need to worry about anything.

–

Hema looked around quietly as the two of them strode along the district path. The service gem idly noted that he hadn't been this particular way before. His eyepiece gave a gentle chirp as it glowed to life, and the shorter gem began to take notes, his gaze traveling around in undisguised curiosity. The Pink District never failed to pique his interest.

–

The hours ticked by silently, neither of them said a word to each other. It, surprisingly, wasn't an awkward silence, no. It was thoughtful, and focused. Hematite was busy concentrating on taking notes on whatever he could, and Yellow was concentrating on what she needed to do when she arrived at the quarry. Twilight began to settle by the time they actually arrived near their destination.

The two found themselves in a much rockier area, barren of any cities or plant life. It appeared to stretch on for miles and miles ahead of the two gems, far along the horizon. With large, jagged crystals and rocks jutting out of the solid, smooth ground, sure enough, it was a quarry. The ground rose up in some places to form gently sloping, yet high hills which were crowned with the massive, colorful crystals. Giant, spire-like rocks stuck out from the ground here and there in clusters like the teeth of some slumbering, stony monster. The ground itself was smooth and plate-like, resembling the hide of some alien, reptilian creature. Smaller clusters of crystals grew from the ground, dotting the floor with sparkling stones.

The ivory-haired service gem eyed the crystals curiously. He wondered what they looked like in the sunlight, instead of this dreary, overcast light of twilight. Hematite could see distant, kindergarten-like paths and divets dug into the ground far beyond their current location. Well, he could see how this place was being prepared once for gem production. He silently wondered why it'd never gone through.

Yellow looked around, placing a palm on one of the rocks she and Hematite stopped beside.

"Hm..." Looking around, the Diamond narrowed her eyes. She didn't hear or see anything out of the ordinary. In fact, the only thing she could hear was Hema's footsteps behind her, and the low winds blowing through the quarry. "Strange... The map lead us here, but... this is such a barren, flat land that I don't see how any rebels could ambush anyone here. Especially not such a small group. This isn't an ideal place to hide..." she whispered curiously. Something wasn't adding up, and she couldn't figure it out. There was no place to hide, except maybe behind a rock or two. Were a couple traitorous gems really attacking and destabilizing full-grown Jaspers and Ambers by merely running at them over an open field? _Surely not._

–

Hematite frowned and looked around, peering over a small rock. _Nothing_. Tapping his chin, the service gem pursed his lips and turned to his superior, his arms folded behind him once more.  
"Perhaps the base is underground." He'd dealt with tunnel systems before, they were tricky and hard to detect, but it'd make sense, if the map lead them here. They had to be around, right?

–

Yellow raised a brow, stepping further into the quarry. She peered around a few of the crystals, looking for any signs of life. They both traveled deeper into the expanse of flat land.

"The ground here is pretty sturdy, but... Hematite, you're a tracking gem, see if you can find any clues," she ordered, keeping her own eyes peeled as they walked through the area.

–

He had to agree with her. The rock in the quarry didn't seem to have any faults, at least to the naked eye. But he figured there was no harm in doing a little sweep of the area.

The service gem nodded and flicked his hand over his eyes, summoning his hunting visor. Though the screen remained transparent, his radar HUD came online.

"Scan," he muttered quietly as the piece of gem tech warmed up. He watched his map start to update, and his eyes narrowed suspiciously. Oh, great. Between Yellow's signal, and the overpowering signature of the crystal spires that dotted the quarry, his entire map was flooded with a confusing, warbled mess of color. He could understand why this place was a prime kindergarten location, with its flat rocks and high density of gem-based mineral deposits, but it certainly wasn't good for his radar. He started walking around, checking for any signs of a base. He couldn't find anything... He kept his focus on looking behind rocks and at the ground, checking for any seams or signs of a secret base entrance. And, just in case, he gave the silent order for his visor to start singling out the gem spires' signals, one by one. He wasn't sure how that would work, as he'd never tried it before, but perhaps he could block them out, to an extent.

–

Yellow Diamond hopped up onto one of the more low lying, flat surfaced rocks and observed the horizon. She didn't see anything out of the ordinary, but the dark skies were making it difficult to see much. She was, admittedly, starting to get a little frustrated, but she forced herself to keep her composure.

"Hmph..." She grunted, hopping back off of the rock. Perhaps they weren't far enough into the quarry? The land here was so flat aside from a few hills and the rocks and crystals that stuck out from the ground. Surely, they couldn't be missing something so obvious as a rebel base.

Suddenly, a small pebble whizzed by both Hematite and Yellow, clacking into one of the crystals beside them. Yellow shot her attention to where she heard the noise, glaring at the pebble on the ground.

"Wha-?" Turning her head again, realizing that it had been thrown, she caught a glimpse for just a split second of something darting behind a rock.

–

Hematite immediately perked up. His attention locked onto the rock, and he caught a glimpse of movement as well. Frowning, he faced towards the distant boulder, starting to inch towards it.

"Yellow, keep your eyes peeled," he said quietly, steadily closing in on the rock he'd seen the movement near.

–

Yellow glared at the same large stone, sparing Hematite a glance. Remaining quiet, she took a defensive stance, letting the service gem move closer while she stayed behind. From behind the rock, a small scout gem hopped up, staring bravely at both Yellow and Hematite. They scowled, puffing out their chest. They were small, not much bigger than a Ruby. Their skin bore small, forest-green patches, and a round gemstone laid on top of their left hand. They glared at the Diamond, eyes burning with spite. Yellow took a single step forward, narrowing her eyes.

"You! Get down from there! That is a direct order!" she called out.

Unfazed, the bold, tiny gem opened their mouth and inhaled, quickly letting out a well-carrying, angry shout that echoed across the quarry, into the darkening night.

–

Wincing, Hematite covered the sides of his head, gritting his teeth. _Stars, he hated loud noises like that!_ Glaring at the small gem, he forced his hands away from his head, electricity suddenly coursing down his arms as he flicked his hands out, his knuckledusters appearing along with two electrical whips. His steps quickened, and he closed in on the large boulder.

–

The small gem was quick to hop off the rock, fleeing away as fast as they could. Yellow felt her breath catch in her throat, and she looked around apprehensively. _Why did they yell then run away?_

... _Oh no._

Eyes widening in realization, Yellow Diamond took a step forward, her hand outstretched towards Hematite as he pursued the scout.

"Hematite, get back here!" she yelled out, her voice both powerful and commanding... and laced with frustrated regret. The ground began to tremble, and the sounds of stone scraping against itself filled the air. At the same moment, multiple groups of warrior gems, each one led by a Spinel, rushed out from behind various spire-like rocks that surrounded the two gems. They all had their weapons drawn, and were quickly closing in on the two.

 **It was an ambush.**

–

Oh, stars, it _was_ a trap. He should have known when there wasn't a sign of a base!

Hematite quickly retraced his steps, now standing back to back with Yellow Diamond, his whips still fizzling wildly at his sides. He grit his teeth, growling aggressively at the approaching gems. Five, ten, fifteen, twenty... _how many were there?! Yellow said there was a 'handful' of them!_

Lifting his hand quickly to his face, the service gem flicked his fingers over his eyes, his hunting visor glazing over.

 _Whirrrrrr_

 _ **Click**_

–

Yellow froze, a cold prickle of anxiety rising up in her core. _**That sound.**_ _That gem forsaken sound._ Shaking her head, the Diamond bared her teeth and shoved the unwanted spike of apprehension down. She couldn't be bothered by that now. That was normal. That didn't mean what she thought it meant, at least not for _her_. These rebels, on the other hand...

The warriors started to advance, shouting out fierce war cries. Others stood back, ready to charge. Yellow growled, flicking her hand over her gem and quickly pulling out a sword. Brows furrowed, she faced the few warriors that were coming up on her side.

–

There was a bright flash of light behind the Diamond.

Followed by a ground-shuddering **THUD.**

Hematite shifted up to his half-size in an instant and took a huge, fearsome step toward the approaching warriors, startling a few of them, stopping others in their tracks. He let out a fierce, low growl, lashing his whips at the warriors that continued to charge at him. They shouted furiously and stumbled back, visibly put-off by the gem's change in appearance.

–

Yellow faltered, flinching rather harshly. Turning her head, she stared behind her in horror. She was stuck in her tracks. Her jaw dropped, quivering as if she were going to yell. _No, be brave. Everything is okay... He's just fighting off the opposing gems._ She regained her composure, swallowing nervously. Turning back to the warriors, her wide eyes had a fierce, livid fire to them. Advancing forward, she yelled out in frustration. One warrior skidded to a halt as the Diamond closed in quick, raising their weapons up in defense.

With a loud clang, their weapons made contact, the force of the leader knocking the warrior back a few good feet. Stumbling to regain their footing, the opposing gem growled and swung forward. Yellow was just quick enough to make an easy dodge.

–

Hematite was managing to take out a few of his opponents, though he was suddenly pushed back as one leapt up to his arm, startling him. Just before the giant gem could knock them off, the warrior brought their weapon, a rather large broadsword, down onto Hematite's arm, tearing through his suit. One of the other gems called out to their fellow warriors. Inhaling sharply through his teeth, the hunter grimaced and held his wrist close, glaring daggers into the retreating warrior leapt down. It seemed _his_ opponents were starting to retreat. They wanted nothing to do with the harvester. All of them made a hasty escape from Hematite's view... all aside from two archers. Standing atop a stony spire, three gems stood tall and fierce, one of them pointing a nasty-looking spear Hematite's way. The other two had their bows drawn, the tips of the projectiles glowing with a strange, fizzling aura. The spear-wielding gem bared her teeth, her voice cutting through the dense air

"FIRE!"

While Hema was distracted, the archers managed to charge up two potent shots. Before he could turn his attention to them, they loosed the arrows, sending them whizzing through the air.. One of the energy arrows stuck heavily into Hema's shoulder while the other hit him in the side, earning a pained yowl. A stunning energy coursed through him, locking his body into place. His eyes widened, his hair standing on end. His mind screamed at his body to move, but all he could do was stare blankly in front of him in horror as a worrying number of warriors closed in on his legs.

 **He was stuck.**

–

Growling, Yellow swung her sword around, swiping right through her opponent. Exploding into a cloud of smoke, the gemstone fell to the ground and was quickly retrieved by the Diamond. With a quick blip, she bubbled the gem away and sent it off. The other group warriors that was previously advancing on her backed up, snarling. She glared daggers into them, holding up her sword with a mercilessly cold stare. Her arm became alight with lightning, and after a few seconds, she swept her sword to the side, sending out a wave of electricity in their direction. Startled, the group of warriors went to run, but weren't quite fast enough. The lightning struck all of them in a neat row, surging through their bodies and destabilizing them quickly. Yellow darted around in a deft, swift movement and collected up the destabilized gems, sending them away. As she turned to the next group closing in on her, she was halted in her tracks by Hematite's harrowing, painful yowl.

Yellow's head turned sharply, and she quickly spotted the commotion behind her. A few of the opposing gems were upon Hematite, and from the looks of it, he was in a bit of a bind, quite literally. Sighing, Yellow ran towards them, relighting her arm with flowing electricity. It raced down her arm and over her sword, setting the blade alight with a brilliant display of sparks.

The archers were so focused on the huge gem before them, they failed to notice the other gem quickly moving towards them. With a loud grunt, Yellow chucked her sword in a sharp, spinning motion, sending them flying towards her targets. The weapon suddenly split into two smaller swords, both shooting towards one of the archers. One warrior gem turned their head, but it was already too late to react. The swords met their targets with an abrupt force, sticking into both of them and destabilizing them easily. The remaining warrior leapt down the rock, retreating away from the furious Diamond.

–

The moment the two archers were poofed, the arrows vanished into a cloud of sparks, releasing their bind on the giant gem. Hematite gasped sharply as the stunning energy dissipated, and he looked over his shoulder at Yellow, giving her a nod of thanks. However, it was slightly hard to tell with his hunting visor covering his eyes. He quickly looked down and kicked the rebels away before they could get much further along his suit. It didn't take much effort to destabilize the gems that'd foolishly gotten so close.

–

As Hematite turned, Yellow's expression became unreadable. She broke a sweat, brow twitching. With how dark it was, she could barely see anything but his glowing visor. _In all honesty, she wished she hadn't seen that._ Taking a sharp breath suddenly, she pulled out another sword from her gem, quickly coming back to her senses again. How many of these rebels were there?! She figured she could have expected more than just a 'few', but they'd already seen a good twenty or thirty gems!

–

Turning his attention back to the retreating warriors, Hematite lashed out his whips again, making a go for them. He couldn't locate the gems that had retreated away from him just a moment ago, and that worried him. He could barely keep his eyes on his radar, as it was, he didn't need missing gems complicating matters. The giant gem chased after what retreating rebels he could see, taking out quite a few of them in his wake.

From behind her, Yellow Diamond heard a sharp cry, and whipped around to notice another warrior quickly running up to her. Carelessly, they swung their weapon down. However, Yellow was still partially nerve racked by Hematite, so her reaction time was slower than normal. She held up her blade in time to block the weapon, but let out a cry of pain as it hit the sword with such force that it shattered her sword completely. The warrior's weapon continued down, slamming into the ground inches in front of the Diamond. She grunted, quickly kicking the warrior in the abdomen, knocking them away. More warriors were closing in on her, and quickly.

–

Unfortunately for Yellow, Hema was a little preoccupied. The giant gem latched onto two of the warriors with his whips, slamming them into the ground at his sides, poofing them instantly. In one smooth movement, he quickly crouched down, tapped both of the gems, bubbling them, and stood back up, storing them both in his gem with a quick flash. The final, ax-wielding warrior of the group he'd been chasing, a rather large, mean looking Jasper, bared her teeth at the giant gem. She stepped forward, letting out a fierce cry as she charged at him. Hematite took a step back, eyes wide, his visor tracking the rebel's every move.

But he glanced up and over her, his hunting visor also catching sight of something _else_.

More warriors were approaching from much further off, up the gentle slopes to the west. _These gems had backup._ Hematite's breathing hitched, and he snarled down at the Jasper as she swung at his legs. Looking back, the giant gem called out to Yellow.

"Yellow Diamond, fall back to me! We've got more gems incoming!"

Turning, he reeled his foot back before delivering a hard hit to the Jasper, sending them flying into one of the crystals that jutted from the ground. The impact destabilized her instantly.

–

Yellow shuddered slightly, groaning in frustration. She fled from the warrior she was fighting, running towards Hematite. If this warrior was intelligent, they wouldn't follow her. But, as Yellow had come to find in her years, a rebel's strong suit wasn't usually smarts. They followed quickly behind her, growling and readying their weapon. Yellow's fists lit up with sparks again, her back to Hematite's foot as soon as she made her way over to him. She was a little too close to him for comfort, but maybe if she kept her back to him, she'd be able to handle the close proximity.

"Keep at it! We'll wear them out sooner or later!" she called up, ducking as the warrior swiped their weapon towards her head. With a few lightning-fast electrified punches, she stunned the warrior long enough to summon another weapon and poof them with a powerful swipe.

–

Glancing back at Yellow, Hematite was glad to see she was closer by. He suddenly realized that _she_ couldn't see exactly how many gems were approaching on the horizon. But from his height, he certainly could.

"I'm not sure how many more there are, but you might want to brace yourself! There's at least twenty or so more! More could be inbound!" He turned around to her, taking a step away to face her properly since he'd taken care of the warriors on his side. Yellow turned to look at him, her brows furrowed furiously. Her gaze was caught by a few gems that skirted behind Hematite to try and attack him. Hema opened his mouth to speak, but then, before he could let her know what he'd seen... a bright flash of light appeared behind a stone spire that laid not two hundred feet behind her. Hematite felt his body go rigid as a _**new**_ gem signature appeared on his radar. He slowly looked up from Yellow, and was met with the horrifying sight of a massive, glowing figure taking shape.

Time seemed to slow down as the huge, monstrous fusion took form, quickly rising to, and then _passing_ Hematite's height. The hunter stared in horror, unable to move from where he stood. The fusion finally stopped forming and grinned down at the two gems before it, its multiple glowing eyes narrowing ominously. It bore multiple long, scraggly ponytails and multiple pairs of beastly, powerful arms. A total of five gemstones laid on its body; three laid on its forehead, and two were somewhere near its stomach.

–

Yellow Diamond didn't catch the light. In fact, she was too busy fending off a few of the warriors to even notice the massive amalgamation formed behind them, or the fact that Hema had frozen. With another heavy swing, a warrior slammed their ax down inches beside the Diamond. The more warriors appeared, the more frustrated she became. The longer she spent so close to Hematite, the more nervous she grew. Both were starting to effect her reaction times. _She was starting to cut it far too close._ Growling, the Diamond lunged forward to deliver a direct punch to to the Spinel, but was caught way off guard when the warrior grabbed her fist and stopped her. Eyes widening fiercely, she was far too taken aback to react immediately, and the warrior slammed her down into the ground violently. Yellow groaned, gasping and rolling out of the way just in time to avoid the warrior's ax which chipped the solid stone ground where she lay seconds ago.

More warriors started to close in, some of them not even having their weapons drawn. Yellow got to her feet quickly and held up her fists, sparks fizzling around her entire body. From the looks of it, there were three huge warriors. Two of them were Spinels, one was an Amber. One of them smirked and swung their weapon towards her, but she dodged it. Their smile grew wider. She fell for it. From behind her, as she had darted back, she failed to notice one of the warriors had skirted out of sight and delivered a massive kick to her back, sending her flying forward.

Yellow was being tossed around, taking blow after blow from the warriors. She'd gotten a few small hits in every now and then, but it was very apparent that they were wearing her down and catching her repeatedly off guard. She stood up fiercely, growling at the warriors.

–

Hematite took a huge step back, away from the fusion, and the warriors fighting Yellow in front of him. No more than a few moments had passed since the fusion formed, and yet time still seemed slowed for him. He looked down, eyes widening as he noticed that the warriors were getting the upper hand on his superior. His eyes flicked back up to the fusion, and the giant gem's mouth fell agape.

The monstrous gem was summoning their weapon, holding an enormous pole out above them. At the end of the handle, a massive spiked, metal ball sparked into existence, alight with a glowing aura.

That was a mace to put Blue's to shame.

The fusion was locked onto their target, their glowing eyes focused onto Yellow's vulnerable form. Hematite felt his breathing stop as he noticed where the fusion was looking.

 _ **Yellow Diamond was wide open for a killing blow.**_

 _No, no no no._

 _Everything is happening too fast, th-think Hematite, think!_

 _Think of a plan, figure out-_

 _No._

 _No, there's no time for thinking._

 _ **ACT!**_

There was a bright flash of light, and the already huge gem was suddenly left standing at his full harvester height. To the warriors below, Hematite quickly crouched down and lashed out his hand with unnatural speed, snatching Yellow up off the ground, out of harm's way of the approaching warriors, and the fusion's attack. He brought her close to his face and backed up, both his hands cupped around her, his eyes wide as he stared at the fusion.

 _ **H!**_

The monstrous gem's weapon struck the ground where Yellow had been not _two seconds_ ago with a fearsome amount of force, leaving an impressive crater in the ground. A few pitiful clouds of smoke drifted out from under the weapon.

But Yellow wasn't out of danger. Hematite noticed that things around him still felt as if they were in slow motion. The fusion, now furious, slowly raised its eyes up to glare at him, starting to draw back its weapon out of the ground.

–

Without warning, before she could even comprehend what was going on, Yellow found herself clutched in Hematite's hands. She gasped sharply, eyes widening. _Wait, what's going on?!_ Quickly, she was brought up to his face, and she was left staring into his hunting visor, the world around her going quiet.

 _Oh stars,_ _ **no**_ _..._

–

Hematite turned his attention to the Diamond in his hands and grimaced, bracing himself.

 _"Sorry about this,"_ he whispered.

–

Her breathing stopped. The fear came flooding back within those few seconds. She was so petrified, she wasn't able to understand what he had said. It was uncertain if she even really _heard_ him. _What was this about?! What was he doing?!_

–

Within an instant, Hematite lifted Yellow Diamond over his face. He carefully held her shirt between his fingers, his mouth opening up below her.

–

Yellow emitted a small whimper as gravity shifted below her. _No, NO...This can't be happening! Why?!_ Staring down into the huge gem's mouth, she felt her form go cold, and every one of her nightmares came flooding back to her. Her voice failed her, her body couldn't move, and in that moment, she felt as though nothing, not even her own strength or the Diamond Authority could help her. She felt tiny, helpless, vulnerable.

 _She felt_ _ **weak**_ _._

–

For a moment, time stood still for both of them.

And then, without a word, he dropped her.

–

"NO, WAIT!" she cried out, grasping at the air feebly, landing onto his tongue. Small sparks fizzled around her body, the Diamond's eyes wide with terror. Before she could make any move to escape, Hematite's teeth clacked together, her world becoming dark, aside from the small bit of illumination coming from her electricity. Shivering, she was overcome with sudden panic.

 _This wasn't real! This was just another one of her horrible nightmares!_

…

 _No._

 _This_ _ **was**_ _real._

 _This was_ _ **far**_ _too real._

–

The giant gem tilted his head back slightly the moment he felt the tiny gem make contact with his tongue, and he closed his teeth the moment he was sure Yellow was behind them, making sure not to bite her.

The second his superior was 'safe', he turned to his approaching opponent, who now stood about equal height with him, and summoned his weapons, taking a defensive stance. The huge fusion roared viciously, swinging its weapon at the harvester.

The two were quickly locked in a battle that played out much like Hematite's spars with Blue, but this time, the stakes were far higher than glory or a friendly match. _No, this time... he had someone he needed to protect._ All of Hematite's focus was trained on the fusion ahead of him. He didn't even notice that Yellow was _shaking_. The giant gem managed to get a few good hits in, and even knocked the gem's mace away, but it quickly started to draw another one. Hematite took the opportunity and lashed out his whips, latching onto the fusion's weapon handle. Expression going cold, Hematite focused all his energy into his arms, sending a frightening surge of electricity through the whips, into the fusion's form, causing it to screech in pain. It quickly let go of the handle and stumbled back, its body twitching involuntarily.

Smirking, Hematite turned his attention to the warriors that were busy attacking his legs, and he kicked a few of them aside, striking the others with the pole he managed to yank from the fusion. Smirking, he stepped back, giving the softest of chuckles.

 _This was working!_

–

 _She didn't understand. What had she done wrong? Was he still angry with her? She thought everything was starting to get better. Had she made him upset again?_ A thousand thoughts flooded Yellow's mind, baring down on her with the weight of a cold, jet-black sea. All of the memories from the incident such a long time ago, as well as all of her nightmares coursed through her body, as if forcing her to relive everything over again at the same time. Tears started to sting the corners of her eyes, her desperation rising.

 _Then he chuckled._ The sound reverberated through Yellow's very core, and echoed through her mind, warping and twisting into that nightmarish form's voice.

Yellow shrieked with horror, pulling her arms and legs close to her quickly, covering up her gem. The move was involuntary, instinctual, and completely in _vain_. _And she knew it._

–

The shriek didn't go unnoticed. Hema's eyes went wide as saucers, and he glanced down toward his mouth, a pained grimace on his face.

 _Yellow, hold on, it's alright! Stay strong a little longer!_

Hematite managed to poof a few more of the warriors and swept his hands down to bubble and collect them quickly, storing them in his gem. He looked around to check the horizon and battlefield. It looked like there were only three warriors left, and the fusion. Putting his fists up, the giant gem backed up a few paces, now facing the furious, gigantic amalgamation. Its glowing eyes glared daggers through the gem, and he narrowed his eyes at it, brows furrowed.

–

"No, no no no no..." she whimpered quietly, staring at the barely illuminated fangs in front of her. Taking a deep breath, she sharply sat up. _She had to do something._ She boldly moved forward, pressing her hands against the roof of his mouth and trying to force it open. "LET ME OUT OF HERE! PLEASE!" she shouted, still shaking.

–

A pained expression washed over Hematite's face, and his stance faltered. The service gem could feel Yellow trying to force his teeth open, but he kept them shut, despite her pleas. _He couldn't let her out, she'd be killed!_ At least this way if he was poofed, or worse, she'd still have a chance to get away! The giant gem steeled himself and launched forward, going in for a direct hit on the fusion.

 _Get in close quickly, disorient them!_

The hunter closed in fast, landing a few quick, electrified jabs to the fusion. They were able to block him, for the most part, but it seemed the gems were slowly desynchronizing. The fusion was starting to look a bit unstable.

–

 _It wasn't working._

 _It wasn't._

 _Working._

Her panic overtook her, tears flowing down her cheeks. She wasn't quite strong enough to pry his mouth open, and he wasn't letting her out. _He was going to kill her._ Whimpering, she gave up and stumbled back, frantically looking around her. _This was it. This was the end._ She put her arms over her head and shut her eyes tight. _She couldn't believe this._ After everything she thought she'd escaped, here she was. She couldn't bare to think of it. This couldn't be how it ended.

…

 _No. It wasn't going to be._

She slowly lifted her head, brows furrowing. This wasn't her nightmare. This was real.

 _And so were her powers. So were her_ _ **weapons**_ _. Like hell she was going down like this!_

Swiftly, the Diamond placed her hand to her gem and summoned her sword with a bright light. She bared her teeth, looking down at the service gem's tongue. _She still had a chance._ With a sharp force, she struck her sword down, piercing into the surface below her.

–

Hema's eyes shot open, his previously vicious glare snapping into a look of pure shock and _**agony**_. Giving a half angry, half pained shriek, the giant gem stumbled backwards from the fusion and dropped to the ground, on his knees. In the same instant, he spat Yellow onto the ground, her sword thankfully going with her. A clawed hand made its way up to his face, and the giant gem whimpered quietly, closing his mouth and inhaling deeply through his nose, trying not to let the pain get to him _too_ badly.

 _Damn his sensitive mouth._

The fusion, which had stumbled back at this point, stopped in its tracks a little distance away.

–

Yellow stumbled onto the ground, quickly regaining her footing. Still holding her sword, she held out her arms in an appalled, distressed stance. Her eyes wide, face blank, she stared at the enormous fusion standing before them. She blinked, frozen, saliva dripping off of her. As the fusion snarled down at the two, Yellow slowly looked to the side. She took note of the huge crater that laid in the ground nearby. A few scattered shards laid in the crater where Yellow had been standing not a minute ago, completely obliterated by the fusion's mace.

 _Wait... that's where I was-_

 _... Oops._

She started to put the pieces together, and while she was both petrified and furious... she suddenly realized what Hematite had done.

–

The amalgamation regained its stability just long enough to summon another huge weapon, and was now charging right for Hematite and Yellow Diamond, ready to deliver a killing blow.

Hematite wasn't moving from his crouched position. His head was still hung, hand over his mouth. With his hunting visor on, it was impossible to see the rest of his face.

–

A sharp stab of regret shot through Yellow's core, and she stared up in horror at the fusion. Suddenly, Hematite's mouth didn't seem so bad. Looking back up at the service gem, she shuddered, still visibly shaken.

"Hematite! Nooow would be a good time to do something!" she yelled out, taking a few steps off to the side. There was no way if she tried that she could do anything to that... thing. _She'd only take on a gem like that with White and Blue! What if_ _ **Hematite**_ _couldn't fight it!? What if-_

–

The fusion leapt into the air, bringing its mace down over Hematite's form.

 **G!**

A shuddering shock wave shot through the ground below Hematite's form, knocking Yellow and the remaining three warriors away from him. The shock destabilized the smallest of the three upon impact. Hema's hand was up, clutching the end of the mace mere inches away from his head. Within an instant, the giant gem snapped his head up, teeth bared in fury, a vicious growl rumbling in his chest.

The growl grew in volume until it suddenly erupted into a **roar**.

Shooting upwards, Hematite snatched the mace away from the confused fusion, swinging it back and landing a massive CRACK to the side of the amalgamation's head, knocking it back. It destabilized slightly. Not wasting a moment, the giant harvester clutched the mace tightly in his hands, letting out another fierce roar as he shot forward, landing one final killing blow to the fusion's head.

A huge cloud of multicolored smoke exploded around the giant gem, screening him from view entirely.

–

Yellow held her sword tightly, taking a few slow steps back, watching Hematite completely destroy the fusion. It was as incredible as it was nerve-wracking. The Diamond stayed quiet, her eyes locked on the cloud of multicolored dust. She slowly lifted her sword into a defensive position as the giant gem steadily rose up from the ground, his back turned to her.

–

A stiff breeze blew through the quarry, carrying the sparkling cloud away. The mace in Hematite's hands fizzled out of existence. There, left in a huge crater, were the shattered remains of the five fusion gems.

Hematite's hunting visor fell from his eyes, fizzing away as it hit the ground.

The giant gem turned, looking across the way at Yellow, who was some distance from him. His whole body was shaking. With a soft, worrying crackle, the edges of his form glitched and fizzled irregularly.

His brows furrowed, expression unreadable. All one could see was a faint, vague expression of... _disappointment._

 _ **P O F F!**_

–

Everything fell quiet. The Diamond stood still, staring at the quickly-dissipating cloud of gray dust. Eyes widening, she snapped her attention to the other two warriors. Without skipping a beat, she lit herself up with lightning, baring her teeth harshly. Advancing forward, the warriors braced themselves, but it wasn't enough. She barreled into one, body alight with lightning, stunning them. The force of her charging impact alone was enough to do a number on the warrior, and before they could recover, she grabbed onto their neck, squeezing tightly until they exploded into a cloud of smoke. She made short work of their gem, a soft ' _crick'_ filling the air. Her head slowly lifted, yellow eyes glaring at the final warrior.

Something shook in them, and they faltered, unable to move. _Huge mistake._

With a quick flick of her sword, she flung the blade forward. The warrior tried to turn and run, but was struck down, the sword stabbing straight through them. They, too, burst into smoke. Yellow stood up straight and sighed, walking over to the final gem. She placed her heel over it, and, with little effort, snapped it in two clean pieces.

She made her way around the area, bubbling all the gems that she could find. Thankfully, it seemed like they had successfully taken out all the rebels. Without the ones in Hema's pocket dimension or the ones Yellow had sent away already herself... the total tallied up to 34 gems. The mission was a success.

 _Well... mostly._

She looked back, spotting one last gem sat on the ground, far off. Gray, round, and smooth, it glinted pitifully in the low light. Yellow walked over towards it, kneeling down. She gazed blankly, coldly staring at its reflective surface.

 _He could have killed me._

She narrowed her eyes.

 _But he didn't. The rebels_ _ **would**_ _have killed me, and tried rather hard to. If he wanted me dead... I would be._

Slowly, she reached down and picked up the gem, holding it within her hand. She had every ability to crush it for what he did. And, some tiny part of her, _deep_ within her core _wanted_ to. It wanted so badly to crack this dangerous gem in half and spin some tale about how the mission went sour, and Hematite didn't survive. Despite her hatred of lying, despite how unjust that was... that tiny, paranoid part of her was willing to do it, to keep everyone safe, to prevent something like today's mission from ever happening again, to get rid of this threat.

Yellow scowled at herself in disdain and inhaled deeply through her nose, quickly closing her eyes. She forced that small part of herself down, gripping Hematite's gem firmly in her palm. With just a quick motion, she could break him.

But she didn't. And she wasn't _going_ to. No, she _understood_. As hard as it was at first to believe, she knew why he did what he did. Albeit, it probably wasn't the best way to go about it, he didn't have much more of an option at the time. And, well... _It_ _ **worked**_ _._

She was still alive, and he was intact. Sure, this was a tad worrying for Hematite's stability... but she'd have to worry about that later. Yellow frowned almost guiltily, her expression falling. She owed White an apology for this incident.

Turning to walk out of the quarry, Yellow carried Hematite's gemstone in her hand, careful not to harm it. It was going to be an interesting trip home.

–

–

 _"Ugh..."_

 _ **e**_

Eyes shooting open, Hematite sat up, looking around him. All around the gem's form were impossibly tall blades of grass. The sky above was dark, cloudy, and starless. Slowly, the service gem stood up, crossing his arms and clutching the fabric in his clawed fingers.

 _Was this... his pocket dimension?_

 _Had he destabilized?_

Anxiously, Hematite looked around. He felt like he was being watched. Stepping forward, he bit his lip, trying to figure out where he was. It certainly... _resembled_ his pocket dimension, but everything was so big... Was this another nightmare?

The service gem attempted to reform, but found himself unable to. He was either trapped in a hand or a bubble... and honestly, he was unsure which was worse, given the situation. Trembling, the tiny gem made his slow way through the tall grass towering over him, in the direction he hoped the tower was.

It took Hematite what felt like hours to finally reach the spire. Looking up at the steps, he frowned, clutching at his sleeves. _Why was he so small?_ _He'd never come here like this before..._

Maybe he'd overworked himself to the point of being _stuck_ like this. He shuddered at the thought, trying to push it aside. Clambering up the steps, Hematite turned and sat down on the edge of the stone, looking up at the grassy field that lay before him. His lids felt heavy, and his core was weighed down with exhaustion. For a while, he merely sat there, staring up at the starless sky.

His eyes widened. Glancing over at a patch of grass, Hematite could have sworn he saw something... something _dark_. He drew his knees to his chest, scooting back to the face of the next step. His eyes never left the grass he saw move.

 _But, to both his relief_ _ **and**_ _his displeasure, nothing showed up._

He could have sworn that, whatever it was... it'd been grinning at him. He knew he'd seen _teeth_. Hematite swallowed quietly, a shiver running up his back. _He didn't want to think about anyone else being in here with him._

Looking up at the sky, Hematite frowned sadly, clutching his knees close. The mission raced through his mind, playing through it relentlessly. Yellow's strange behavior, the way she seemed so unfocused, how utterly useless he was up until the very end... all of it hit him in a wave. Maybe Yellow would have been better off if he hadn't come with her. She wouldn't have been distracted, and that gem probably wouldn't have fused. For all he knew, they only fused to take him out because he was a bigger threat than she was, literally.

 ** _You just got in the way._**

 ** _You should have stayed with White at the tower._**

 ** _Now you're another step closer to-_**

 _Stop it._

Sighing heavily, Hematite buried his face in his knees. His mussed, fluffy hair laid over his forearms in messy tufts that he didn't bother fixing. He forced the inner voice in his head to quiet, leaving him in tense silence. _How many gems were left when I destabilized...? Two, three? She should be able to handle them, right?_

… _I hope she's okay._

–

–

It took two hours of running to get back to her towers. Without Hematite's stamina to worry about, her trip to the front of the district only took a fraction of the time it did before. After all, Yellow's speed was nothing to sneeze at.

She was waiting in her room, Hematite's gemstone placed delicately on a soft cushion that she'd taken from White's room some time ago. She paced back and forth, jotting down a report in her diamond pad as she walked. Another hour passed. Hematite wasn't back yet. Sighing, she made her way over to her desk and sat down, entwining her fingers. Half lidded eyes stared down at the gem, watching it carefully.

 _He'll be back soon. He has to be..._

She glanced away, silent. He'd pushed himself so far for the sake of keeping her safe, and she let her fear get the better of her. Even on the way back to the tower, that small part of her was tempted to do something harmful to his gemstone. Sure, the thought was fleeting and borderline invasive, but it was still there. For the time being, it had subsided. Every minute that ticked by made it lessen more and more. Instead of the temptation to get rid of the gem, a dull, but pervasive sense of self-loathing rose up in the Diamond. _Why did she still feel this way?_ She hated this fear, this paranoia. It was degrading, and caused far more problems than there needed to be. She didn't want to see him as a threat, or to even have the _temptation_ to shatter him, no matter how small. There was no reason for it, not right now. Hematite had a very open, very clear opportunity to kill her today, but he didn't.

 _He saved her._

–

Back in his pocket dimension, Hematite could tell that he was free to reform now, whenever he wanted. But something was holding him back. Sure, he hadn't been shattered, that much was clear. But Yellow couldn't have been happy about the stunt he pulled. The tiny gem buried his face in his knees. He didn't want to face her, and he sure as hell didn't want to reform to possibly find himself in some rebel base.

Still... he couldn't stay here forever. He didn't want to.

 _Something didn't feel right, here._

After another 'hour' or so, Hematite finally lifted his head, his expression one of pure dread.

 _Well, better not keep whoever had his gem waiting any longer._

–

The gem on the small cushion began to glow, lifting just slightly into the air. Hematite's projection began to shine as it spread out from the gemstone and cycled through his various forms. But something changed, and he suddenly got smaller. And _smaller_.

With a soft 'thunk', Hematite's tiny form landed on Yellow's desk, next to the cushion his gemstone had been resting on. He inhaled sharply through his teeth, rubbing his head. That reformation had _hurt_. He supposed it was from pushing himself so far past his limits...

It seemed his form hadn't changed much, if anything, the only difference was that the diamond insignia was gone from his back. That, and, there was something different about his overall appearance. It was nearly impossible to tell with how tiny he was, though.

–

Yellow's eyes widened, watching the tiny gem reform. _That wasn't quite what she'd expected._ Without a word, she stared down at him. From the angle Hematite was at, he couldn't see her mouth behind her folded hands. It was hard to tell what she was thinking, really. She took a slow, steady breath through her nose.

 _"Hematite."_ The word came out cold, monotonous. Her face fell neutral.

–

Hema's eyes shot open, and he looked up, tensing at the sight of the huge Diamond before him.

 _No._

 _No, he was in her office again._

 _Not like_ _ **this**_ _._

 _ **Anything but this.**_

The tiny service gem found himself unable to speak. He began to tremble, memories of that dreaded night long past flashing through his mind.

–

Yellow sat still for a moment. She noticed his shivering, but she refrained from changing expression. Then she moved her hands from her face, letting one drop beside her. The other, however, slowly reached down for him.

–

 _He was right._

 _She was angry._

 _She probably wanted to teach him another 'lesson.'_

A soft whimper escaped the tiny gem as he looked up at Yellow Diamond's hand. He threw his arms up over his head, knees pulling close to his chest.

"I-I'm sorry, I won't do it again, I wasn't thinking! I didn't know what to do!"

–

As her hand got closer, she uncurled her fingers, casting a dark shadow over his small frame. But, before he could do or say anything else, she gently rested her fingertips on his head and back. It was a little awkward for her, but she could tell he was scared out of his wits. _Maybe this would help?_ Slowly, she lifted her hand slightly, removing most of her fingers. All except one. She ran it softly over his hair, as if 'petting' him. A moment of silence filled the air.

"I know why you did... what you did, Hematite," she said softly. Yellow looked away, biting the inside of her cheek.

–

Hematite's trembling quelled, and he opened one eye, glancing up without moving his head. He swallowed, another soft, distressed sound escaping him before he realized she wasn't trying to pick him up.

He blinked as he realized Yellow was running her finger over his hair. A soft exhale of disbelief escaped the tiny gem as he slowly moved his arms, venturing to look up at the Diamond.

–

Yellow glanced back down, brows raised slightly.

"Thank you for, um... saving me. And sorry about your tongue..." she said awkwardly, shrugging.

–

The tiny gem stared in shock at his superior, but finally moved his hands away from his head completely, wrapping his arms around his legs. He rested his chin behind his knees, eyes drifting shut just slightly at the light contact to his hair.

"... I was just doing my job. And... don't worry about it." He tilted his chin up for a moment, stuck out his tongue as if checking it for damage, and then returned to leaning his chin behind his knees. "No harm done." Hema went silent for a moment. "... I'm sorry if I-" He paused. He didn't want to use the word 'scared'. Not with _her_. "-brought back unpleasant memories."

–

Yellow lifted her hand away finally, placing it on the table.

"Don't worry about it. You did well." She got quiet, glancing away. "You must be very tired. You should be getting back to White... You'll both be happy to know the mission was successful. After you retreated back into your gem, I took care of the remainder of the rebels." She placed her other hand up on the desk, resting it over the other. She looked professional yet again, sitting up straight. She still looked like a mess, though, despite her professional air. "There were only two, but I finished bubbling the rest of the gems that I'd found. Inspecting the area can wait, for now. What we did should have cleared out the problem."

–

Nodding, the service gem began to stand up, trying to take his own professional stance. He folded his arms behind him, looking up at her respectfully.

"Thank you, Yellow. I'm glad I could... be of some use." His expression softened. "You should get some rest yourself." He sighed quietly, rubbing one of his eyes. "We've both earned it, honestly." The tiny gem stifled a yawn. He cleared his throat and stood at attention once more. "Sorry. If you'll allow it, I should be getting back to White."

–

Yellow looked at the door, then back down at Hematite. There was a pause.

"You know, you're... rather small, right now. It's probably a very long walk to White's tower... especially at your current size," she said softly, placing her palms together.

–

Hematite's brows raised, his shoulders tensing subtly. Those words were eerily familiar.

 _No, he wasn't going to fall for that trap this time._

The tiny gem gave a _very_ forced smile and cleared his throat.

"Yes, it is. But I can make it just fine, I've done it plenty of times before," he said as respectfully as he could.

–

Once again, Yellow glanced away.

"Well... I should report to White how the mission went. Since I'll be headed that way too, maybe I could..." She looked back at the tiny gem awkwardly. "Carry you?"

–

The tiny gem blinked slowly. He opened his mouth, as if to say something, but then closed it.

Repeat. The second time he closed his mouth, he arched a brow, as if confused. _Had he heard her right?_

"Oh... well." Hematite looked around, wondering if this was all some elaborate prank. _Or... was she being serious?_ The service gem looked up at his superior, eyes wide. But instead of fearful, his expression was more... curious. And then he smiled, getting an idea. "Well, that would be far more _efficient_ , wouldn't it? Get us both there in a more timely manner... sounds good to me!" He beamed up at her, hoping that that way of accepting would be less awkward for her.

–

She twitched at his words, eyes widening in surprise. For a moment, there was a bright gleam in her eye. She smirked gradually, hardly masking what pride was welling up within her. However, she quickly stifled it and held out her palm to the smaller gem, her expression neutral once more. _She still had to look professional, after all._

–

 _He'd caaaught that.~_

Hematite gave the quietest chuckle before he stepped onto Yellow's palm, without even a hint of hesitation. He looked at his superior's gloved hand before he carefully sat down, crossing his legs. Smiling, the tiny gem folded his hands near his ankles, fully settled. He gazed up at Yellow Diamond, eyes bright.

"Let's deliver that report."

–

Yellow stared down curiously at the tiny gem, still barely masking the gleam in her gaze. Standing from her desk, she carefully lifted Hematite up, heading for the door.

"Let's."


	53. According to Plan

_Summary: Hematite encounters a unique group of rebels._

 _Notes: This chapter marks the premiere of arc 4._

* * *

The sun was shining warmly over the Diamond Towers, a few rolling clouds scattered across the horizon. There was a soft, relaxing hum drifting from the city, gems going about their day like usual. Each of the Diamonds was in their office, doing various types of work. Well, all but one.

"And I swear to stars, this had better be the last time I get eaten by a gem monster!" Hematite tossed his arms up, one of his hands holding his eyepiece. "So I've shrunken down, right? And so this thing takes advantage of that, and I end up in what I can only call its 'stomach'; though it was more like a cave, to be honest. And there are bubbled gems and who knows _what_ else **_everywhere._** " Grimacing, the service gem shook his head, his tongue sticking out slightly in disgust. He shifted in his seat, crossing one leg over the other. "I'm thinking to myself, 'oh, great, it's good that this thing doesn't know how to bubble me; I don't fancy being part of some gut-museum.'"

–

Blue's hands were pressed up against her face, her eyes bright and attentive. Her work was strewn across her desk, laying helter-skelter in messy piles and positions. The Diamond didn't seem the least bit interested in the tedium of paperwork and reports, as a wide space in front of her was cleared away for her to lean on her desk uninterrupted. Blue raised a brow at Hema's last few comments, and she sneered in displeasure.

"Yick... really? Stars, that musta been creepy," she said, swinging her legs under her chair. "How did you get outta that one?" she asked curiously, leaning forward over her desk. She always enjoyed Hematite's stories. He went on the wildest missions, saw the most peculiar and exciting of things at times, and always seemed to pay such close attention to little details. She loved hearing him tell his tales, even if it meant she had to shirk work. _Well, not like this was much different than any other day._

–

Hematite chuckled and shrugged, starting to gesture with his hands again as he continued his story.

"Right, so at first I'm thinking maaaybe I can pop one of the bubbles to get some assistance, but I have _no_ clue who any of these gems are, so I thought better of it. No, instead-" He leaned forward, putting his hands on the desk, shaking his head. "I had to wait at least **seven hours** before I could change back to normal! It was terrible!" The service gem chuckled, giving a half-hearted, exasperated sigh as he sat back in his chair. He ran his fingers through his hair, breathing deeply. "I managed to give it a good enough zap to get it to spit me out. I'm glad I didn't get destabilized, though. That thing was nooot happy to see me."

–

Blue smiled, though she looked more concerned than amused.

"Yeah, really... Hah, I'd really miss ya if you were gone for too long. I'm glad you're alr-" Before Blue could finish her sentence, she was cut off by a familiar, rapid beeping. Perking up slightly, she stared at the service gem, then at his eyepiece. "Errr, your communicator's goin' crazy!"

–

Blinking in surprise, Hematite started at the sharp noise.

"Ah, stars, hold on!" The service gem brought his hand back to his face, placing the small visor over his left eye. He cleared his throat and tapped on the surface, mentally commanding the eyepiece to answer the call. It clicked quietly. "This is Hematite."

–

It was White's voice that followed. She sounded hurried and serious.

"Hematite, I need you to report to my office as soon as you can. There's a big problem and I'm going to need your help. I'll explain everything when you get here," she said.

Blue couldn't make out too much of what was being said, but she could tell it was White's voice coming from the visor, and she barely made out the words 'report' and 'office'. She sat back, biting her lip. _Darn, she wanted to hear the rest of the story._

–

Sitting up a bit straighter, Hematite frowned and cleared his throat again, nodding.

"Yes ma'am. I'll be right over." The service gem hung up and shot Blue an apologetic smile. "Sorry, I guess I owe you the end of that story later!" He stood up and adjusted his sleeves before standing at attention. Giving Blue a quick salute, he smiled and started for the door. "I'll see you around, Blue!"

–

Blue crossed her arms, sitting back in her chair. _Well, she_ _ **did**_ _have work she should be doing today, so maybe it was for the best._ Giving the Hematite a wave, she grinned in understanding.

"Alright kid, good luck with whatever it is!"

–

The service gem gave a final wave before the office door hissed shut behind him. Stepping outside, Hematite looked around and stepped out onto the sky bridge connecting Blue's tower to Yellow's.

"Mm... at this rate, it'll take me at least an hour or two to get over there, even if I run." Hematite bit his lip as he started his brisk walk to Yellow's tower. White sounded rather urgent; he needed to get there quicker. Looking down off the bridge, Hematite eyed the various diamond facilities that laid between the four massive towers. Cutting through there certainly wouldn't help; it'd take him even longer to traverse.

... If he was _this_ size, at least.

Hematite slowed to a stop, peering over the edge of the sky bridge The ground below the sky bridges were clear of any buildings, in case of incident or damage. A fall from this height wouldn't hurt a gem if they didn't hit their gemstone, as it was only about a hundred feet or so off the ground.

If White needed him, he needed to get to her as soon as he could. Perhaps if he...

He furrowed his brow, frowning. Backing up, the service gem stared ahead, across the massive expanse between him and the White Tower on the horizon. Hematite clenched his fists, suddenly bolting forward.

He leapt straight off the bridge.

The service gem's form began to glow halfway down to the ground, and he shifted up to his half height in a flash, landing with a heavy THUD on the clear ground below the bridge. He stood up quickly, and made a beeline for the White Tower, deftly making his way over the different, much smaller facilities that lay between him and his destination.

Unintentionally, he startled quite a few Peridots and other service gems that were busying themselves among the different facilities, but they didn't have much time to react as Hematite raced by. The service gem was glad he'd kept a mental map of this place where there was a semi-clear path between the towers.

The run to White's only took him about twenty minutes.

Stopping, Hematite stood next to the White tower, staring up at it, his breathing slightly heavy. The huge structure dwarfed him, even at eight stories tall. Hema couldn't help but marvel at how, no matter how tall he could get, there was always something bigger to remind him how massive the world really was. Whether it be tower, mountain, a Kindergarten cliff, or the Diamonds themselves, he was oft reminded that being the biggest race of gems in the universe didn't spare him from feeling tiny now and then.

But, he didn't have time to admire gem architecture! Looking over, Hematite neared the sky bridge that led to White's office and carefully placed his hand on the edge, sure not to put too much pressure on it. Closing his eyes, he focused on the bridge. Within a moment, he returned to his normal height, crouched on the edge of the bridge where his hand had been resting. He stood up straight and adjusted his sleeves before briskly making his way to White's office. He knocked, waiting for the door to hiss open.

–

White's Pearl opened the door, greeting Hematite with a gentle smile.

"Hello, you must be here for White, correct? Please, come in," she said, moving aside and gesturing for the service gem to walk through. White was sitting at her desk, apparently still on her communicator. She was nearing the end of a conversation.

"Alright... thank you for your notification. I'll see to it that this is taken care of as quickly and quietly as possible," she stated, her eyes closed and hands clasped together in front of her mouth.

–

Hematite stepped inside the office with a polite, warm smile to the Pearl. He folded his arms behind his back and stopped a little ways from White's desk. Blinking, he caught the voice on the other end of the call. It was quiet, but Hema could make everything out.

"That's greatly appreciated, White Diamond. Thank you. I'll see to it that I keep my eyes open for any trouble closer to my capital. I'll order my warriors to be on high alert. Again, I'm terribly sorry to ask for your assistance out here. I would have asked Yellow if she wasn't so awfully busy at the moment. Watch your back out there, these gems are notoriously tricky."

The voice belonged to none other than General Topaz.

–

White nodded and clicked off the communicator. Opening her eyes, she spotted Hematite in the doorway.

"You got here quickly," she said curiously, placing her hands down on her desk. There wasn't the normal feel in the air this time. While it wasn't exactly tense, it wasn't entirely welcoming and warm either. There wasn't even any tea set out on the table. White looked unreadable and thoughtful.

–

Clearing his throat, Hematite nodded and stood a little straighter.

"I shifted up and cut across the facility clearing. I figured that'd be far quicker." The tiniest of nervous smiles crossed his face. The air in the office felt odd. "I was right, thankfully."

–

She raised a brow.

"Clever. Good, you'll need your wits today..." she said, tapping her fingers on the desk. "Listen, Hematite; I've got to go on an important mission today and I'm going to need your help." She still sounded highly serious. Whatever this was, it wasn't good.

–

The service gem's shoulders began to tense. He brushed his fingers behind his back, nervously glancing away for a moment. He looked anxious. This wasn't right; White didn't usually look like this. What had happened while he was gone on his last mission?

"What do you need me to do?" He finally brought his gaze back to her.

–

Blankly, White stared right through Hematite.

"I've just received word from General Topaz that there might be a worrying uprising involving a particularly evasive rebel group out on her planet. If what I've heard is true, this could lead to an all-out _war_ if we don't stop it." She closed her eyes, sighing. Clasping her hands together once more, she continued. "I need your help tracking down this group. Not only that, if things get nasty, I'll need your backup. This is a risky, dangerous task, but we need to act now if we are to avoid catastrophe. The group isn't big enough to start a full-scale war yet, but from what the general has told me, this sounds like the makings of a troublesome thorn in our side. I would normally take this job on alone, or with a small battalion, but I trust you far more. It's just going to be me and you. Do you understand?" She opened her eyes again. She looked fierce.

–

Hematite's eyes widened, and the hair on the back of his neck stood up.

 _A war?_

That was the last thing Homeworld needed to deal with right now. Or any time, for that matter. How could anyone even think of bringing on such devastation again? But, more importantly, how could such a large group go unnoticed for so long...?

"I understand, White Diamond. However, I have one question." Hematite cleared his throat. "I am not questioning General Topaz, but how do you know this could lead to a war? How did the general find out about this? If such a large group has gathered, shouldn't it have been noticed before?"

–

White's brows lowered, glancing down at the diamond pad that lay flat on her desk. Turning it on, she flipped through some files.

"I received an anonymous message today that set this in motion. I was suspicious... so I contacted General Topaz to see if she could confirm or deny anything and to see if she had any insight as to what was going on." White paused, selecting something with a single finger from the pad. "General Topaz, as far as I've seen and heard from Yellow over the centuries, is very skilled at keeping her planet in order. Yet, these gems have evaded even her. They have been detected before, but they've only recently become an active threat. It's highly likely it's the same group that I received the aforementioned tip on. Even with Topaz's confirmation, mmm. I wanted to double-check everything, so. I called Yellow to confirm if this truly has been a problem, or if General Topaz was just overreacting, but surely enough, Yellow says that this group has been trouble for quite some time. Neither of us are sure about it actually becoming a war, but we cannot take that chance. If Topaz _and_ Yellow are having trouble, then we've got to do something. Their warriors' methods cannot seem to stop these gems."

–

Peering at the diamond pad, Hematite blinked and frowned. Topaz was having troubles with rebels? All her records showed that she was a skilled and intelligent strategist; if _she_ couldn't handle this... No, if _Yellow_ couldn't handle it...

 _Then what kind of faction were they up against here?_

He nodded quietly and turned his attention back up to White.

"What was the message you received?"

–

White glanced back down at the pad, flicking her finger onto a small, diamond insignia. It appeared to be an audio file. The clip started playing. There was no picture or video, and the voice was unfamiliar.

–

The service gem stood at attention, listening carefully. There was a hint of static in the message, and as soon as the voice spoke up, Hematite grimaced in confusion. The gem on the other end was highly distorted, and the pitch of the recording shifted once in a while, making it impossible to identify the voice or to pick up on any vocal quirks.

 _"I don't have much time."_ The gem on the recording sounded hushed and hurried. They listed off some coordinates that sounded vaguely familiar to Hematite. He wondered for a moment if he'd been to them before, on a mission. The voice continued after listing the coordinates. _"There is a faction of ex-Homeworld gems that are planning to rebel against the capital of this planet, and then Homeworld's. That's where their base is. These rebels mean business, there are so many of them, I think they mean to start a full-on uprising, starting with the White District. I cannot help you. If they found out I shared this information, I'd be shattered. But I can warn you of this. Be wary of their scout. They have one in that particular area, but only one. Do not let her escape, should she spot you. I believe she's under direct orders to give the signal to start the uprising, should anyone discover their plans. Please, White Diamond, if you're hearing this, you know what to do. Do not let them get away with this."_ There was a clatter in the background, and muffled, warped voices. _"I have to go."_ _Click._

The static stopped, and the recording ended.

Hematite stared, wide-eyed, at the small device. He couldn't pick out a single feature of the voice that he could recognize, it was so distorted. Sure, the message was clear _enough_ , but it frustrated him that he wasn't able to pick up on any quirks. He didn't think he'd be finding the owner of that voice any time soon.

"I see."

–

White turned the diamond pad off completely, storing it in her gem.

"So, do you see what we're up against? At the very least, it's worth checking out. I'm just going to need your assistance if anything goes awry. Thankfully, there's a galaxy warp on her planet. We can get there in no time," she stated, standing up from her chair. "Are you prepared for anything?"

–

Hematite looked up at her as she stood, and his brows furrowed as he gave her a short, firm nod. There was a new, determined look in his eyes. He squared his shoulders and feet, standing with his chin high.

"Yes, White Diamond." He smiled, saluting her proudly. "They won't know what hit 'em!"

–

White smirked and stepped out from behind her desk. Raising her hand up, she brought it down on Hematite's head, ruffling his hair a little.

"Good. That's what I like to hear. We shall depart immediately. Come, Hema," she said, making her way to the door. _This wasn't going to be easy, but she knew they could do it together._

–

The small service gem looked up in curiosity, his brows raising. Hematite inhaled in surprise as White ruffled his hair, and he smiled brightly, closing his eyes for a moment. As she walked off, he turned, following her eagerly.

"Right behind you."

 _Another mission with White! He couldn't wait. Together, they'd take these traitors down, and nothing could stop them._

 ** _Whoever you are, watch out. We're coming for you._**

–

–

White stepped off of the warp pad with Hematite, glancing off to the side. She hadn't seen this planet for millennia, but had heard many stories from both common gems and Yellow herself about what was being done to it. The outside world seemed to be overrun by nature, yet White could pick out distinct signs of Yellow's handiwork in what technology did lay here and there. Fascinating. She'd take time to conduct some research in any other situation, but she needed to stay focused for this. There was no time for notes. Turning, she made sure Hematite was following close by.

"Alright Hematite, you should have the coordinates already. Go ahead and enter them in, and we'll be on our way," she said, staring ahead once more.

–

Huge, mossy, ancient-looking walls surrounded half of the area around the galaxy warp. Just beyond the walls, one could make out the tips of a few buildings, all of them seeming to rise at different heights. Their architecture resembled that of the Pink District, although bits of the structures appeared newer, more advanced. This planet was once a Pink Diamond-controlled colony, but now was under the rule of Yellow Diamond. Many of the buildings had been torn down, leaving enormous ruins along most of the ground outside the city, long since overgrown with wild plant life. But the capital's buildings had been left intact and expanded upon. No use in tearing down those facilities when they could be put to good use.

From the dense foliage and humid air, it was clear that this planet was far more taken by Mother Nature than Homeworld. While one had to search for a place as lush as this on the home planet, this one was completely overgrown with flora. In the distance rose range upon range of mountains, some seemingly capped with snow.

Stepping off of the warp pad, Hematite looked around. Now that he could see the planet's galaxy warp, he was sure he'd been here on a mission before. He was embarrassed to admit to himself that he hadn't recognized the coordinates, even though he should have. Sometimes he'd get lost in a mission and forget exactly where he was, whether it was the Pink District or another planet entirely.

Looking to White, Hema nodded, his visor chirping to life. Mentally, he entered the numbers from the recording and frowned, concentrating on his map. A small, white diamond insignia appeared over a spanning mountain range. The service gem grimaced slightly.

 _Stars, that_ _was a long way to go..._

"It seems we'll be walking for a long while. White?" He looked at her and cocked a brow, giving her the same look he had the last two times he had offered her a ride on his shoulder.

–

White observed the landscape around her. While it was interesting enough, it certainly looked like a hassle to get around. The Home City was far more tidy and well-kept. She turned to Hematite, giving him a nod.

"Seems that way. What do you have to remedy that?" she said with a hint of snark. Crossing her arms, she grinned. She already knew where this was going, and she certainly wasn't going to pass it up.

–

Hematite blinked at White's hint of sarcasm, and he turned his head away slightly with a smirk, though he kept his eyes on her.

"Oh, I don't know. I can't think of any possible way to hurry our trip along."

He stepped away from the warp pad and made his way out of the slightly-enclosed cove. If he was going to do this, he needed space. Stopping outside where the galaxy warp was nestled, Hematite took a deep breath and closed his eyes, his gem glowing brightly. As per the usual, he shifted to his half height, turned around, knelt, and held out his palm for White to climb on, a contented smile on his face.

–

White stepped carefully onto Hematite's hand as she had done a couple of times before.

"Right. You know where we are headed, yes?" she called up, grabbing a hold of one of his fingers. She'd never admit it, but something within her found these little trips on Hematite's shoulder or even in his hands strangely thrilling.

–

Slowly lifting his hand and standing straight, the giant gem nodded curtly.

"Mm. Seems their base is in a mountainous range out there." He nodded toward the horizon before them. "It'll probably be a long while before we get there, even with me at this size." Looking forward, he exhaled sharply through his nose, lifting his hand up close to his chest. He held it close enough to his shoulder that White could climb up if she wanted, or stay in his hand.

–

The Diamond arched a brow, quickly climbing up onto Hema's shoulder and crouching down.

"Well, we'd best be swift then," she said quietly, narrowing her eyes while staring into the mountains. This was going to be a long ride.

–

Hematite blinked and looked forward, the softest hum of disagreement escaping his throat. Swift wasn't exactly his plan. For once, Hematite didn't break into a run, or even a jog. Instead, he walked briskly, his steps even and measured. It was an odd change from the last two times. He seemed more focused, less in a hurry to get to where they were headed.

However, he simply didn't want to use up his energy. He was finally being smart, pacing himself. The last thing he wanted was to be without his size shifting in the middle of a dangerous battle.

The service gem made his way across the countryside, his visor quietly whirring away as he walked toward the location on the map.

–

White was a little confused at first, but soon caught on to what Hematite was doing. _How wise._ With a small grin, she brought out the diamond pad that she stored in her gem before. _Well, since they were going to be a little while, she might as well take what notes she could._ The architecture was an odd mix of new and old, and the wildlife was vast. It had been a long time since she had seen a planet in this sort of condition. She found that it might be valuable to her archives.

–

–

Despite them leaving at nearly the crack of dawn, night had fallen upon the two gems before they arrived, and two moons were high in the sky as Hematite approached the monstrous cliff sides of the mountains. He looked up and frowned deeply, a soft hum in his throat. He didn't like going into enclosed spaces when enemy gems could be lurking at any turn...

"Hmmm. My coordinates say it's somewhere in here, but..." Hematite reached up, scratching the back of his head. "Tch." Putting his anxiety aside, the service gem made his way slowly into a large chasm between two of the cliff sides. This place was eerily similar to the place he and White had gone as Howlite, though there was admittedly a little less signal interference here. His visor wasn't completely on the fritz like it had been with Howlite.

–

White glanced around, curiously eyeing the cliff faces. Looks like there was only really one way to go.

"Don't worry, Hematite. We'll find them; just keep looking. Are you getting much interference?" she asked, looking up to his face. She clutched the fabric over his shoulder gently, peering around.

–

The service gem shook his head just slightly.

"Thankfully, no. It seems this place has lost its strong connection with Pink Diamond, unlike the last location we visited like this, back on Homeworld. The plant life is far less obtrusive to my radar." He looked up and around him as he walked. "It's strange... I thought we'd have seen more gem creatures by now. But, perhaps the base being nearby has chased them off." At this point, Hematite was just trying to make small-talk to ease his nerves. He wasn't used to not running into some sort of gem creature for such a long stretch of time. Surely he should have found something in the long hours he and White had walked. Something just didn't feel right to him.

No sooner had he spoken than his visor chirped, a faint signal blipping onto the screen. There was a faint screech from one of the cliff sides, and along a path that ran among some woody plants, a small, insect-like monster glared down at the two gems. Hematite looked up and frowned.

"Spoke too soon."

–

The Diamond stood up tall on Hematite's shoulder, raising her hand slightly. She was going to pull out a weapon, but she hesitated. She wasn't certain if it was worth messing with right now, and the less noise they made, the better. Turning her head to Hematite, she nodded silently.

"Careful."

–

Hematite glanced at his leader without turning his head, and gave a small nod. He stared up at the creature once more, his brows creasing as he bared his teeth. It was rather small, and wasn't exactly the type of monster that he'd normally mess with if he came across it, since it wasn't large enough to consider a threat... But this creature was acting odd. It wasn't running away. In fact, it was venturing closer, snapping its pincer-like jaws at the giant gem.

What on Homeworld did it think it was doing?

Sighing, Hematite lifted his hand up to his eyes and flicked on his hunting visor. A small target appeared and locked onto the gem.

 _Whiirrrr_

 _Click_

"Tch. It's just a copy." Hematite's eyes widened as he realized what that implied. "Which means there's a mother nearby."

–

White's eyes narrowed, and she summoned a polearm. She didn't want to cause a scene, but a mother monster was dangerous. Should things get dicey, she didn't want to take any chances of Hematite getting worn down before they got to the base.

"Shall we take care of them, then?" she asked, glaring at the small monster still approaching. "The quicker we get rid of these things, the better."

–

Nodding, Hematite exhaled quickly through his nose and made his way closer to the gem creature. It was far, far above him on the cliffs, and he realized he couldn't reach it.

His gem began to glow.

Slowly, the already-giant gem grew taller, soon reaching his maximum height. Unnerved by this, the insect-like monster screeched and scurried away, trying to make some distance between itself and the harvester. However, Hema was too close. Reaching up, the giant gem effortlessly plucked the creature off the wall and held it close to his visor, scanning it carefully. Snapping its jaws, the monster thrashed around, hissing angrily. The screen made a few sharp clicks and chirps before Hematite finally had a solid read.

"Gem located: Jade copy. Status: Corrupted. Mission Objective: Eliminate." Jade signature now locked into place on his radar, Hematite sharply closed his fist around the creature, poofing it easily.

–

White held onto Hematite's glowing form, watching the world around her seem to shrink. Raising her brows, she realized she'd never been on his shoulder while he was at full height before. It was incredible, albeit momentarily unnerving. She decided not to dwell much on it, after all; he was making sure he was careful with her. Even if she did fall, it wouldn't hurt her. Standing up straight again, she tapped the end of her polearm on Hematite's shoulder gently.

"Any sign of the rest?" she asked, fixated on Hematite's visor.

–

At the light tap, Hematite looked over at her fully, the target on his visor squared in the center of the screen. It wasn't locked on anything in particular at the moment. Hema's eyes, at this distance, could just faintly be made out behind the hunting visor.

"I've got the signal; shouldn't take long if it's nearby." He turned his head to the path in front of him and took a deep breath, pacing forward, silent. His visor whirred away, the target now flickering around the cliff sides and sparse plant life as he hunted for either more copies or the gem mother. He wasn't sure which he'd rather find first...

–

White blinked as he spoke, staring up at the insignia on his visor. At the very least, she could make out his eyes, so it wasn't really as unnerving as it would have been. She'd never been quite this close to his face at this size, either. White kept a steady hold of Hematite's shirt with one hand, crouched low.

"Alright. Keep steady," she said sternly, glancing around for any sign of movement.

–

The giant gem nodded without a word, making his careful way through the system of chasms. To his satisfaction, the Jade signature was slowly getting stronger. If they were lucky, he could take it out quickly and they could continue on their way to finding the rebel base. He didn't want to spend too much time or energy fighting corrupted gems.

–

About twenty minutes passed without incident. The harvester stepped out of the narrow path he'd been on for some time into a large, branching clearing. It seemed this place was a barely-used Kindergarten, as there was a single injector drill and about ten or so holes in the far side of the cliff. Five or so narrow paths branched away from the center clearing, and Hema frowned, looking around. He suddenly froze in place. His visor clicked aggressively. There was a faint screech down one of the smaller chasms, and it was approaching fast.

–

White growled, clutching her polearm in hand. She'd heard it too, just barely. Quietly, she lifted the weapon and took a steady hold, almost as if she were aiming. However, she didn't see anything yet. "Get ready."

–

Hematite nodded, baring his teeth. His visor had caught movement down the chasm. A large, powerful signal was on the move.

A huge, much more monstrous version of the Jade copy from before came crashing out of one of the chasmic paths, scurrying along the wall, its jaws snapping and dripping with acidic green saliva. The liquid dropped to the floor, bits of 'steam' burning away from the drops.

 _Right, don't get that on you._

A deep growl rumbled in Hematite's throat, and his hands flashed, his knuckledusters appearing. A distant roll of thunder followed, echoing the giant gem's growling. Clouds were starting to move in.

Despite the dark of the night, Hematite had a full view of the monster before him, and stepped back quickly as it leapt off the wall and scurried toward him, jaws snapping. The service gem delivered a quick blow to the side of the Jade monster's face, earning a loud screech.

–

White couldn't remain steady on his shoulder forever like this, so it was time to move. With an agile leap, White maneuvered herself onto the gem monster's head, driving the end of her spear into the back of its neck. With a blood-curdling cry, it thrashed around violently, spitting acid up in the air in all different directions. White grunted, holding onto its fluffy mane and grabbing her polearm from its neck.

"Sorry Hematite!" She called out, scurrying down its spine. Summoning another pole arm, she spun each in her grasp before aiming and chucking them one by one at the creature's long, segmented body.

–

Hematite inhaled sharply through his teeth, just BARELY dodging the wild shots of acid that the monster spat out.

"WHITE BE CAREFUL WITH THAT-"

Stumbling back, the giant gem froze, spotting movement near White, on the creature's neck. As his leader made her way down a few segments of the monster's spine, something shot out from the Jade's thick mane of fur, striking White directly in the back, wrapping around her. It was a multi-ended whip.

Before either Hematite or White could react, the weapon snapped back, thrusting the Diamond harshly to the stone floor below, directly in front of the giant, insect-like monster.

–

Yelping in shock, the Diamond went flying into the ground, hitting it with a painful 'THUD'. She grunted in pain, momentarily dazed. Pushing herself off of the ground, grunting, she stared up wide-eyed at the monster. _What on Homeworld?!_ Summoning another polearm, she took a few rapid steps back and pointed the metallic tip at the beast, who roared viciously at her gesture with unwavering, primal rage.

–

The Jade monster quickly snapped its head down, jaws dripping with acidic spit. But then its mane shifted. A gem twice the size of White appeared behind the creature's head, a whip in one set of hands, the monster's fur clutched in her two others. She stood high, proud, with her chin tilted up. A wide, confident grin was painted on her face. Letting out a bellowing laugh, the gem cracked her whip, the monster below her lurching up in response, clacking its huge 'beak' with a loud, piercing screech.

Hematite quickly covered his ears, inhaling through his teeth, grimacing.

More signals suddenly appeared on his radar.

 _It was an ambush._

 _Stars, not again!_

Over the edges of the cliff sides, more gem monsters suddenly poured in, a few of them being ridden by different rebel gems. The chasm clearing was suddenly filled with a cacophonous mix of screeching and battle cries.

–

White scowled, glaring daggers into the gem who stood upon the gem monster. By the looks of it, they weren't a standard gem. At least, from what she could tell, it had to be a fusion. Growling, the Diamond raced back towards the massive harvester. It wasn't a good idea to stand out in the open.

"Hematite! Quickly! Take out that beast!" she snarled, her eyes locking on the gems flooding over the cliffs. Summoning two more polearms, she rushed into the fray, leaving Hematite to the corrupted Jade.

–

Hematite's visor had gotten a good-enough look to identify the gem on the monster's back. The screen blinked for a moment before a set of stats appeared to the sides.

Fusion found: Zultanite. Components: Ruby and Amethyst. Status: No gem faults detected. Mission Objective: Harvest.

Gritting his teeth in a snarl, the giant gem shot forward, ready to deliver a sharp blow to the Jade monster. Zultanite cracked her whip again, and before Hematite could fully close the distance, the corrupted gem creature whipped around, slamming its huge 'tail' into him, knocking him away. Clawed hands met stone, and the harvester skidded to a stop on the rock floor, deep gouges dug into the ground by his claws. Now on all fours, Hematite snarled fiercely at the gem monster, his hackles raised. One of the approaching warriors cackled maniacally, kicking their heel into the reptilian monster they rode down the wall. The creature hissed aggressively as it leapt down, landing on Hematite's back. The warrior raised up their sword to strike the giant gem's neck, but they shrieked in surprise as a massive, clawed hand shot toward them. In an instant, the clawed tips of the giant's hand dug into the gem monster, poofing it effortlessly. His hand wrapped firmly around the rebel.

Hematite clutched the warrior tightly in his fist, his eyes still locked on the Jade monster that was now fast approaching him. Without missing a beat, the harvester snarled down at the warrior in his fist, opened his mouth, and shoved them in quickly, his teeth snapping shut behind them. The rebel shouted in panicked surprise and turned around to try and escape, but it was too late. Hematite quickly tilted his head back, his gem glowing. Swallowing thickly, he tapped his gemstone before dropping his head, glaring daggers at the monster before him.

–

Shouting with vigor, the riders approached quickly on their monsters, weapons drawn. White huffed, standing tall. Relying on gem monsters get around? That wasn't very bright. As they'd gotten closer, White lunged forward and kicked one of the warriors in the head, knocking the wind out of them. They fell ungracefully off of the creature, leaving the beast to screech and thrash about aimlessly. Swiping her polearm through it, it was quickly poofed. She glared down at the first warrior who scrambled to their feet, clutching their weapon tightly in hand. White spun her pole arm around, not taking her eyes off of them. Slowly, she turned the spinning pole arm towards them, brows furrowed. White's gaze met the warrior's, piercing through them coldly... but there was something else there. Something strange.

The blade on the end of the weapon started to glow brightly, creating a glowing trail in its wake. She walked forward towards the warrior, who surprisingly didn't move. The warrior stared wide eyed, jaw agape as they watched the Diamond approach them. They were transfixed not only by White's gaze, but the terrific display of her weapon. They were frozen in place, unable to move.

 ** _CLANG_**!

Their weapon dropped to the ground and, within seconds, White sharply thrust the weapon into the warrior, sticking it straight through them. They were immediately forced to retreat back into their gem. Retracting her weapon, she clacked the spear tip on the ground, staring forward at the other three gems who were now close by. That little trick didn't go unnoticed.

–

At this point, Hematite was grappling directly with the Jade monster, vicious snarls and cries of anger echoing around the chasmic clearing. He snapped his hands around the creature's jaws, holding them shut. The acidic spit soaked onto his hands, earning a hiss of pain from the giant gem, but he forced himself to ignore it. With a snarl, he grabbed the creature's neck, snapping it with ease. The Jade monster poofed into a huge cloud of greenish smoke, its oval-shaped gem falling to the floor, along with Zultanite.

Hematite was hissing through his teeth, holding his hands close to him, grimacing. Stars, that stung! He glared daggers at the fusion gem on the ground, lashing his hand out to bubble the Jade that laid on the floor. He quickly tossed it into his mouth and swallowed, the gem easily being stored away.

Zultanite bared her teeth at the giant gem before her, lashing two multi-ended whips out of her gemstones. The ends, however, were now alight with a bright red aura.

–

The trio of warriors advancing on White quickly stood up on the backs of their monsters, and from the looks of it, their weapons were ranged. Two had bows, and one had what looked to be a throwing glaive. White wasted no time in pulling out a second polearm, walking ominously slowly towards them. She had a fearless look on her face as she easily sized up the group. One of them hesitated, their bow twitching in their hand. Seems they didn't do well with intimidation. White plunged a polearm into the ground between her and the three warriors, much to their confusion. She couldn't have missed that easily

Unfortunately for them, it had been on purpose. During their confusion, White skirted to the side and threw the other polearm, catching one of the gem monsters in the side. It screeched out in pain, exploding into dust. The warrior that was once riding it stumbled over, and grabbed White's polearm Shakily, they stood up, holding her own polearm towards her. White stared blankly at them, and laughed.

"You shouldn't have done that," she said darkly, flicking her wrist. The warrior was suddenly blinded as White's spear exploded into unnaturally-bright rays of light, the dust catching in their eyes. They scrambled back, frantically rubbing their face to try and get the Diamond's light trap out of their eyes. Before they could manage, however, White was upon them, kicking them straight into another one of the warriors and knocking them off. The monster decided it didn't want to be there and high-tailed it in the other direction.

–

Zultanite laughed boldly at the enormous gem before her and lashed her whip out at his wrist, grabbing onto it easily. Hematite would have caught the movement, had he not been distracted by the searing pain in his hands, and he yelped as the sharp ends of the weapon dug into his skin. He glared at his arm, staring at the tiny, spiked balls at the end of the whip.

 _A cry of agony suddenly tore through the chasm._

Hematite's entire form was suddenly alight with a bright red energy. The harvester suddenly crumpled to the ground, the side of his face painfully meeting the uneven rock floor. It felt as though his entire body was on fire, despite there being no flames around him. His entire body was involuntarily tensed, unable to do anything.

Zultanite approached him.

One of the fusion's four arms casually pulled out a large, very spiky flail-like weapon. The same red aura began to glow around it. Zultanite gave an eerie chuckle, her eyes wide. She opened her mouth, sneering at the huge gem before her. When she spoke, her voice was low, raspy, and had an unnatural hiss to it.

"The bigger they are, the harder they fall~ You'll make a great trophy."

She took another step toward Hematite's exposed neck.

–

White made quick work of the two gems that had slammed into each other, bubbling their gems away. Now, it was just the one with the throwing glaive. They were aiming, ready to attack, when something from behind made them flinch. White, too, couldn't ignore it. She turned her head sharply, eyes widening to see that Hematite was suddenly in a lot of trouble. Clenching her fists, the Diamond completely ignored the gem she was fighting before. Before the warrior could take advantage of her distraction, however, she was already off and running towards the others. They scowled, following soon after her.

 _SHINK!_

A huge polearm sank into the ground mere feet between both Hematite and Zultanite. With a fierce growl of fury, White was quick to summon another weapon. Her eyes were wide with rage, and she quickly closed in on the fusion.

–

Zultanite's eyes widened. _Damn, she'd forgotten about White!_ Snarling in fury, the fusion leapt back, closer to Hematite's face, her whip still firmly in her grasp, the line drawn tight. The huge gem's lip curled into a snarl, but he could do nothing. A vicious growl rumbled in his chest as he glared daggers into the fusion mere feet away from his face.

–

White summoned another polearm, dragging the bladed edge across the ground as she ran, creating a small trail of sparks. Her eyes narrowed. There. The whip. In one graceful, alarmingly fast motion, she'd split her polearm in two, another bladed edge appearing on the other half. They were small, but that was all she needed. Quickly, she jutted one towards Zultanite, the weapon whizzing inches past her shoulder. In her distraction, White was able to get close and swipe the other polearm across the weapon, a loud snap resounding soon after. As she did so, she glared up at the fusion and darted back a few feet. She smirked.

–

 _snap_

Zultanite snarled in frustration as her weapon snapped, and she very nearly hit herself in the face with the hilt as her hand was sent flying back towards her. She stumbled a single step back, viciously glaring at the Diamond before her.

But she suddenly noticed that Hematite's body wasn't glowing anymore.

She glanced to the side without moving her head.

 _Oh, sh-_

 **S N A P**

Face mere feet away from the ground, Hematite crouched, his breathing heavy. A cloud of tannish smoke and sparkles began to dissipate from around his bared teeth. Two barely-audible 'tinks' sounded from behind the harvester's closed teeth. Hematite snarled, lifting his head slightly. He tilted his chin up, swallowing quietly, his gemstone giving a flash.

Hema lifted his face to the final warrior that stood nearby, his teeth glinting in the low light his visor gave off. The screen made an eerie, high-pitched electrical whining sound.

–

White followed Hematite's gaze, unwavered and staring at the final warrior. White sighed, brushing her hand through her hair.

"Well now, glad that's taken care of."

The warrior, frozen in terror, stared back. A monstrous gem and a Diamond against them? After taking out their entire group? _No thanks._ They stepped quietly off of their monster, dropping their glaive onto the ground. The monster hissed, scurrying away without a second thought. Trembling, the blueish gem slowly held up their hands, surrendering.

–

Slowly, Hematite's form began to relax. _Well, at least this one was smart enough to know when they were beat._ Glancing at White, the huge gem sat up, albeit a bit painfully, and stared down at the final warrior, his visor the only visible part of his face. He reached down, his clawed hand hovering over the gem before he picked them up by the back of their shirt. Lifting them to his face, Hematite frowned and began to scan. The visor beeped, the target changing into the gem's own personalized insignia, and Hematite cleared his throat.

"Gem Captured: Sodalite. Status: No gem faults detected. Mission Objective: Collect and Harvest." The harvester paused, his voice draining of all emotion. "Sodalite, you have been found guilty of conspiring with criminals against the will of the Diamond Authority, and you will be detained and brought to justice. Your gem will be undamaged, should you cooperate."

The warrior swallowed nervously, nodding.

"Are you uh... gonna carry me back or somethin?" he asked awkwardly, with a vaguely hopeful grin.

White, standing below, cleared away what weapons were still lying around and scanned the area for any stray gemstones that needed to be bubbled.

–

Arching a brow, Hematite exhaled quietly through his nose. His visor clicked.

"Not exactly."

 _Vwip !_

A shining, silvery bubble appeared around the warrior, completely encasing them. Hema held up the bubble with three clawed fingers, balancing it on the tips of them. He brought the bubble closer to his mouth.

–

At first, Sodalite was confused. He placed his hands on the bubble, looking up at it...but regretted looking back behind him. Gasping, hescrambled back into the far wall of the bubble.

"H-Hey what are you doing?!" he cried out in a mild panic. He'd seen what the harvester had done to his leader, and he wanted nothing to do with it.

–

Hematite ignored the warrior's outburst and placed the bubble in his mouth, pushing it back with a single clawed finger. Thankfully, at his current size, the warrior was no problem. The harvester didn't waste any time, and soon tilted his head back, a finger placed to his gem as it began to glow. He swallowed thickly, tapping the silvery gray stone on his neck. The light quickly faded, and the giant gem dropped his head back down with a soft sigh. Looking down, he spotted White Diamond standing not too far off.

"...Well, that could have gone worse."

–

White had just finished bubbling the last of the stray gems and was now standing tall, brushing off her arms.

"Yes, indeed. You should probably consider shifting down a bit, though... I don't want you tiring out too badly," she said, turning around. "Besides, I'm fairly sure we're close now. That couldn't have been all of them." She said, narrowing her eyes suspiciously. Sure, that'd been a fair number, but that couldn't possibly have been the 'war worthy' group they were looking for, unless this rebellion was just full of hot air. White wasn't sure she wanted to take the chance on them being cocky rather than legitimately dangerous.

–

"Right, right." Hematite nodded quietly and sighed, closing his eyes. Soon enough, he shrank down to about his half height, and he crouched low, his hands on his knees. "Are you alright?" He looked her over. She didn't seem to be harmed in any way, thank the stars. "Thanks for saving me back there."

–

White spared Hematite a small smile, taking a few steps towards him.

"Yes, I'm alright, Hematite. Do not fret," she said, placing a hand on her hip. She paused, deep in thought. They had to be close, if there was an ambush set up here. Turning her head back to the service gem, she gave him a curious look. "You can pick me back up and we can continue, if you feel you're able."

–

The giant gem took to rubbing his hands, quietly inhaling through his teeth. _Stars, that was a dumb move he made earlier._ Hematite shook out his hands and glanced up at White.

"Maybe we should wait a little while. I don't think we're in any immediate danger now, and... well. That fusion did a number on me." He looked at his hands again, clenching and unclenching his fists with a grimace. "I need to let these recover. I might need them later."

–

White nodded, turning back to the chasms.

"Very well, that's understandable," she said, glancing around the cliff faces. It seemed like this place was cleared out, from what she could see. Still, it was so dark, it was hard to make out the horizon.

–

Hematite, however, could see things just fine with his visor on. He did a quick scan of the area. No gem signatures.

"It's clean; we're safe for now." _I think._ Grunting, Hematite slumped against one of the cliff faces, still fussing over his hands. The acid ate through the ends of his sleeves that covered his palms. He idly wondered how long the pain would last. He hoped it wouldn't be long; they still needed to find the base.

–

White took a seat on the ground as soon as she heard from Hematite that it was safe. Closing her eyes, White took a deep breath, relaxing. She appeared to be meditating, her hands clasped in front of her. All went silent, aside from the thunder rolling over the horizon.

–

About an hour passed. Hematite hadn't said another word, and the only sound that came from him was the occasional clenching of his fists. But as the night ticked on, something started to nag at the back of his mind. He tried to overlook it, but as the minutes passed, he found it increasingly difficult to ignore.

"...White?" he said softly, looking over at his leader. "If those gem monsters were obeying those rebels... do you think-" He paused for a moment. Last time he'd brought up corrupted monsters, White had acted strange. But he had to know her thoughts on this. "Do you think corrupted gems have some sort of... I don't know. Do you think they're still aware? After they turn into monsters?"

–

White opened her eyes as the silence was broken. She felt her breath catch in her throat. He wanted to talk about that again? Sighing, she resigned herself to the fact that she wasn't going to be able to avoid Hema's question this time. She couldn't dodge it forever. There was a long pause between Hematite's question and her response.

"I doubt it. Gem monsters are primitive beasts. Beasts can sometimes be tamed. The gems they used to be are mentally torn apart, no longer resembling their old selves. Perhaps their instincts are what drive them to behave when a gem captures them. They might have some basic awareness, but..." She paused, shrugging her shoulders. "I just don't know how they think. I've studied gem creatures on occasion, but they're mysterious and highly variable. Some are more docile than others, while some will shatter you as soon as they see you. There's a lot we don't know about them... So to answer your question, I'm truly unsure. I'm sorry."

–

 _Primitive beasts._

 _Vermin. Filthy. Beastly. Stupid._

He'd heard it all before.

He just wanted some sort of hope that maybe, just maybe, he'd be okay. That whenever he did... finally fall to his fatal flaw, that perhaps things wouldn't be so bad. But no matter where he looked, he found no comfort.

 _Not even in his leader._

Hematite clenched his fists quietly, the fabric over his palms bunching up between his fingers.

"... Right. It's fine. Nevermind, I'm sorry I asked." He looked away with a soft sigh, going silent. _Right. He wasn't going to bring that up anymore. It never ended with answers. None that he wanted, anyways._

–

White could sense a tone of pain in his voice. _It wasn't fine, and she knew it._

Furrowing her brows, she looked down at her hands, which she clasped together. She didn't like thinking about it anymore than Hema did, and she was glad for the silence that fell between them.

–

–

The night ticked on. Thunder and storm clouds were still rolling over the chasms, blocking out any of the light from the two moons that were just starting to set in the sky. Hematite was leaned up against the wall still, his head slightly tilted, his eyes closed. His mouth was slightly ajar, as it normally was when he slept, and his visor was no longer on his face. He had, however, kept his eyepiece on, and set it to scan for gem signatures every five minutes.

 _Chirp!_

With a start, Hematite opened his eyes, sitting up groggily. He looked around. There was a new signature on his radar. Baring his teeth, the giant gem flicked his hunting visor back on and looked around. Across the way, in the pitch black shadows of one of the chasmic paths, Hematite saw the tiniest flicker of movement- a flicker that would have been invisible to the naked eye.

"White, someone's here."

–

Without more than a moment to snap out of her meditative state, White took a stand, stretching her arms and holding out her fists quickly beside her. Glancing around, she quickly realized she didn't see anything. Nonetheless, she trusted his judgment. After all, he was trained for this kind of stuff. Without a word, she took a few side steps towards him. Once she was close enough, she looked up at the gem with a fierce scowl.

"Looks like it's time to go, then."

–

Whoever it was, they were retreating quickly. Hematite growled and knelt down, putting his palm out for White.

"C'mon, they're headed that way!"

As soon as she'd climbed up, Hematite rushed toward the narrow path, quickly squeezing in. His shoulders occasionally brushed the sides of the cliffs, but he was too focused on his target to mind. Whoever it was, they were fast, and they were putting a worrying amount of distance between themselves and their pursuer.

–

White glared down, able to catch small glimpses of the moving gem. Not enough to make any details out, but she knew they were a gem and not a monster.

"Quickly, Hematite!" White shouted, baring her teeth. She crouched low on his shoulder, grasping the fabric to avoid falling off. The occasional brush with the cliff faces startled her, but she managed to keep hold.

–

Baring his teeth, the giant gem nodded and urged himself faster along the rocky path. The three gems wound through the chasms, turn after turn. Hematite could never get more than a quick glimpse of his target, which frustrated him. How was he supposed to identify them if he couldn't see them? As he rounded a corner, the giant gem glanced at his leader.

"Do you think that's the scout the recording mentioned?" he asked curtly, still chasing after the dark figure.

–

White kept steady, remaining low.

"It's possible, yes. It'd be safer to assume, since we're so close to the base. We need to catch them!" she said in a stern manner. They hadn't appeared to have sounded the alarm yet, so they still had a chance to divert a possible catastrophe.

–

Nodding, Hematite raced around another corner, only to stop dead in his tracks. A flash of lightning flickered overhead, followed by an ear-splitting clap of thunder. The giant gem stood in front of an absolutely massive cave entrance, its dark, craggy walls an inky black blot on the side of the cliff. It looked to be about two hundred or so feet tall, over twice Hematite's height.

"... This must be it."

Slowly, the service gem made his way inside, looking around, his visor lighting the dark cave walls dimly. Hematite frowned as the floor began to slope gently downwards. He glanced at his visor radar. Yup, the gem's signature was still strong, they were down here somewhere. Though, he feared that he'd lose it if they got too much deeper into these dense caverns.

–

White eyed the cavern with suspicion. _Odd; this seemed a little obvious._ Still, it was dark, and deep within the chasms. Perhaps they didn't need to be too well hidden. Or maybe there was something more to these caves. _Only one way to find out!_

"Let's go." White summoned a polearm, spinning it three times. The metallic blade started to glow, and she waved around the weapon as a bright light appeared at its end. She motioned it around like a torch, using it as a mildly effective light source. Well, at least she wasn't completely blind now. "Hm..." she hummed, narrowing her eyes. "Be careful in here."

–

Glancing at White's weapon, Hematite raised a brow. _Huh, he didn't know she could do that._ He nodded and turned to the task at hand, heading further into the caves.

However, the deeper he went, the more a chill started to crawl up his spine. The signature on his radar was starting to look familiar. He couldn't place it... he was sure it was a gem type he'd harvested before. It bore a semblance to a gem monster's stats. But he couldn't place which one off the top of his head.

Hematite looked around nervously. The caves were getting narrower. He realized with a cold, unsettling pang that this would be the perfect place for another ambush.

"I don't like this... White. Maybe you should..." He looked to his leader, biting his lip nervously. His eyes were impossible to make out at the moment. "Maybe you should stay here. If they're planning an attack or something, it'd be better if one of us stayed behind. We can't both be ambushed again, not in such closed spaces."

–

White's expression twitched, but before she protested, she took his suggestion into thought. Maybe he was right. She didn't like the thought of leaving him alone, but if he was nervous, perhaps it would ease his mind. She could handle herself, after all, for the most part.

"Alright, if you're sure about this. If I run into trouble, I'll run and try to find you and call you on your communicator. I can take on a few rebels by myself, but if I get overwhelmed, I'm going to need your assistance," she said, giving him a nod. "If you need my help, give me a ring on your communicator."

–

Hematite turned to his leader and nodded, carefully letting her down off his shoulder.

"I will. I'll keep my eyes open." Setting her down, he stood straight and turned to the tunnel he was headed down. "I'll be right back." With that, he continued down into the caves, soon too far into the shadows to see. Eventually, even his footsteps faded.

A roll of thunder shook the caverns, echoing against the rock walls.

–

As Hematite made his departure, White took the opportunity to look around her. It was dark, the air was stiflingly stale, and every surface in the caves was damp and cold. Holding up her polearm, she illuminated a small bit of the cavern near her. Seeing nothing of interest here, she headed down a different path than Hema. Her footsteps were quiet and steady, and she kept her eyes peeled. Within the cavern, there were a few forks in the paths. Grunting, White tapped the end of her polearm on the wall. There was a long, drawn-out, yet quiet, echo. Seemed this path went pretty far. She did the same on the left wall, and the echo died out rather quickly. Seemed the right path went on for some time. _Might as well check this out._

She headed down the path to see if she could find any signs of the scout, or the rebels for that matter. She kept her guard up in case she was spotted. Part of her thought about changing into her stealth outfit, but a blinding flash of light would be incredibly conspicuous. _Then again... she wasn't being the most stealthy right now._ Looking to her polearm, she dimmed the light just a tad, and made her way through the hall. She was bound to find something eventually, she just had to keep going.

–

 _Down, down, down. How far did this path go?_

Frowning deeply, Hematite ran his hand along the wall. It was cold and damp to the touch, though he'd be lying if he said it wasn't a slight relief to his seared palms. They certainly felt better, but they hadn't fully recovered. Taking his hands away from the rock, Hematite clicked his tongue, continuing to move forward. _That scout had to be down here, somewhere..._

 _Minutes ticked by. No sign of the gem._

Until finally, Hematite spotted movement. The hunter's eyes widened, and he lowered himself closer to the ground. However, that proved rather useless, as the small gem darted away, having seen him. Hissing through his teeth, Hema shot forward, his feet slipping slightly on the damp ground of the tunnel.

Another crash of thunder echoed loudly through the caves, making the walls and floor tremble.

Hematite grit his teeth and skidded around a huge stalagmite, peering around it. _He could have sworn..._

Another dart of movement caught his eye.

 _Dammit, how fast WAS this thing?!_

His breathing picked up, and his stalking grew more aggressive as he skidded down the path. Hematite was soon stumbling through the cave, partially on all fours, chasing after the tiny, elusive gem. They outwitted him at every turn. Every dip, every nook and cranny became a new escape for them.

 _Until Hematite had had enough._

With a stifled grunt of frustration, Hematite bolted forward with all his speed and skidded around a corner, his hand shooting out to a smaller branching path he'd seen the gem go down.

And then he felt something struggling in his palm.

Eyes widening, Hematite smirked triumphantly, slowly sitting up as he brought his hand close to his face.

 _Stars... this one was_ _ **small**_ _._ Not quite as small as Sphalerite, of course, but for a non-micro gem...

Slowly, the huge harvester opened up his palm and pinched the gem's shirt between his fingers, holding them up. He stared at her, unblinking, pursing his lips.

"You were far more trouble than you should have been."

The gem was _minuscule_ for a non-micro. She was definitely smaller than Rubes, and had an Axinite's skinny build. She couldn't have been more than two or so feet tall. She hardly weighed anything, and her desperate kicks and flails didn't make Hematite so much as flinch. A blue diamond insignia rested on the side of her shirt, much like where Rubes' laid, and she wore a sleeveless one-piece outfit with sharp little shoes. Her hair was swept back in a rather odd fashion, with a tuft of bangs in the front. Smaller tufts rested at the sides of her face, much like Yellow Diamond's hair. A small, rectangular teal-green gemstone was settled on her shoulder, and gleamed brightly in the light of Hematite's visor.

Hema arched a brow. _Ah, an Emerald._ He'd caught one not too long ago, on his first mission with White. Though that one had been corrupted. It was no wonder he recognized the signature. _So this was what they looked like normally?_

Standing tall, Hematite held the tiny gem in front of him. His visor began its full scan.

Another crash of thunder shook the cavern.

 _Whirrrrrr_

The green-haired gem stopped struggling. She looked up, eyes wide, staring with terror into the huge screen before her.

And then she took a deep breath.

 ** _Cli_** ** _-_**

 **SCCCCCCCREEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!**

Crying out in shock and pain, Hematite instantly covered his ears, trying to shield them from the sudden blood-curdling, super-sonic screech that seemed to pierce to his very core. His head felt like it'd split in two; his vision faded. The hunter's visor glitched out, making a horrific, static-y buzzing noise.

 **Hematite blacked out.**

The screeching raced through the rest of the cave system, but the volume didn't fade. No, the sound seemed to echo just as loudly from every single direction, throughout all the tunnels. It shook the walls, the floors, a few rocks cracked.

And then the sound reached White's location, stabbing through the air in an instant.

–

White found herself in what looked to be the mouth of a massive cavern. Finally, she'd found some kind of room. But there was no time to celebrate.

Her polearm clattering to the floor, White grasped the side of her head and stifled a pained yell, the ear-splitting scream echoing through the caves as if it were being shouted an inch from her head _. Stars, what WAS that?!_ Her eyes shot open wide. _That had to be the signal, the scream that they'd been trying to avoid!_ White quickly grabbed her polearm and ran forward into the dark cave, looking for any sign of where the scream was coming from. It sounded like the scout was nearby, but it could have just been carried by the caves. _Was it ever going to stop?!_ The Diamond began to get nervous, sweat forming on her brow. Her head was spinning from the sheer volume. Whoever was screaming _was not stopping._ She suddenly wondered if she should call for Hematite. Perhaps he had found the scout? Or worse, the scout had found _him_.

Grunting quietly, she waved her polearm off to the side, illuminating some of the damp rocks. It was just too dark in here. With little choice, she made the light on the end of her weapon brighter, just enough to light the way a few good feet ahead. It seemed as though she were alone here, but it was hard to tell with all the disorienting noise. She had to keep moving, if she could. Her steps were uneven and sluggish, and every few moments, she found herself covering the sides of her head to block out the horrific, head-splitting sound. Soon enough, her steps stopped entirely, and her eyes screwed tightly shut, her teeth gritting together in pain. Her hands shaking, vision blurring in and out, White let her polearm slip from her grasp. It clattered to the floor, and the Diamond was left clutching her head in searing, head-pounding pain.

–

Another roar of thunder rumbled outside. It rolled through the caves for a solid five seconds, making the rock walls tremble.

…

…...

…

 _Footsteps._

 _Rapid footsteps._

There were footsteps headed straight for White Diamond's location. But through the continued screeching, and the sudden roll of thunder, the sound was completely masked. They stopped behind White. There was a deadly pause. They stood three times White's size, with two gems across their back, one on their stomach, one round one on their forehead, and another rectangular one on their leg. Two of the gems appeared to be a Bismuth and an Emerald, but the other three were hard to see through the fusion's long, silky hair that swept over their forehead and draped over their back. Three pairs of glowing eyes adorned their furious face, slit pupils locked onto the Diamond in front of them. The screeching continued to pierce through the air. Thunder shook the caves.

The gem behind White raised a broad, massive war hammer, reeling it over their shoulder.

 **H!**

 ** _CRICK!_**

Eyes cold, suddenly void of emotion, the hammer-wielding gem lifted its weapon. They crouched down, eyes narrowing. Before they widened again, a gasp of horror escaping them.

 ** _"Oh, stars."_**

The voice came out as many, all mixed into a panicked amalgamation. Stepping back, the fusion fizzled their massive weapon away. They stared at the crater in the ground, and the contents in the center of it, hesitating- before they turned tail and bolted from the tunnel, heading straight for the exit of the caves.

–

 _"Ugh..."_

Head ringing painfully, Hematite finally managed to crack an eye open. He was crouched on the floor, on his knees, his clawed hand loosely trying to cover the sides of his head. _What happened... Everything had gone dark... where was..._

The giant gem suddenly realized the screeching hadn't stopped. Head pounding, Hematite yelled out sharply in pain as his senses came back, the Emerald's unholy screeching piercing back through to his core.

 _"STOP, STOP_ _ **STOP STOP!"**_

 _VWIP!_

The screaming ended abruptly.

Chest heaving, eyes squinted in pain, the giant gem clutched the tiny, silvery bubble in his hand, leaning over and resting his forehead on the cold cave floor.

"Oh, thank the stars... Ugh..." Hematite felt the faintest bit of nausea in the pit of his stomach, but he swallowed, forcing it back down. The pain was finally subsiding... His ears were still ringing, but he could finally feel his senses returning to normal.

Taking a deep breath, the harvester finally pulled his face away from the stone floor and stood shakily. He held the tiny bubble up in front of his face, glaring daggers into the tiny Emerald inside. She'd placed her hands on the inside of the bubble, pushing against it as hard as she could. Hematite sneered.

"We'll let White decide what to do with you."

He had no clue if that scream had been the signal. If it was, he'd need to have her out, to interrogate her.

The giant gem mentally willed his visor to call White's communicator.

No response.

"..."

Walking up the path, Hematite retraced his steps and looked around, scanning for White's gem signature. Something didn't feel right.

–

Winding down the seemingly-endless tunnel, Hematite finally found himself in the part of the caves that he'd left White in. There was a crack of thunder. Flinching, the giant gem looked around.

"White?"

He turned, scanning the area.

"...White Diamond?"

 _No, this isn't right... where is she?_

His hunting visor was picking up a signal, but it wasn't nearby. It seemed to be deeper in the caves, down a different path than the one he'd taken. He walked down it quickly. His breathing was starting to quicken, a tight knot of dread making itself known in his stomach.

"White? White!"

He scanned again. Her signal wasn't moving.

"WHITE!"

He called shakily into the caves, his voice echoing off the stone walls. His hands began to tremble.

 _Where is she, why isn't she answering, something happened, White oh stars where are you, what's going on, ANSWER ME!_

The service gem finally skidded to a halt at the end of the tunnel, finding himself in an enormous room. He looked around frantically. Her signal was strongest here.

"WHITE, ARE YOU IN H-"

His visor caught sight of something.

Laying on the ground was a tiny, pale, crystalline object in the center of a large divet in the stone.

 _Ckkkk_

Hematite's hunting visor gave an unsettling buzzing sound before it came online.

It scanned the gemstone.

Hematite's eyes widened in horror, and he let out a strangled noise of distress as a hand flew up to his mouth, covering it entirely. His fingers dug into his skin. His breathing became uneven, and he took a trembling step backwards.

Gem found : White Diamond

Status: D

An inhuman sounding whimper escaped Hematite's throat as he stared at the bright red words on his visor screen. He shook his head, and the visor dimmed, turning off. He couldn't look at the words right now. When he spoke, his voice was strangled, cracked, and high pitched.

"No, no no NO NO NO! OH, STARS, NO." Hot tears pricked at the corners of his eyes, the nausea from before rising in his throat, making him dizzy. The giant gem clutched his bangs in his free hand, looking around, choked sounds of distress escaping him. "O-oh stars w-what do I do, oh, White, h-how could this-!" Snapping his attention to the tiny bubble in his hand, Hematite suddenly snarled, the sound coming out far more beastly than it normally would. The tiny gem screeched in terror, though the sound was muffled, and plastered herself back against the wall of her 'prison'. Her chest heaved, and she stared up at the furious gem with eyes as wide as saucers. She couldn't make out what he'd seen in the darkness that had set him off. She looked terrified and confused. "YOU. THIS IS YOUR FAULT!" His voice's pitch faltered unevenly. "IF IT WEREN'T FOR YOU-!"

He paused. He had more than half a mind to shatter her. In fact, he would have liked _nothing_ more right now.

But no, he just wanted her out of the way right now. He couldn't even _look_ at her. He'd deal with her later.

Furiously, the giant gem shoved the tiny bubble in his mouth and swallowed quickly, tapping his gem in a rushed manner. His breathing hitched, his shoulders tense. As soon as he was alone, his fury vanished, replaced only with horror and anxiety.

 _White, no, this couldn't be real, this can't be real, you're a Diamond, YOU'RE A DIAMOND!_

Hematite's hands shook uncontrollably, and clutched at the front of his suit, over his chest. His clawed fingers skittered on the fabric before clutching at it tightly, one of his hands scrunching up the diamond insignia on the front of his clothes.

"I let this happen- oh stars, I was supposed to be guarding you!" He finally drew his eyes back to the tiny gem on the ground, and he felt his stomach lurch. He turned away again, gripping his head, eyes wide. His fingers dug painfully into his scalp, and a choked whimper cracked from his chest.

"W-we can fix it! Hah, ahahah! We can fix it; it'll be okay! Nothing's unfixable!"

The giant gem grinned unnervingly, though his expression was one of barely-restrained panic and guilt. He quickly made his way over to White's gem, reaching down for it. But he hesitated, his hand shaking uncontrollably above the gemstone.

He was afraid that if he touched it with his bare hands, he'd shatter her.

There was a long, agonizing pause.

 _...Vwip!_

Lifting the bubble up to his face, Hematite stared in horror. There was a single, deep crack along the upper-horizontal middle of White's gemstone. She was lucky she wasn't dead.

Shaking violently, the giant gem forced an unnerving grin and held the bubble close, turning and heading out of the cave. His eyes were wide, and held a panicked, thousand-yard stare.

 _It's okay, you're okay, you're gonna be okay, everything is fine, you're going to be fine!_

An off-sounding laugh escaped the gem.

"It's okay, White, we'll get you back to Homeworld, and Y-Yellow or someone will fix you up, e-everything's-" His voice was suddenly broken by a shuddering sob. Tears began to stream down his face, past the bottom of his visor. "E-everything's gonna be okay! I've got your back! I-I-"

 ** _… I failed you._**

–

–

 _What..._

 _What happened..._

 _Where am I..._

White's eyes slowly opened, staring up at darkness. Her entire body felt like it weighed as much as a ship. Worse yet, every fiber of her being was exploding in pain. Twitching a brow, White tried to move herself. She started with her hands, twitching her fingers and clenching them into fists. Then she finally moved her arms.

"Ugh..."

Slowly but painfully, the Diamond sat up, placing her hands against the side of her head. The horrible screeching had stopped, finally. Her vision was blurry, and it felt like someone had knocked her out. She couldn't entirely remember what had happened, but it felt like she had been struck with something.

Gasping quietly, she suddenly remembered where she was. _Right, Hematite! I have to find him!_

Shuddering, she weakly stood up and stumbled forward, grabbing onto her shoulder. As she regained her focus, she took a deep breath and started forward. She didn't get far. Stopping immediately, the Diamond's eyes grew wide upon realization that she was not where she was before. These weren't the caves.

The room she found herself in was dark, but as she gained her consciousness, she realized she was in a massive room with shelves upon shelves of archives and books. It was like a massive library with towering aisles. Quickly, she placed her hand over her mouth, anxiety spiking through her.

She was in her pocket dimension... But something was off.

Something was terribly off.

The room she stood within was familiar to her, sure, but it wasn't warmly-lit like it usually was. It was unkempt, messy, and the more she looked around the more she noticed was out of the ordinary.

"What happened here?..." she whispered to herself, grabbing one of the books casually off the shelf. Turning it over, she gasped in horror, dropping the book. "What the?..." She looked to the shelves and placed her hand on another row, thumbing through many different books. Upon closer observation, the titles and words of the books were all scrambled and order-less. Worse yet, it seemed as though they were scattered around in a glitching pattern. An unnerved grimace crossed White's face. She dared to keep looking around.

White continued down the dark, dreary, and messy aisles of the massive library. The further she walked, the more she felt an eerie sense of dread overcome her. She felt as though fire-hot needles were pricking into every inch of her skin. Her head was pounding. Grabbing one of the diamond pads that rested on the shelf, she looked around to the other aisles before turning it on.

Her eyes widened again, and she stopped in her tracks. Instead of turning on, the diamond pad played static. That wasn't supposed to happen; these things didn't just stop working like that. She heard a noise behind her.

Turning her head, she spotted an active diamond pad on the shelf behind her. It, too, was playing static. She heard more clicking noises. Then another. Then another. The static noise became louder and louder until it was all she could hear. She started to breathe heavily, panic rising. What was going on?! She threw the diamond pad in frustration, turning on her heel and bolting down one of the aisles. The static sounded like it was all around her- loud and inescapable She skidded to a halt as she exited an aisle, finding herself in the center of a rotunda where the edges of many different bookshelves met. The Diamond fell to her knees and clutched the side of her head, eyes screwed shut.

Her breathing grew heavy and erratic, and the pain refused to go away. At least the static was starting to die down a little. It was still there, but it wasn't as overbearing. Opening her eyes with a shuddering breath, she stared up at the ceiling. There was a glass roof that hung above her, which normally sported a warmly-lit sky. Now, all that could be seen was a pitch, inky blackness. That... and some form above the glass... something that was slowly phasing into view. She squinted, rubbing her eyes. Was she seeing things now? When she looked up again, the glass roof was once more blanketed in it was, it wasn't there anymore.

Sighing heavily, she looked around the rotunda. At least she had a general idea of where she was in this place now. This area marked the center of the library. It was easy to get lost in the aisles, especially if it was dark on top of everything else. She was glad to be somewhere familiar, at least.

White sat in the center of the room for what seemed like hours. She wasn't sure how long she'd be in here, but she didn't feel comfortable reforming just yet. Whenever the Diamonds were poofed, they never came back quickly. It was more stable to take a little longer with their reformation. However, she was in a dangerous spot. She couldn't stay here for as long as she'd like. Not that she wanted to stay here, anyway.

She was meditating, almost. Calmly sitting still, she placed her hands on her knees, legs crossed. Her eyes were closed, and she was breathing slowly. The pain wasn't going away.

 **Crackle. Crrrrrrick.**

White's eyes shot open, a small gasp escaping her lips. An inky blackness seeped through the shelves, through the aisles, and moved as if breathing, and alive.. As if it was closing in around her. She swallowed nervously, looking behind her. All around her, the darkness crept unsteadily towards her.

 **Crk** **.**

White's brows furrowed, her lips parted in curious confusion. What was that noise? She was the only one in here. Blinking, she stood up quickly. _She was...wasn't she?..._

 **Rrrrrrgh** **.**

Gasping, the Diamond turned around, backing up a few feet. She could have sworn she heard something. This place was normally silent. She took one single step forward.

 _Hisssss_ _._

She turned on her heel, looking frantically from side to side. The darkness was closing in. Faster it devoured the shelves, leaving nothing but the center of the room and White. Her eyes widened in horror. _Was this some kind of dream?_

 **SCRRREEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAACCCCHHHHhhh!**

White grasped her head, her ears ringing. _What on Homeworld was THAT?!_ White felt herself tremble, fingers grasping at her cheeks. The darkness stopped spreading. It seemed the horrendous sound had stopped it. What _was_ it, though?

Suddenly, she felt an ominous sense of dread overtake her. Something she wasn't used to feeling. Her eyes slowly drifted from side to side, but she spotted nothing within the darkness laying thick in the aisles. Then, she heard it. A faint crackling sound from far, far above her.

Slowly, she looked up...

"GAh-hhHAAAAAAAAHH!" White _shrieked_ in fear, stumbling down to the floor and scrambling back. Staring up at the glass ceiling, she stared into the eyes of something huge above the glass dome. Whatever it was, it was pitch-black and beast-like. White could only make out one detail..

Four piercing, white-slitted eyes glared down through the glass, the fog of hot breath steaming up the dome. What appeared to be huge eyes peered through the glass, narrowing, fixated on the Diamond within the center of the room. However, they remained still, watching quietly.

White fell silent, her entire body frozen in terror.

White stared up at the mysterious silhouette above the dome. Its unnervingly stark, white-slitted eyes narrowed, glaring right through the Diamond. White sat still, unsure if she should move, or if she even _could_ move. At least it didn't seem to be doing anything, whatever it was.

 **Hhhhhhggghhh** . **..**

A rumble echoed through the room, creating a subtle tremor. White grasped the smooth floor, her breath catching in her throat. She remained stationary, unable to take her eyes off of the monstrosity.

Maybe it was time to get out of here. White took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

...

...

 _Nothing._

Her eyes shot open, sweat dripping from her brow. She couldn't reform. Wherever her gem was in the real world, it was enclosed somewhere. _She was trapped._

–

–

 _Run, get back to Homeworld, don't stop, don't look back. Get to the warp. Get White to safety._

The sun was slowly beginning to rise, casting a warm-pink glow over the landscape. Hours had passed. Hematite was approaching the galaxy warp near the planet's capital, White's bubbled gem clutched tightly in his hands. But he was normal-sized now. He'd traveled so far and so fast that he was running on fumes. He'd slowly shrunken down on the way back, and now could only maintain his normal height. And even his hold on _that_ was starting to wane.

 _No, get back, get White to the towers, get her somewhere safe. You can pass out later._

Scurrying up to the cove where the warp pad was nestled, Hematite quickly stepped onto the bright blue surface. Just before he warped away, a bulky figure crested the side of the wall, staring down at the warp in surprise and confusion.

It was General Topaz.

As soon as she spotted the bubble in Hematite's hands, she opened her mouth, reaching out a hand as if she were about to say something. But a brilliant flash cut her off, and she stood there, silent, a look of genuine shock and _horror_ on her face.

 _Oh,_ _ **stars**_ _... that... that gem, was that...?_

–

He called both Blue and Yellow to White's office.

Needless to say, he had tried to keep a calm tone, but there was something incredibly off about it. He didn't share any details, nor did he tell them why White hadn't called herself. No, they only knew to meet him in the Diamond's office.

Hematite stood, facing White's desk, her bubbled gem clutched in his hands. An eerie calm had taken over the service gem. He stared at the silvery-pink bubble, eyes wide, body cold. He waited for the Diamonds to show up.

–

It didn't take long. Both Blue and Yellow had caught something off in Hematite's voice, and from the sounds of it, something was wrong. He was back far too soon, even if White was with him. Stopping in front of White's office door, Blue had arrived just a bit later than Yellow. Yellow waited anxiously outside the door, staring up at it. It looked like she had just arrived, and was standing idly in front of the door, lost in deep thought.

"Hey, Sparky, did you get called over here too?" Blue asked, running up to the taller Diamond. Yellow looked apprehensive.

"Yes. What concerns me is that White wasn't the one who called..." she said, looking down, placing a finger over her lip.

"Yeah, and Hema didn't sound so good..." Blue frowned with concern. The two Diamonds made brief eye contact, and then looked to the door. _Time to see what was up._

They didn't even bother to knock. The door hissed open, and both Diamonds quickly walked in, Blue behind Yellow. They stood at attention. Even Blue took a much more professional stance than usual. Yellow was the first one to speak.

"What's going on?"

–

Hematite's shoulders tensed, rising as his head ducked down. He held the bubble closer. He didn't turn around. The air in the office suddenly became far more tense. It felt as though the whole office were filled with a suffocating sort of heat, without feeling warm at all.

No, it felt **cold**.

The small service gem still didn't turn around. The huge knot in his stomach tightened.

"...White and I went on our mission." His voice was laced with barely-disguised emotion, even though it was, at the moment, impossible to tell what that emotion was.

–

Without turning their heads, the Diamonds glanced nervously at each other. White was nowhere in sight. An unquestionable anxiety started to boil in their cores. Neither of them found the words to reply. That is, until Blue spoke up.

"Hematite, what happened?"

–

There was an unbearably long pause. Hematite's form shuddered violently before he suddenly went still. His shoulders dropped. He slowly turned his head. Eyes wide, mouth slightly ajar, it was clear what had laced his voice not moments ago.

It was fear.

And it… _was_ _ **guilt.**_

"Something went wrong."

He turned, lifted his hands, and presented White's bubbled gemstone to the two Diamonds, the deep fault along the gem front-and-center.


	54. Black and White

_Summary: Yellow Diamond studies up in the White Archives with an unexpected colleague._

* * *

The air in the room fell silent. Still. Cold.

The two Diamonds stood at attention, eyes drifting slowly from Hematite to the bubble he held in his hand. Seconds ticked by that felt like forever. Both of the Diamonds stared wide eyed, unable to speak. At first, they looked confused. Then, as they realized who was in the bubble, they looked stricken, shocked. Blue froze in place, a shuddering hand raising up to cover her mouth. She took one unsteady step back, eyes locked on White's gem in horror.

Yellow, however, didn't seem to process it immediately. In fact, she didn't seem to even notice the fault in the presented gem. Being a little taller, the light was hitting the gem in such a way that she couldn't see the crack. Stifling a single, nervous chuckle, she clasped her hands together and stepped forward.

"Hematite..." She spoke with the faintest trace of optimism in her voice. "These things happen. White has gotten poofed before, I'm glad you brought her gem back safel-" She stopped, just shy of the service gem, staring down at the bubble. Her eyes went wide as saucers, her mouth falling open with a soft, shuddering gasp. Surely, it was White's gem just as she'd seen... But now that she was closer, she couldn't miss the deep split in the gemstone.

Holding up trembling hands, Yellow slowly grabbed the bubble with her palms, carefully lifting it close to her.

"..."

A soft whimper escaped her as she stared down at the damaged gem. She was rendered speechless. Horrified. _Hurt_. Almost as if she was in disbelief, she held the gem up to her face, looking it over carefully. She was deathly silent for what felt like forever, before she cracked an uneven grin... and started _laughing_.

"IT'S OKAAAAY! Everything's going to be fine! We can fix this! Haha! We can..." She faltered, her lip twitching into a stifled, anxious smile. "We... She... She can't be..." Tears formed in the Diamond's eyes, and she found herself unable to look away. She took a step back, hands trembling. "White..."

Blue was still frozen, horror plastered over her face. She made no attempt to walk forward, and found that she was unable to say anything yet. She was still trying to soak in everything that happened.

–

The small service gem was frozen in place, the same look of horrified guilt on his face as before. He couldn't will himself to move, even as Yellow pulled away the bubble. His chest started to rise and fall a bit more rapidly. Seeing Yellow Diamond in such a state wasn't helping the panic rising in his chest.

"I-I don't know what happened, I found her like this, I didn't know what to do. Yellow, you guys gotta know a way to fix her, right?" His voice was strained, hurried, and he suddenly took to wringing his hands together. He tugged at the fabric on his sleeves.

–

–

Time ticked slowly by, and White was still stuck in this horrible room with this dark creature looming over her. She remained silent. Steady. Calm. Occasionally, a low rumble would shake the room, reminding her that she wasn't alone. She refused to acknowledge this _thing_. She wouldn't. She couldn't. It couldn't stay there forever, could it?

She remained in place, breathing calmly as she could, head forward, eyes closed. The tremors had stopped for some time... perhaps it was gone? She opened her eyes and dared to look up. As her gaze drifted up to the dome, she breathed a heavy sigh of relief when she noticed that whatever was creeping around up there was now gone.

"Finally..." She whispered to herself, crossing her arms and hugging them close to her chest. Still sitting on the floor, she tried reforming again.

Nothing.

Her brows furrowing, White looked down at the floor. Was she stuck here? She didn't want to _be_ here. Maybe she was in a bubble; maybe Hematite had found her. If that was the case, why wasn't she freed yet? What was going on out there? A hundred different scenarios started racing through her mind... but she didn't have long to dwell on them.

She heard something akin to ice cracking. Her eyes widened, and she looked around. She didn't see anything, but the cracking noise was getting louder.

 _Grrrrrrrggghh._

There was a rumble behind her. The Diamond froze, her entire form seizing up. She stared on straight ahead, unsure if she wanted to know where the source of the noise was coming from. Then something felt off below her.

She glanced down, soon gasping and scuffling back, still on the floor. Stark white, circuit patterned cracks began inching their way under and around her. From the way they were moving, they appeared to be coming from behind her. White turned around suddenly, desperately seeking an answer.

She wished she hadn't done that.

The circuit patterned cracks inched their way out from the darkness, spreading rapidly across the room. The source of the cracks, however, was far more unsettling than the cracks themselves. Four huge, piercing white eyes glared at the Diamond from the darkness, slit eyes transfixed on her. White started trembling, turning to face whatever being it was that was now inside the facility. She scrambled back, unable to look away. The cracks found it's way around her, slowly moving up her arms and legs. White cried out in surprise.

"GET AWAY FROM ME!" She snarled with a trace of fear. She grabbed at her hands, trying to brush away the glowing white circuit patterns that inched their way up her fingers, wrists, and forearms. The eyes continued to stare from the darkness, another rumble shaking the room.

Then it started to move.

–

–

Yellow gripped at the bubble, clinging to whatever little hope she had. _This wasn't happening. This couldn't happen... Maybe this was another nightmare._ She held the bubble close, her mouth moving as if saying something inaudible. Blue stepped closer, finally finding the strength to move at all. She stood next to Yellow, staring into the bubble with the utmost distress.

Yellow's brows furrowed, and she slowly looked up at Hematite. A darkness fell over her face, eyes filled with accusatory anger.

"How could you let this happen..."

–

He took a step back, bumping into the desk, making him inhale sharply through his teeth in surprise. He started to tremble. An audible whimper escaped Hematite as he backed against the desk fully, his hands clutching at the fabric on the front of his suit. He shook his head, eyes wide, unable to look away from Yellow Diamond's angry gaze. She hadn't even done anything to him, yet he felt as though she were about to attack him, by the look in her eyes.

"I-I didn't- I-I don't know, it was just a n-normal mission, I didn't-!" he stammered, his chest rising and falling with shallow breaths. Ever so faintly, below his chin, his gemstone started to glow.

–

Yellow growled, but looked down at the bubble.

"Nevermind that. We'll deal with you later..." she said, her expression softening as she looked at White's gem again. Blue looked worried, and took a step towards Hematite. She shakily raised her hand up like she were going to touch him, but her hand retracted. She never made eye contact with him, but kept staring at the bubble.

"Hematite, you understand how serious this is... yes...?" Blue said, finally gazing back at him. Her eyes were filled with dread and haunted recollection. "Diamonds are _really_ hard to crack. If you know anything, we need to know what happened."

–

Hema was staring ahead, through Blue. He barely heard her words.

He finally sensed what his gem was doing. The service gem didn't respond. His eyes were wide, and his hands suddenly shot up to his neck, covering his gemstone. Hema's breathing became uneven.

 _No, no no no!_

–

As Blue spoke, Yellow sighed, pressing a finger into the bubble. An audible pop echoed through the dense air of the room. Blue's head whipped around, and she stared wide eyed at Yellow. She looked down at the gem now freely held in Yellow's hand. The warm-colored Diamond held the gem loosely, an open palm presenting the damaged gemstone. They waited with bated breath for anything to happen. Normally, once freed from a bubble, a gem reformed immediately.

But nothing was happening.

–

At the sound of the bubble popping, Hema shot his attention over to Yellow. Shaken, he watched the now-freed diamond. But nothing happened.

 _Oh, stars. He hadn't been quick enough._

 _The fault had somehow worsened, hadn't it?_

Hematite's clawed fingers grasped at his gem. It was glowing brightly now. The hair on the back of his neck stood on end, and he looked down at his gem, covering it in panic. An audible whimper escaped him, and he turned away slightly from Blue and Yellow, trembling.

 _Don't, not right now, calm down, don't shift, don't shift._

–

–

White tried to stand up, but her legs trembled below her. She grunted, silently cursing herself as she struggled to get up. After some effort and stumbling, she managed to stand, and she stared down at the cracks that spider webbed up her legs now. She looked up, taking a few wavering steps back. _What's going on? Why is this happening? What is this stuff? Why here, why now?!_ She lifted her head, noticing that in her panic, she had looked away from the eyes that were once right in front of her. Now, they were gone.

 **SCRREEEEAAAAAAAAAA!**

A loud, hissing screech filled the air behind White. She turned around, putting her hands up defensively. Eyes widening, her stomach _dropped_. Skulking dangerously over the bookshelves, now very dimly lit with glowing circuit patterned cracks, was a huge, draconian figure. Its massive form was slinking over the isles, huge claws digging into the shelves. Wherever it stood, more white cracks formed, and the shelves, books, and diamond pads all fell to pieces. Its eyes were fixated on her, piercing through her very core.

She took a step back, but the beast slowly slinked forward. She couldn't make out too many details, but it's silhouette was far more clear now. It had six legs, a long thrashing tail with a blade that resembled the bladed end of her pole arm, and a mane that flowed down the back of its neck. As it inched closer over the bookshelves, the white circuit patterns crept over its eyelids.

But that wasn't the worst of it.

It hissed, revealing a glowing white, gaping maw. A long, ivory forked tongue lashed out, razor sharp fangs glimmering, stark-black against the white insides of its mouth. Rearing up its head, the towering creature let out a harrowing roar that resonated through the entire library. The glass dome ceiling above White shuddered and suddenly shattered with a horrifying crash.

White covered herself with her arms as the glass fell to shards around her, exploding into glitching pieces which soon disappeared as they hit the floor. A small whimper escaped her, and she forced herself to look back at the monstrosity. The beast lowered its head, eyes wide and mouth parted slightly. Their gazes met momentarily. The draconian figure's very gaze struck terror into the normally stead-fast Diamond.

For a moment, an ominous calm filled the air. White stood still, the white-circuit patterns no longer creeping up her skin. The draconian creature watched the Diamond intently, its long, bladed tail flicking back and forth, cracking the shelves as it did so. The air felt stiff, cold. The beast slowly narrowed its eyes, letting out a low, threatening hiss that made White's hair stand on end. It didn't make any move to come closer, but by the look in its eyes, White could tell it was _considering_ it.

She didn't want to be anywhere near this thing. She wanted to escape, but was too worried that if she ran, it would follow. But if she stayed, it could lunge for her. Panic flooded her core, rendering her unable to do anything.

Then, she felt something shift. Brows raising, she gasped softly and looked up. The air around her cleared, suddenly feeling far less stale and dense. She was free to reform, finally! The Diamond's form began to glow, and she looked down quickly, grimacing as she clenched her fists.

–

–

Eyes widening, Blue and Yellow stepped back as the gem in Yellow's hand glowed and lifted itself into the air. They froze, wide eyed, watching her silhouette begin to form. There was a minuscule amount of hope that overcame both of them upon realizing that nothing seemed out of ordinary with her shape as it came into view.

But then she reformed completely. Feet tapping to the floor, the taller diamond stood, head hung low, eyes closed. _Something was_ _ **very**_ _wrong_. Yellow gasped, stepping back clumsily. Blue's shoulders dropped, and she whimpered with dread. White's eyes shot open, staring past the group of three gems blankly.

–

Hematite's gem stopped glowing as White's form started to take shape, and he relaxed ever so slightly, a shred of hope fluttering in his chest. But then the bright light faded from White's form, and the service gem stopped breathing entirely.

–

Instead of her normal coloration, her once white features were now jet black, and vice versa. All of her colors seemed to have _inverted_ , except for her outfit and her gem. Her fingers seemed slightly elongated, fingertips tapered even more like claws than they normally were. Her eyes were inky black, and instead of irises, there were long white slits in their place. Around her eyes, white circuit patterns spread above and below like digital cracks in her skin. The diamond was silent, her posture _off_. She was slouching unevenly, fingers grasping at something unseen.

No one said a word.

–

Hematite stood, the hair on the back of his neck starting to rise again. A chilling tingle ran through his entire form, his hair fluffing out in panicked anxiety. _No. No this is wrong. White, oh my stars, w-what-_ He stayed frozen in place, not making a sound.

–

White blinked, her expression blank. Tears started dripping down Yellow's cheeks, and she took a shaken step back. Blue, however, took a step forward.

"Wh-white?" Blue said quietly, holding up her hand to the Diamond. She didn't touch her. White looked down at Blue's hand, then looked over to Hematite. Her lips parted. It was noticeable that her teeth were still white, but her mouth was _also_ white. A silence befell her, and she didn't speak.

–

Hematite was still frozen in place. He couldn't move. He couldn't speak. He couldn't breathe. Dread sunk deep down into his very core. _This is my fault. She's broken, and it's my fault. White, White I'm so sorry!_ He managed to blink once, though he still made no move otherwise.

–

Cold, unnerving silence filled every corner of the room. She turned to the service gem, then looked back at Blue. Then Yellow. Her brows raised in confusion. _Were they alright?_

"T̀h̷wą'̢ś igg̛nò n̡o̴?́ Rea͟ ҉y̕uo͠ ̸l͜a͝l̨ ̧kayo?҉ "

White's eyes widened upon hearing her voice. That wasn't what she'd said at all. Gasping quietly, she looked down, noticing her shoes first. They looked normal, but something looked off with her shirt. Then, she raised her hands. Crying out in horror, she scrambled back, panic striking into her very core. Heaving, she grasped at nothing, shoulders raised.

"Ho ym ͝rast͠s̴ t̕h̶aw̵ p͝dhe͢p̵ena to ͟e͘m͏?̢! ́Àht̕e͡tḿei̶!" Her voice was wavering, and an odd _static_ filled the sounds coming out of her mouth. Her volume shifted unnaturally, erratically. Her words were mixed up and broken, and no matter what she said, nothing came out intelligibly. She sounded more like a broken radio than a gem. "Aw̴h̵t͢ hèp͏p̛d͘ane?̷! Htaw ͟edna͘hp҉e̶p?͜!́" she cried out, but nothing came out right. Her words were scrambled, chopped, and distorted. Not only that, the overlay of static didn't help matters. Blue stepped forward again towards the other Diamond, carefully placing her hand on White's arm.

"White, Please! We don't know what you're saying, please calm down!" Blue said. White was breathing heavily, undisguised horror on her face. She flinched at Blue's touch, tears prickling at the corners of her eyes.

"U͟e͢l͞b́! No͠d't͘ ͢t͏o͝cuh ̷me!̀ W͜h̀t̵a҉'͢s ̨nphea͏ped̵, ͠h̸yw a͠m I ̕ki͡el ͢h̨ts͏i̶?̷!͘"

Blue's frown deepened as she stared up at White with confusion and anxiety plain as day on her face.

"White, I don't... Understand you... I'm sorry."

–

Shaking his head, Hematite quickly covered his mouth, eyes staring in horror at his leader as she cried out in broken, unintelligible fragments. The service gem glanced down in panic. His gemstone had started to glow again, and the knot of anxiety in his stomach suddenly jumped into his throat. A choked cry of grief and fear cracked from his chest, and he suddenly bolted for the office door, forcefully pried it open with his hands, and slipped out of the room, gone without a word. His efforts, though exhausted as he was, left visible dents in the side of the door.

–

The Diamonds shot their attention to the fleeing service gem, but made no effort to go after him. They had much bigger problems to worry about than him, right now. White hung her shoulders in defeat, looking at Yellow. Yellow grasped at her glove, letting go and wiping the tears from her eyes.

"White..." she spoke, stepping towards her. "Your gem is... cracked," she forced out, her voice strained.

White froze.

 _No. No, this is a horrible joke. Yellow, don't do that._

Slowly, she lifted her hand, and touched her gemstone. She ran her finger gently across its surface, and stopped right over the deep crack. Even with the softest touch to the fault, she felt a painful, fiery stab of pain shoot through her very core. She shuddered and flinched, a glitched whimper softly rising from her.

"O̕͟n̷̕.͡.̷.̵͟I͞t͘͢h̢̕s̸̡ ̵̀á͟͜n̢͡c'̡t͘͢ ̢͞be̛͠..." she choked, the once small tears at the corners of her eyes suddenly spilling over her lower lids. Tears started pouring down her cheeks, and she raised her hands up to her face. Blue and Yellow glanced at each other nervously, taking a few steps away from the tallest Diamond. They wanted to try and comfort her, but at the same time... they didn't want to be anywhere near her.

Not like this.

Not in this state.

Abruptly, White dug her nails into her cheeks, tears dripping down her cheeks. A warped, cracked _scream_ rose in her chest, echoing past the open doors of the office and into the early morning.

–

–

 _Run. Don't stop. Get away._

After about five minutes of sprinting down the twisting halls of the White Tower, Hematite finally reached his room. In a blind panic, he firmly typed in the code to open the door, and slipped in as soon as it hissed and slid into the wall. He closed it behind him.

Back plastered to the metallic surface, Hematite stared at nothing, eyes wide, his chest heaving as he tried to calm down.

 _No, no. This isn't happening. This is all a bad dream. Wake up. WAKE UP!_

Hematite let out a soft whimper and grasped at his head, his clawed hands digging into his hair and scalp. Tears suddenly started to flow down his face.

 _White... White!_

 _What happened?! WHO DID THIS TO YOU?!_

 _It's all my fault, I let this happen, they're going to shatter me for this!_

 _I'm her bodyguard and she got_ _ **cracked**_ _on my watch!_

Hematite clutched at his chest. His breathing was uneven. He began to hyperventilate. Looking around, he spotted the shelf on the closest wall to him. He stumbled over and firmly grasped the edge of one particular shelf with his clawed fingers, digging small scratches into the surface.

There was a bright flash of light.

The now tiny service gem was left hanging on the edge of the shelf before he scrambled up, stumbling unevenly to the panel against the wall. He pressed against it, slid the hidden door open, and then stepped inside, turning and closing it up once more.

 _Nobody would find him here._

The tiny service gem stumbled along the long hallway before he arrived in his miniature bedroom. He turned the light on. For once, the warm glow of his crystalline lamp filled him with no comfort. Whimpering, Hematite slumped against one of the far corners, where a long cushion rested. He backed himself into the corner, crossing his arms, holding his shoulders tightly. His clawed hands dug into the fabric.

 _They won't find me here..._

Hematite buried his face in his knees, shaking uncontrollably.

 _They could fix this... They_ _ **had**_ _to fix this... She was just cracked, they could get her back to normal. Pink Diamond had healed cracked gems in the past, based on reports._

The tiny gem choked back a sob, his nails digging harshly into his suit.

 _Nothing's unfixable..._

–

–

The day went on in ominous silence. White retired to her room, locking her doors and refusing to let anyone in. Yellow and Blue, unsure what to do, parted ways and returned to their own towers. With White in her room, they knew she wouldn't get any worse physically, so they had a little time to collect their thoughts and square other things away before they had to tackle how to fix this. Yellow, not wanting to talk to anyone, locked herself in her office and turned away anyone who tried to enter as well. Blue, however, tried to go about the day normally. But she had an exceedingly hard time masking that something was wrong. Anyone she spoke to, especially gems that she usually interacted with in her day-to-day business, immediately noticed that something was off about her. She was monotonous, unfocused, and all of her peppy demeanor was gone. It lead to some suspicious looks, but no one questioned what was going on with her. No one _**dared**_ to.

–

–

"Yes, that schedule will do just fine," Blue said distractedly, her voice unnervingly flat. She was staring down at a diamond pad in front of her, one hand supporting her cheek, the other flipping through some files. The Onyx standing in front of her desk bit their lip quietly.

"My Diamond, I was... asking about the next shipment of carbonite to sector 23..." she said cautiously. Blue slowly blinked, furrowing her brows. She frowned up at the Onyx, who stiffened at their Diamond's unhappy gaze. "N-nevermind! I'll go over it at a later time with my co-manager," she said quickly. Blue narrowed her eyes.

"Good. Now leave. I have other work to do."

The Onyx nodded and saluted quickly, heading out the door as soon as she could. It hissed shut behind her, leaving Blue alone in the office. The Diamond sat in stiff silence for a good minute or so before she slowly sat up, rubbing her palm firmly over her face. A low, frustrated groan rose in her throat, and her eyes shut tightly. Her mind felt clouded, stormy, fuzzy. This all felt unreal, as if they were all caught in the same bad dream. This couldn't have happened. White couldn't be cracked. There were few things that could crack a Diamond, they'd made sure of that through their designs of their different gem classes. Each class had its limitations, and not a single one, by its own power, was recorded as being able to get anywhere close to damaging something as tough as a Diamond. That was, all aside from one class of gems... one _new_ class. But, surely that wasn't the case. White wouldn't make a gem class strong enough to damage a Diamond and then willingly take one as her body-guard.

… Then again, she hadn't _designed_ them to corrupt over time, either. It could have happened by accident; there could be a flaw in their code that made them far stronger than intended. Those teeth of theirs were intended to shatter gems with ease...

Blue furrowed her brows, rapidly shaking her head. _No, what was she thinking?! This was Hema she was thinking about!_ He was the only Hematite on that planet at the time, right? And he would never do something like that. But then that begged the question... what could and _would_ crack a Diamond? What could do that and go unnoticed, if Hema's rather shaken, vague 'story', if you could call it that, was to be believed? Was there someone else after White's life? Were they still loose out there? Was it an _accident?_ What pieces, if any, were they missing, here?

And, speaking of missing... _where was Hema?_ After his rather concerning 'departure' from the office that left the doors damaged, nobody had seen him. That in and of itself was... _worrying_.

Something _else_ was wrong. Something about this was _off_ , and she needed answers. She wanted an explanation, she wanted some kind of hope that these dark, barely warranted suspicions that were starting to rise in her mind were wrong. Once alone, she grabbed her communicator. The device glowed brightly, a small hologram screen appearing a few inches overhead.

"Contact Hema." _Chirp_. "... Hematite? Please answer me. This is Blue Diamond."

–

The tiny service gem had fallen asleep in his room, slouched against the wall. His face twitched into a fearful expression now and then, a faint trace of sweat along his brow. Seemed he was dreaming.

 _Beep beep, beep beep!_

With a start, Hematite sat up, his eyes shooting open. He let out a soft gasp, woken from a rather... chilling nightmare. But the moment he was conscious, he couldn't recall what it was. Perhaps that was a good thing. With a trembling hand, Hematite reached up to his visor and tapped it, answering the call.

"... This is Hematite."

–

Blue sighed with relief, leaning back in her chair.

"Hematite, please. I need to speak with you. Wherever you went, no one can find you. I'm not going to hurt you, I just wanna talk. Can you come to my office tonight? Preferably sooner than later?" she asked, arms crossed. All of her normal, upbeat emotion was gone entirely. She sounded professional; she sounded serious.

–

Swallowing, Hematite closed his eyes tightly, inhaling deeply through his nose. He slowly let out the breath, grimacing.

"... Yes. I'll be right there."

 _Click._

Standing, Hematite made his way out of the room, shifted back to his normal height, and then left his bedroom. He made his way to the Blue tower, slowly, heavily.

His eyes stared blankly ahead, a vaguely hollow look to them. He was still visibly shaken, but at least he seemed alert. Shoulders squared, steps measured, he briskly walked along the sky bridge. A crisp night breeze blew through the high path, brushing Hema's hair aside.

He still looked like a mess.

–

Knocking, Hematite stood in front of Blue's door, walking inside once it opened. He saluted stiffly.

"Hematite reporting, Blue Diamond."

–

Blue sat up straight, arms folded over one another.

"Please, come in..." she said quietly. Glancing over to the Pearl that stood in the corner, she made a motion with her head, mouthing something to her silently. The Pearl nodded in understanding, and left without a word. Blue looked solemnly at Hematite, fingers gripping at her forearms. "Listen, Hematite. I need to know exactly what happened... This... this is _catastrophic_. We have a cracked Diamond on our hands." Just at her physically saying that, her anxiety started to spike, and she looked down at nothing. She bit her lip. "I need to know. How did she get cracked... Where did you both go, what did you both do?"

–

The service gem walked stiffly over to the azure gem's desk and took a seat. He folded his hands in his lap, staring at her.

"... Yesterday morning, after White called me, I went to her office and she told me about a recording she received. It was an anonymous tip from what I can only assume was a rebel. They told White that there was a group that was planning to start a full-out uprising against Homeworld." He took a deep breath, trying to remain professional. "They were stationed on a nearby reclaimed Pink Diamond planet. White and I left immediately yesterday morning and made our way to the location given to us by the message. It took us all afternoon to walk there. It was night before we arrived." His tone shifted slightly. "But we ran into trouble. It was an ambush. These rebels, and their leader, I assume, attacked us. They were mounted on gem monsters. The leader was a fusion, Zultanite. We took them out... And then we rested."

–

Blue locked her fingers together, bringing her hands up in front of her mouth. Her eyes narrowed as she listened to the service gem's report. Any other time, she'd find it to be an interesting tale, but she was listening for details in this one.

"Go on."

–

"... And. Well." His professional air suddenly began to waver. He looked unsure of himself for a moment. However, he pushed it aside and cleared his throat, squaring his shoulders. "The message warned us about a 'scout'. Said that she was under orders to give a signal to start the uprising, should their plans be found out. So a few hours went by, I rested, White did as well... But then my visor caught something." His index finger tapped on his hand. "It was a very small gem. White and I chased after her, but she lead us into a huge cave system. Even at my half height, it still dwarfed me. It must have been at least twice my full height." He glanced to the side. "And... So. we followed the scout into the caves. She was really fast, so she kept getting ahead of me. I started to... notice that the tunnels were getting narrower, and that we could be..." He looked confused for a moment, pausing.

How had White been ambushed, or, _whatever_ happened. How? He hadn't passed anyone on the way _into_ the caves, nor did he see anyone on the way out. Had they been followed, or had White found someone in the room he found her gemstone in?

"... Sorry." Clearing his throat, he looked at her again. "I thought we might be ambushed, so I asked her to stay behind." The end of the last word caught in his throat.

–

Blue continued to bite her lip, chewing at the inside of it gently.

"Mmmng.." She grunted uncomfortably and looked away. Brows furrowed, she tapped her laced hands against her chin. "And so she did, I presume?"

–

"Yeah. I figured if we ran into trouble, it'd be best if she was there for backup... and vice versa. So I continued down the caves after the scout, and left White at some forked paths." He swallowed nervously. His professional demeanor started to crumble. "... I don't know what happened." His hands trembled for a moment. "I chased after the scout and caught her after a while, but when I caught her... she used this weird ability on me, and." Closing his eyes, Hematite drew his lips tight, his expression unreadable. "I blacked out. Then when I came to, I found White cracked in another room."

–

Blue's brows raised, and she sat up straighter. She almost looked _angry_.

"That's it?" she growled, her voice sending a chill through the air. She wanted to say something more, but she held her tongue. "Hmph..." She looked right through Hematite, lost in thought. "I see..." She placed her hands on the desk and tapped her fingers along its smooth surface. Her suspicion was rising by the second, and that last part of Hema's story didn't help at all. She couldn't do anything about it now, though. Looking to the service gem, she gave him a curt nod. "How did you find her gem, then?"

–

As soon as he opened his eyes again to look at Blue, whatever was left of his composure shattered. She looked angry. She _sounded_ angry.

"I-I don't know, I." Hematite looked down at his hands, unfolding them, looking at his palms. "When I came to, the scout was still using the ability, so I bubbled her. That stopped it, but my head was still ringing." Hema's voice wavered. "I think I tried to call White's communicator, but she didn't answer." The service gem trembled. Tears pricked at his eyes. "So I went back for her, and-! Sh-she wasn't where I left her, so I tracked down her signature, and she-" The service gem's voice cracked, and he lifted a hand to his mouth, covering it much the same way he'd done back in the caves. But this time, his eyes were shut tight. He swallowed hard. "Sh-she was there. On the ground. I scanned her and saw that she was cr-..." He couldn't bring himself to say it. "S-so I took care of the scout and b-bubbled her gem. I didn't want to touch it."

–

Blue kept a steady expression through the whole explanation, but she couldn't null the hundreds of thoughts spinning in her head. What kind of ability did this scout even have? How could this have happened? If what he was saying was true, then _who_ did this? Something wasn't adding up in this story. There were a lot of holes, here. Holes that she didn't understand, and probably wasn't going to get answers for any time soon, especially with Hema in this state, and White in hers. She took note of Hematite's expression, and for a split second, her face softened. She seemed more concerned now than anything. _Stars, this was really upsetting him..._ She twitched her finger and hung her hands to her sides, clenching her fists. She was quiet, looking away.

"And that's when you came back, huh?"

–

The service gem took a moment to recover. When he did, he still looked distant and terrified.

"Yes. I came back and immediately contacted you and Yellow. I waited in the office until you arrived." His tone changed again, and he put his face in his hands. He sounded _terrified_. "I don't understand. I didn't detect anyone in the caves, there weren't any signals around when I blacked out, and none had appeared when I came to... I-I didn't see anyone in the room with White, either." He shook his head weakly, his shoulders dropping. When he spoke again, his voice was thick with grief and guilt. "This is all my fault. I let this happen. I should have trusted my instincts, I knew something was wrong! I should have never left her behind!"

–

Blue sighed heavily, placing her elbows on the desk.

"Look, Hematite... Calm down. We'll figure something out. Things will be alright, okay?" She looked up at him, smiling faintly. She was lying, of course. She had no idea how things were going to turn out, or if there was even any way to fix White's crack. She wouldn't get any worse, thankfully, if she didn't damage the gem further. However... she wasn't going to get better either.

And, the longer she stayed like this, well... _the more she risked corrupting._

The _last_ thing the world needed was a corrupted Diamond.

Her eyes widened at the thought, but she quickly looked back to Hematite with a forced, hopeful gleam.

"Hey, by the way... whatever you do, try not to tell anyone about this. If people find out that White's been... well, you know... they'll." She paused, the worry flooding back. This time, she couldn't brush it off. "There could be a massive panic. We don't need that... Do you understand? This needs to be kept quiet. We'll try to figure out something in the meantime."

–

Hematite blinked up at Blue, finally taking his hands from his face. He sniffed, wiped his eyes, and then cleared his throat, crossing his arms. He clutched at the fabric of his shirt.

"R-right. Okay. I understand. I won't tell a soul." Looking away to the side, Hematite frowned and pulled tighter at his sleeve. The quicker they solved this, the better. Whoever was the cause of all this needed to be brought to justice. And Hematite hoped that, whoever or whatever it was that had cracked White's gem, well. He hoped he would get to deal with them _personally_.

–

Blue stood, her palms held together formally.

"Thank you for telling me this, Hematite. You are dismissed," she said. Her face void of emotion, she looked to the side. "I'm sorry. I've got something important to do." Turning quickly, she walked for the door on the side of the room, and left without seeing Hematite off.

–

The service gem watched Blue leave with a heavy knot of dread in his stomach. He soon stood and left the office, heading aimlessly down the sky bridge. _He had to do something..._ But what? He couldn't think of any way to fix a cracked gem... He was less than a hundred years old, he knew almost NOTHING compared to the vast knowledge of other gems like the Diamonds. Hematite stopped in his tracks, his brows shooting up in realization.

 _Of course!_

Sprinting off, Hema made his way back to the Blue tower, and down toward the main city warp.

 _If there was any place he could find answers, it'd be White's archives!_

–

–

 **Dark. Cold. Empty.**

Yellow opened her eyes, groaning. Running her fingers through her hair slowly, she blinked, her vision fading in from bleary darkness.

"What...? Where am... I..." She stopped, staring blankly ahead. She found herself lost in a black abyss, with nothing but a stark white line signifying some kind of horizon. The Diamond looked down sharply at her feet, realizing that while she did still have her color, the ground below her was stark black. She felt her body go numb.

 **No.**

She turned around quickly, a shaken breath rattling in her chest.

 **NO.**

Backing up, she looked frantically around her, turning in every direction, her eyes wide. Something was wrong. Something was very wrong. _Why was she_ _ **here**_ _**again**_ _?_ This place was all to familiar; she'd never expected to find herself back here. It was over, wasn't it?! She'd made her peace with Hematite. But here she was, back in this dreadful place that she'd never hoped to see again.

Holding her arms close, she started walking, trembling. The last nightmare she had was the worst one she'd ever had... was this one going to be even _worse?_ She waited as she walked, watching the non existent skyline. What was this one going to be? Had her fears come crawling back to haunt her? She thought it was over. She had been so relieved that it was _over_. Now, she was left to wonder how many more of these she would have to suffer through. Was this going to destroy her again?

 _Would she never truly have peace?_

–

 _Tink_

 _Tink tink_

From somewhere behind Yellow Diamond, the quiet sounds of glass dropping to a stone floor echoed. At first, they started out slow, but then it suddenly sounded as if a wave of crystalline pieces were being poured over each other. The sound slowed and stopped, though the faint sounds of settling crystalline pieces still echoed through the air.

 _Tink_

Something rolled into the back of Yellow's heel, bumping against it lightly.

 _ **"Hmhmhmmm.~"**_

A soft, eerie hum filled the room, shaking the Diamond's very core, stealing her breath away.

–

A whimper rose up through the air. _No... Not him... Please..._ She clenched her fists and took a deep breath. She looked down at her shoe to see what had touched her, but she very quickly wished she hadn't... Eyes widening, Yellow sharply took a step back, away from the gem. It looked just like _White's._ Kneeling down, she hovered her hand over the gemstone, tears welling up in her eyes.

 _Why was this happening? Why ... why this? What was going on?_

Slowly, Yellow dared to look up.

–

 _ **"Hmmhmhmmm. Well, now."**_

In front of the Diamond that laid before Yellow, was a trail of similar gemstones. They were all cracked. More, more, and more, until they formed a huge pile; a pile that a familiar, giant form was reclined on, holding himself up with one arm. His other hand was behind his back.

 _ **"See what happens when you let your guard down?~"**_

–

Yellow swallowed nervously, glancing between the pile of cracked gems and the all too familiar monstrosity she hoped she'd never have to see again. The fear came racing back, hitting her all at once. Everything she'd felt before gripped at her core once more. All of her anxiety, all of her suspicion, all of it. She trembled, taking a single step back. _This wasn't supposed to happen. It wasn't supposed to be like this..._

She refused to speak.

–

 _ **Whirrr**_

 _ **Click**_

The monstrous hunter's visor came to life, the eerie insignia appearing on its black screen once more. But this time, it didn't resemble Yellow Diamond's gemstone. No. This time, it looked like _White's_ gem.

 _ **"And to think, if you'd just taken care of your little problem before, this could have been avoided! Now..."**_ Slowly, Hematite turned his head, lifting his hand from behind his back. There, dangling by the back of her shirt, was a starkly-outlined White, hanging limply from his grip. _**"Your comrade is in grave danger.~"**_

–

Yellow felt everything stop. Her mind skidded to a screeching halt, her eyes going wide as saucers.

 _WHITE. WHY WAS_ _ **SHE**_ _HERE?!_

"LET GO OF HER!" she screamed out in horrified anger, taking a few bold steps forward. She started breathing heavily, hands trembling. She didn't bother hiding her anger, not this time. "Th-this is _my_ nightmare! Leave her out of this!" she hissed loudly.

–

The giant gem stopped, a look of 'surprise' on his face. The insignia on his visor slowly focused on Yellow, despite Hematite not turning his head.

 _ **Cliikikik**_

He stopped.

And suddenly, he smiled. The monstrous gem's teeth gleamed in the dark as a huge, unsettling grin spread across his face.

 **"You're right."** Steadily, he lifted White towards his face.

 **"T̟͉͎̪h̗̮͉̙͞i̛̪̫s̸̩̬̩͎͚̼ ͏̩̪̰͇̥̳ͅIS̫ ̮̳̪̭y̛̱͉̭̳o̪̱̱u͈̳r͓̲͎̮̤ ̴̱̫̻̦̗ni̘g̷̭̮̫̩̜̻ḩt̫̤̤̩̘̭͓m̷a͚̬̜r͙̣̳̯̯̼̟e̢̫͓̞̭͙.̧̣̘"**

–

Raising her hand quickly, Yellow whimpered sharply, all her anger vanishing like mist in a scorching sunbeam.

"STOP! DON'T!" she cried out, taking a few more steps forward. Her legs suddenly felt heavy. Very heavy. "NOT HER! Please!" she begged, stopping completely. She froze, unable to take any more steps further. Her legs below her suddenly gave out, leaving her collapsed on her knees.

–

The nightmarish Hematite ignored her pleas. With a dark, warped chuckle, he tilted his head back. The insignia never left her. Suddenly, the pile of gems beneath the giant hunter began to _change_. A deafening cracking sound filled the air, and, one by one, some of the crystalline forms turned yellow... And then some turned blue.

Hematite cackled, the sound coming out distorted and crackly. He finally stopped and grinned again, holding White up just a bit higher over his face.

 **"Y̶͙͇̤̣͙o͔̗͔̞̰ư̭͚̤̞̩̣̮'̵̴̛̜̳ŗ̴̧͎͎̭̹̳e̫̰̻̠̮̼ ̴̶̨̺͚n̴̨̦̫̗̞̞̞e̶̹̲͟x͔͇̗͖̲͇͇ͅͅt̨̲̜̹̰̜͎́͝.̻͇̲͖̘͖̥͢ͅ"**

–

Yellow froze, her stomach twisting into a tight knot. She was helpless. She could never do anything to stop him, and now she was forced to _watch_. Even if she'd closed her eyes, she knew what she'd hear next.

"No..." she whispered, staring up at White's limp form. "Do something...White...Wake up... Do _something_ , please..." she said quietly, tears streaming down her face.

–

Hematite snickered and turned his attention to White's limp form dangling above his mouth. Slowly, he parted his teeth, lowering the Diamond closer.

–

 **KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!**

–

Yellow's head shot up from her desk. She inhaled sharply, clutching at her gem. _Thank stars, that was over._ She regretted taking that short nap. Then again, she didn't have any reason to believe it would lead to _that_. She was just so mentally exhausted, she assumed resting for a few minutes wouldn't hurt. She would have kept thinking about it, the horror still fresh in her mind... but she had to answer whoever was at the door. Groaning, she stood up, brows furrowed.

"Ugggh... I told everyone to leave me alone," she muttered crossly to herself, walking towards the door. _Still, that HAD woken her up from a disaster._ So she couldn't really complain too much. Stopping in front of the door, she cleared her throat and regained a professional stance. She cracked the door open a few inches, peering outside.

"I'm not available ri-..."

–

At first, it seemed there was nobody there. And then someone softly cleared their throat.

Standing at the door, just barely knee height with Yellow Diamond, was a Peridot. She had a long, clip-board like diamond pad held in front of her, covering her mouth. Though the service gem wore a pair of leg enhancers, her arms were bare and like a normal gem's. Her eyes were wide, staring up at her leader from behind her bright greenish visor. The service gem blinked once or twice.

"Terribly sorry to disturb you, Yellow Diamond!"

–

Yellow narrowed her eyes, staring down at the tiny gem. She glanced at the Peridot's arms, raising a brow.

"What do you want?..."

–

Uncovering her face just slightly, revealing her rather impressive set of freckles, the Peridot swallowed nervously and attempted to stand at attention.

"General Topaz is here! W-well, she's not _here_ but she's here on Homeworld and she says she urgently needs to speak to you!"

–

Yellow's brows raised, and she opened the door briskly.

"What? General Topaz? Well, where is she?" she asked, taking a single step towards the small Peridot. _What on Homeworld could Topaz be here for?_

–

The petite service gem held up her diamond pad in front of her again and squeaked quietly, though she stifled it well.

"Sh-she's in the main White Archives! Said she needed to keep an eye on things... And that I needed to fetch you as soon as possible!" She started briskly walking down the path leading into the Yellow Diamond tower, her limb enhancers clacking against the stone.

–

Yellow snapped to attention and followed soon after the Peridot.

"Wait- Agggh," she groaned, a few feet behind already. It didn't take her long at all to catch up, however, and was even starting to walk faster than the Peridot could keep up at times, even at a normal pace. "What is she doing in White's archives?"

–

The Peridot grunted with effort at trying to keep pace with Yellow, her comparatively shorter legs not doing her much of a service. She barely managed to keep up with her leader.

"She arrived about an hour or so ago. She showed up at the Archives and asked to see who was in charge." The Peridot glanced up to the side. "Dolomite wasn't around, so she settled for me," she said simply. The service gem stuck her tongue out as she took another few bounds forward. "She didn't say much. I left her with a few of the gems there before I came to get you."

–

Yellow looked on ahead, taking in the Peridot's words.

"Alright. Thank you," she said, her pace quickening. If Topaz was here and wasn't reporting to her, something was up and she needed to get there quickly. After she and the Peridot made their way down the elevator, she headed right for the warp pad in the center of the tower facility.

–

The freckled Peridot blinked in surprise and rushed after her leader, though her steps were far too small, and Yellow had warped away far before she could catch up.

–

–

Scrambling around a corner, the green service gem stuck her tongue out and made a beeline for the archives building, making her way inside. She headed for the room Topaz had been left in.

–

Yellow arrived not long ago, stepping quietly but quickly through the halls. The main room was massive. With a layout much like the great library, the shelves stood tall and wide, extending for many, many units in any direction. Everything in the building was made with a sleek, white metallic finish. On some shelves, there were buzzing screens that kept more important documents protected from anyone without a special code to get in. The entire facility was very well lit, and there was hardly a dark spot in any given inch.

"Hmm..." Yellow peered down the isles, passing them one by one. Occasionally she'd see a service gem organizing some of the diamond pads, but Topaz was nowhere to be seen. Then she spotted something else. In the more open area of the archives, there were large tables where gems could sit and read or hold meeting. Unfortunately for Yellow, the last gem she'd either wanted or _expected_ to see was sitting at one of the tables. Hematite, sitting with at least thirteen Diamond pads laying around him, looked scattered and distressed.

Yellow scoffed and made a sharp turn to another aisle. She didn't want to confront him right now. She didn't have the time or the patience. Quickly, she kept walking, hoping to avoid him completely. She had to find Topaz.

–

"Ah, Hematite, is this the one you were looking for?"

A strong, well-carrying voice sounded from the space that the service gem was studying in. Hema sat up straight, pausing in his efforts to thumb through some files on a diamond pad. He looked back, putting his arm over the support of his chair. Out from behind a nearby shelf stepped a huge, familiar form, a few books and diamond pads in her arms. She was looking down at one in particular. "Here, I found a few more that seem to be related as well. Perhaps they'll help?" she offered politely, looking at the service gem with an uncharacteristically soft expression.

The ivory-haired gem smiled thankfully at the massive warrior and nodded, carefully taking the items from Topaz as she handed them down.

"Thank you, General. I couldn't quite reach those ones."

–

Yellow stopped dead in her tracks, backing up to the corner again to peek around the aisle. Sighing heavily, she rolled her eyes. _Oooof course she had to be near_ _ **him**_ _._ Turning, Yellow made her way back to the two. Standing formally, Yellow stopped just shy of the table that Hematite was sitting at.

"Hematite. General Topaz." she said, addressing them in greetings. "What news do you have for me?" Yellow asked, staring at Topaz. Part of her wanted to avoid speaking to Hematite completely, if she could help it.

–

Hematite had noticed Yellow rather quickly, and shrank back in his chair, subtly. _No, why was_ _ **she**_ _here?!_ The service gem sunk down into his chair before he buried his attention back in his studying. He muttered something to himself, one hand clutching his head, supporting it, the other flipping through a diamond pad.

The General crossed her arms in front of her chest after giving Yellow a respectful nod. She glanced down at Hematite. There was an unreadable expression on her face, made even more unreadable by her covered right eye. However, there seemed to be the faintest hint of... _pity?_ Sympathy? It only lingered for a split moment before the golden-haired gem turned her attention back to Yellow Diamond, trying to remain professional.

"May I speak to you privately, Yellow Diamond?"

–

Yellow nodded simply and she placed her hands together momentarily She spared Hematite a brief glance, looking down at the clutter he had made over the table. It seemed as though he were looking for something, but she didn't know what.

"Lead the way, General."

–

Topaz nodded and uncrossed her arms, turning to head down one of the rows of archives and books. She turned her head slightly, her voice low.

"Apologies for dragging you here, I need-"

Skidding around the corner, the freckled Peridot squeaked and came to a clumsy halt, saluting the two gems in front of her. However, she quickly noticed she was saluting in reverse and righted herself with an awkward chuckle. The golden-haired gem clicked her tongue. "Ah, just in time. Peridot, can you please go monitor Hematite at that table over there?" Topaz thumbed back down the corridor. The green service gem peered around the two, standing on one leg, and suddenly perked, beaming.

"Wiiith pleasure!"

With that, she was off, bolting down the hall of archives. She came to a skidding halt as she leapt into a chair, scooting it closer to Hema. "Hiii Hematite!"

"O-oh, hey, Frecks."

"Still studying?" She leaned over his shoulder, peering curiously at his research. Hematite sighed softly, nodding.

Topaz snorted quietly with a shake of her head. She continued down the path, leading Yellow to a much more secluded part of the White Archives.

–

Yellow raised a brow without a word, eyeing the service gem as she ran past them. Maybe things would be quieter now. Shrugging, she followed Topaz, curiosity piqued. _What could she possibly want?_

–

The General led the Diamond down a few more paths before they came to a secluded room. There didn't seem to be any service gems around. She closed the door behind them.

Turning, Topaz crossed her arms, staring evenly at Yellow.

"Apologies, he has very sensitive hearing, compared to normal gems. I didn't want to risk him listening in on us."

–

"That's alright, General. We're here now, what do you need to say?" Yellow responded, crossing her arms patiently.

–

Topaz looked away silently. She drummed her fingers on her forearm. When she spoke, her voice was hushed, low, and even. She looked at Yellow without turning her head, piercing orange eyes meeting hers.

"Where is White Diamond."

–

Yellow's expression faltered, and she found herself unable to hide her brief surprise.

"Uh... well, um... She's in her tower, of course!" she said, trying to keep her expression in a neutral state. Her brows raised however, and she stared unnervingly through the warrior.

–

Topaz inhaled slowly through her nose, her brows furrowing. Her right eye was still covered by her hair. However, as she lifted a hand to her face, she quickly fixed that, brushing her hair back behind her ear. Her gaze was piercing, intense, and held the fire of a war veteran.

"Then let me ask another question. _**How**_ is White Diamond."

–

Yellow paused and gazed at Topaz's right eye, hesitant to answer the question. _So she'd caught on_. She wasn't sure how, but she knew Topaz knew something was up. Sighing, Yellow stepped closer, glancing to the side for a moment to make sure no one was around. She looked back up, matching Topaz's fierce gaze.

"Can you keep quiet about this..."

–

"You know I can, Yellow Diamond." Topaz frowned slightly, once again drumming her fingers on her arm.

–

Yellow took a deep breath, closing her eyes. She exhaled heavily through her teeth.

"I'm afraid... White's been cracked."

–

Topaz immediately closed her eyes, a pained expression crossing her face. She turned away, taking a step or two from Yellow. Running a hand through her hair, the General inhaled slowly through her teeth.

"I was afraid of that."

–

Yellow cleared her throat and opened her eyes.

"How did you figure?" she asked, folding her hands behind her back. "The less people that know about this, the better. We don't want to risk word of this getting out just yet."

–

Clenching her fist in her hair, the General slowly exhaled, squaring her shoulders. She turned back to Yellow.

"No need to worry. I won't tell anyone. I just had to..." She grimaced and looked away, a sharp-toothed sneer on her face. "Confirm some suspicions."

–

Yellow felt a twinge of confusion. _Suspicions? What kind of suspicions?_

"I see... So, what are you doing in these archives, then? Why are you here?"

–

Topaz turned her attention back to Yellow, her teeth no longer bared. She stood straight, and for once, folded her arms behind her, standing tall.

"You remember that faction we've been having troubles with, yes? Back on my home planet? Well, did White ever call you about the anonymous tip we received?"

–

Yellow narrowed her eyes in thought, but then nodded.

"Yes, I remember, and yes, she did."

–

Topaz nodded in return.

"Well, White was adamant that she and her Hematite could handle it. So, I let her. I had other business to attend to, so I withdrew all of my soldiers from the area before they arrived. They weren't making any progress, so there was no point in them getting in the way. Of course, I knew they'd be arriving yesterday morning, and my patrols reported seeing Hematite and White headed for the location in the message. But when the same patrols reported that the Hematite was headed toward the capital _alone_ , not too long after _arriving_..." She grimaced just slightly, but quickly returned to her professional air. "I thought perhaps White and the harvester had simply completed their job quicker than expected... Which was impressive. I wanted to thank White in person for supposedly taking care of the issue at hand!" Topaz frowned slightly. "But, I was not met with the two of them. The Hematite was alone, carrying a bubble. I had been waiting near the warp pad for them, but when I saw that bubbled gem, I froze up." The golden-haired gem inhaled quietly. "I didn't get a good look. I thought it might be White Diamond. In fact, I had little reason to believe it was anyone _else_. Nobody had come along for their mission, after all. But the service gem... looked... off."

–

Yellow had not heard a report of how things had gone, so this was all news to her. She looked away, pursing her lips.

"What do you mean _off? ._.." she asked, narrowing her eyes. She kept glancing at Topaz's right eye as she spoke, seeming unusually intent on watching it. Topaz didn't seem to mind, or even notice.

–

"He didn't seem entirely _there_. He looked panicked, fearful, _hunted_." Topaz snorted and glanced to the side. "I thought perhaps he was being followed. But nobody came after him. I stayed there for a good long while to make sure. I even sent my gems in after they left, and they, for once, all returned intact. My patrols reported nothing out of the ordinary, all day. So, I thought perhaps the mission had simply gone sour towards the end, and that White had just been poofed." The General narrowed her eyes. "But the look in that service gem's eyes troubled me. After I squared things away at my home planet's capital I warped here to Homeworld not too long ago, hoping to find some answers... And. Hoping to find that my suspicions were wrong. So I asked around. Nobody would tell me anything about White Diamond, you were locked away in your tower, supposedly, and Blue Diamond was no-where to be found. I started to get, well. 'Nervous' isn't the word. So I asked around for Hematite. A few gems saw him heading to the archives, so I came by here to see what he was up to..." Sighing, Topaz stood straighter, suddenly rolling her neck with a faint 'crick' as she squared her shoulders again. "And then I saw him researching cracked gems."

–

Yellow bit her lip, suspicion rising.

"What are you getting at, General?" she asked, drumming her fingers rhythmically. _Well, of course he'd research that, he might be trying to find out how to fix her. Isn't that what we're all doing, come tomorrow?_

–

Topaz frowned and looked away. There was a pause.

"You know me, Yellow Diamond. I never 'get at' anything. I'm simply telling you how I figured what had happened to White, that's all. I believe Hematite, no matter what happened during that mission, is researching a fix. He seems very intent on it. He's barely said anything to me aside from what you saw earlier. That, and he gave me access to his mission logs, in case anything could be of use there."

–

The Diamond stood a little taller, tapping her heel once on the floor.

"Fair enough. We're all going to be looking into fixing White. It doesn't really surprise me that he's here, honestly..." She paused, thinking hard about what information Topaz was giving her. She looked at one of the shelves nearby, her expression unreadable. "I only hope there _**is**_ a way..."

–

Topaz followed her gaze, unblinking. Her hair fell over her eye again, a look of genuine _pain_ on her face.

"As do I. I believe we'll find something. We _have_ to." She looked to her leader and crossed her arms in front of her. "That being the case! I am here, and available to you, should you wish me to assist you in finding a fix. With the rebels taken care of on my planet temporarily, and a temporary leader in place, I am free for a while, and I wish to help." Her expression softened for a moment. "It'd be far more efficient with more helping hands."

–

Yellow looked back to the warrior and nodded with genuine thanks.

"We all appreciate it. The faster we can get her fixed, the sooner our troubles will be over." Yellow said. She looked as though she were masking something, but it was hard to tell what. Her expression looked forced.

–

The General took note of the odd look, but since she couldn't place the reason behind it, she brushed it aside mentally.

"Indeed." She frowned and looked around for a moment. Stepping closer, she pushed her hair behind her ear again. "That being said, I do have to ask you one final thing."

–

At first, the Diamond didn't respond. Yellow raised a brow, fidgeting with her glove behind her back. She almost seemed lost in thought, like she was contemplating something. Suddenly, she snapped back to attention, realizing she almost missed responding completely.

"Yes, what is it?"

–

"Now, you know I never 'get at' anything, but I _need_ to know, for my own peace of mind..." Topaz arched a brow. When she spoke again, her tone completely changed. It was low, and had a dark bite to it. Her gaze burned into Yellow's, a fearsome fire in her eyes.

"Can you think of _any_ motive the service gem would have for turning on his leader."

–

Yellow froze, blinking in surprise.

"Well... If you anger him, I suppose." She shrugged, reluctant to say anything more. The pieces started to come together. It had happened before... _she_ angered him, and he turned on her.

But _White?.._. If Topaz was implying what she thought she was implying, then it raised a lot of questions. Questions she wondered if she should even ask. A prickling suspicion began to rise in her chest, mixed with a cloudy, frustrating sense of confusion. She was missing so many pieces to this, and she hated it. "I'm not sure... if he would, though. To my knowledge at least, White never _did_ anything to anger him. Nor Blue." She grimaced, thinking about herself. "He may have attacked me, but he had his... 'reasons', and I don't think he would make that mistake twice."

–

"I see. I had a feeling there may not have been anything there, but, I just wanted to make sure I wasn't missing anything important to this." She squared her shoulders and nodded. "Thank you, Yellow Diamond. Despite him not having any direct ties or motivations, I think it'd be best if we kept a closer eye on him. He has a history with instability against authority. Surely it couldn't hurt if we were to keep watch over him, when we're in the same general area. I can both help him with research and keep him out of trouble."

–

Yellow placed a finger to her chin, glancing off to the side.

"Well, do you really think that he needs to be monitored?" She asked. "Sure, he's had a history, but... Something isn't adding up. If you think he might be hiding something, why would he have come back to us with her gem bubbled as quickly as he did?" She crossed her arms, trying to make light of the story. Though she was merely trying to brush her suspicions off, she did actually have a point. On one hand, this whole thing was awfully suspicious. He'd come back on a mission with her with her gem cracked when he was supposed to be protecting her. He had run away once White had reformed. He had blown up on Yellow before... but on the other hand, he was researching how to fix the crack. He had come immediately back to the towers and faced the Diamonds directly. "Do you think he'd come back if he had done something bad?"

–

Topaz slowly arched a brow and inhaled deeply through her nose. She looked to the side, tapping her fingers on her arm in deep thought. By the look on her face, it was clear that what Yellow said made sense to her. _A lot of sense._ Her expression softened, her lips pursing.

"I suppose that's true, yes. You have a compelling point." The golden-haired gem's brows raised, as if something had occurred to her. "Actually, no, you're completely right. Only a fool would do that, if he were hiding something. A fool or a genius, and, I'm afraid I don't peg the service gem as the latter." The General smirked for a moment, rolling her eyes. Returning to her usual stoic expression, Topaz folded her arms behind her and nodded respectfully, closing her eyes. "Thank you, Yellow Diamond. Alright, I will focus all my attention and energy on helping you all find a cure." Her eyes opened, and she gave Yellow a sympathetic look. "We'll fix her in no time. By the Diamond Authority, I swear it."

–

Yellow nodded, a slightly softer expression befalling her.

"Thank you, General Topaz. If you find anything, please let me know. And remember: no one can find out about this," she said, turning to walk back out of the room. Her gaze drifted at all the different Diamond pads, leaving her to wonder if any of this immense collection of knowledge had any solution for them.

She couldn't stop thinking about Hematite... And soon, she was left to dwell on her nightmare. Did she _really_ suspect him? Sure, she had every reason to, but she couldn't draw any conclusions just yet. It was unjust, unproven, and at this point irrational. There was actually more evidence currently pointing away from him at the moment. Yes, she needed to remain calm and take things one step at a time. Whoever was guilty for this would be brought to justice. She would make _damn_ sure of it.

* * *

Days passed. Weeks passed. About three weeks later, nobody was any closer to finding a solution than they had been before. Hematite had taken to researching old Pink district locations, and had personally checked them out to see if any of Pink Diamond's fountains were still active. They weren't. Nothing he could find in the records was of any help. He'd found a few very old archives on some artificial way to heal cracked gems, but it required a plant that was long since extinct, according to the files. They hadn't been updated in some time.

Hematite hadn't seen White since she reformed. She'd stayed locked in her tower, sure not to be seen by anyone. As far as he knew, only her Pearl was allowed to make contact through text-based messages on her communicator. Hema was focusing all his attention on trying to find a way to fix his leader...

Until he received a message on his eyepiece from White's Pearl.

–

–

With a dense knot of dread in his stomach, Hematite walked heavily toward White's office. He didn't want to see her. Not how she was... Not after what he let happen. He had no idea how she'd react to seeing him again. She'd been clearly distressed as all get out when she reformed. Hematite could tell that she was confused, despite being completely unintelligible when she'd spoken.

The service gem walked with his arms crossed, his eyes staring blankly ahead. A warm breeze blew through the open windows of the White Diamond tower, but it brought him no comfort. He felt vaguely cold and heavy with anxiety. Slowly, he rubbed his hands up and down his arms, as if trying to warm himself. He was silent. The entire world around him was quiet, outside of the soft bustle of the oblivious city beyond the towers.

But suddenly, the quiet was interrupted by the rapid beep of Hematite's eyepiece. With a start, the service gem stopped in his tracks and hesitantly lifted a hand to his visor. His clawed finger hovered over its surface. He could tell by the pattern of beeps that it was a Hematite calling him, so maybe he should answer it. Hema drew his lips into a tight line and tapped the eyepiece, answering the call.

"Hiii Hema-dear!" chimed a familiar voice over the other end of the call. Hema's eyes widened in surprise. _Ti!_ She giggled and continued, an odd tone to her voice. She sounded slightly impatient. "You didn't show to our training session! You were supposed to meet me by the Coliseum, silly!" she said in a sing-song tone. Hema grimaced and reached up, rubbing his face. _Stars, he forgot about that._

"Ah, sorry, Ti. That was today?"

"Mmhm, iiiit's been the same day for the past few months, Hema! Remember, we were going to practice more, the closer it got to the fusion event? It's in just a few months! I mean, I still practiced without youuu, but. It doesn't really work if you're not here!" she chimed, a slightly forced-sounding chuckle in her throat. Hema frowned and rubbed his temple, sighing.

"Yeah, well. Sorry, Ti, but I kind of have something more important going on," he grumbled, trying to keep at least a _little_ politeness to his tone. Ti paused.

"Hmm? Did you have a mission today?"

"No, Ti. I've been conducting research on... something."

"What kiiind of something?" she cooed with only half-interested-sounding curiosity. Hema glared ahead of himself, at the spiral path leading upward.

"... It's classified."

"Aww, even from me?"

"Yes, Ti. Even from you."

"But Hema-deaaar."

"No, Ti. Diamond's orders, I can't talk about it."

Ti went quiet for a moment. Hematite blinked and glanced at the eyepiece awkwardly, raising a brow. She cleared her throat and continued.

"... Anyways. Since you couldn't make it todaaay, how about tomorrow?"

"Ti, I can't."

"What, why not?"

"Look, I just. Can't. Okay? I probably won't be available for the next few months, even. Probably longer, with how much research I have to do." He rubbed the back of his neck, frowning as he looked off to the side. "I... probably won't be able to make the fusion event, actually. Now that I think about it."

A cold silence filled the other end of the call. Ti shifted in place, clearing her throat quietly.

"Mm. I see. Well... that's unfortunate, Hema. But, I'm sure we can make the next one, right?" she asked, chuckling softly. Hematite frowned.

"Maybe, I'm not sure. I'll... try, though. Hopefully this will all be cleared up before then," he said cautiously.

"Yeah, hopefully. Well, good luck with all that then, Hema. I have to go do a job in a minute here. Call me again if anything comes up and you can come train, okay?~" Hema grimaced, but then nodded.

"Alright, alright. I'll call you if anything clears up and I can meet you there. But for now, I have to get going, okay? Good luck with your job-"

 _Click._

Hema blinked in surprise, an almost offended frown crossing his face. He looked at his visor. _She... hung up on me. Tch._

 _Cut her some slack, you did kind of stand her up. Maybe she's just hurt, or she's having a bad day._

 _Mmm. I guess._

 _You've got other things to worry about right now, anyways._

 _Right..._

–

–

Stopping in front of the tall office doors, the small service gem brushed his fingers together behind his back. He didn't want to do this. He couldn't hold himself together last time he saw her, and now it'd been weeks. Why did she want to see him all of a sudden? Did she miss him? Did she even know what he was doing? Maybe she was just checking up on him.

Whatever the reason, he had a horribly heavy knot in the pit of his stomach. Slowly, he reached his hand up to the door and knocked.

–

It was the Pearl who answered. Slowly cracking open the door, she peered through with concern and worry. To her relief, it was just Hematite, not another worker asking for White.

"Oh, hello... she's waiting for you," Pearl said softly, glancing around. _Good, no one had followed him._ She stood aside, allowing him to walk inside.

White wasn't sitting at her desk where she normally was. She was near the small lounge, hunched over in one of the chairs. The windows to her room were completely sealed off with thick curtains. The room lacked its normally natural, warm lighting; The only thing illuminating it were the bright lights from the ceiling. On the table in front of her lay a tray with three cups, but only two were full. White didn't seem to acknowledge that Hematite had entered the room.

–

The service gem stepped inside. A sharp gasp escaped him upon seeing White again.

 _Stars, she looked so..._

Looking around, Hematite rubbed his arm, grasping at the fabric. White's room held none of the usual warmth it had, and despite the smell of tea, he found no comfort here. Not right now.

"H-hematite reporting, White Diamond," he said nervously.

–

Without turning her head, the Diamond raised up her hand and waved it in the direction of the lounge. She wasn't speaking. The Pearl, too, made her way over.

–

The service gem stepped over, not letting go of the fabric on his sleeve. It was so unnerving to see White like this. He'd heard of what a cracked gem could do to someone, but he'd only ever seen it once in his life, and it was nothing like this... And to see it happen to his leader, _his White Diamond..._

–

White stared solemnly, eyes half lidded, at the cup in front of her. Next to her cup, there was a Diamond pad. The Pearl stood at attention next to the two, quietly folding her arms behind her back. She was silent, but so was White. Slowly, White looked up at Hematite; ivory slitted 'pupils' piercing through him. But she looked hollow. She looked weak, defeated. She looked down at the table and grabbed the Diamond pad. After a few seconds, it turned on, and she typed in something. She handed it to Hematite. On the screen, there was nothing but glaring digital words.

"Hello."

–

Hematite looked blankly down at the diamond pad, holding it in his hand. He turned his eyes back up to hers, forcing himself to meet her unnerving gaze.

"... Evening." Shakily, he handed the diamond pad back to her. "... How have you been feeling?"

–

White kept the same expression as she wrote something else down. Handing it back, it read, "Not so good. What about you?"

The Pearl opened her eyes, looking sympathetically over to Hematite. Her lips parted to say something, but she didn't speak.

–

Glancing down at the screen, Hematite felt a lump form in his throat. A pained expression crossed his face, and he held back tears that suddenly pricked at his eyes. The service gem cleared his throat, his voice cracking for a moment.

"Tired. But. Mm. You know, I've been. Okay," he lied.

–

White took back the device, looking away. She didn't type anything out immediately. She looked to the Pearl and gave a motion with her head towards the table. The Pearl blinked, slightly surprised.

"Are you sure?" The Pearl said, running her fingers over one another timidly. White nodded. The Pearl grabbed the empty teacup and poured herself a glass. Standing, she looked down at the liquid with a look of faint despondency. "Thank you..." she said quietly.

White handed the device back to Hematite.

"You don't look okay. I haven't seen you since our mission. Where have you been?"

–

Glancing at White's Pearl, the service gem blinked and looked at his own cup. He wasn't sure he wanted any tea this evening. As he read the words on the device, Hematite's brows furrowed, and he looked away. The look on his face was clear as day. It wasn't as powerful as it had been when White reformed, but the emotion _was_ still there.

 _Guilt._

"... I've been looking for a way to fix all this." He turned to her finally, grief-stricken eyes staring into hers. "To... fix my mistake." Hematite tried to keep a held-together demeanor, but it faltered suddenly, if only for a moment. His voice wavered. "I'm sorry."

–

White frowned, still looking noticeably upset. Letting out a shaking sigh, she clutched the pad in her hands. There was another small pause before she typed anything, but eventually she found the words. Once more, she handed the device over.

"Hematite. I don't know how this happened. What mistake."

The Diamond's expression fell, staring blankly past him. It was subtle, but something in her eyes changed. She suddenly looked _scared_.

–

Hema's stomach tied itself into a knot. He looked away from her, finally letting go of his sleeve. He held his hands in front of him for a moment, looking at his palms.

"... I don't know what happened, either." He clenched his fists for a moment, in frustration. He still didn't know how this had all transpired... He had no _way_ of knowing. Looking at his leader, Hema's face was once more plastered with guilt. "I caught the scout... but they used some ability on me, and I blacked out. And then when I came to, you weren't around, and..." He took a deep breath, steadying himself. He couldn't freak out. Not in front of White. "I tracked your signal into one of the cave paths. And... I found your gem on the ground."

–

The Diamond stared at her cup again, listening to Hematite's words. She noticed how nervous Hematite had gotten upon speaking. She made a small noise akin to a mumble, but all that came out was glitched static. There was a lot that seemed odd with that story, but she couldn't place a finger on what about it threw her off. She was just glad Hematite had found her at all. She could have been dead. She handed the pad back.

"Is that all."

–

Hematite read the words silently.

"... Yes. I couldn't find anyone in the caves, so I ran back to the galaxy warp and came here. I called Blue and Yellow to meet me in your office... And then you reformed..." The service gem suddenly had a rather hollow look in his eyes, akin to a thousand yard stare.

–

White furrowed her brows for a second, but they fell back into place. The air in the room suddenly felt off. As if the pressure was rising. However, it fell back down to normal after a few seconds. White averted her gaze from Hematite, lost in thought. She didn't want to think about that damned mission. She didn't want to think about how she was now. She didn't want to think about _anything_. For that matter, she didn't want to _do_ anything.

Her eyes started to water, and she brushed her hand across her cheek. This time, she dropped the diamond pad on the desk instead of handing it to him.

"What do I do now?"

–

The service gem felt his stomach **drop**.

 **What do I do.**

"... We're going to fix this, White. I swear it." Hematite looked to her with a fiery light in his eyes, though there was something else behind it.

 _ **I have to.**_

"You just stay safe, and stay strong. I promise, we'll find a way to undo this."

–

The Diamond stared into Hematite's very core with pleading eyes. Suddenly, she whimpered, static filling the air for a second. Taking the Diamond pad, she wrote something dreadfully slow, her face twisting into horrified sorrow. Her hands shook. She dropped the Diamond pad on the floor and broke out into a choking sob, burying her face in her hands. The Pearl gasped, placing their teacup on the desk and rushing over to White, hovering her hands above her. She didn't touch her, but the concerned look in her eyes said that she _wanted_ to. Slowly, she looked at the Diamond pad and picked it up.

The Pearl went pale, and slowly looked up at Hematite.

–

Hematite gasped in surprise and took a step back, trembling.

 _No, oh, stars White, please don't cry!_

He couldn't stand to see her like this. He just couldn't. But he couldn't leave like he did when she reformed.

Hematite wrung his hands together, staring helplessly at his leader. He wanted to hug her, or reassure her, _something_. Seeing her like this, he wanted to hold her close and promise everything would be okay. But he couldn't do it. He didn't dare touch her like this. For all he knew, physical contact could make her unstable. Not to mention he wasn't supposed to touch a diamond the _first_ place.

Hematite stared at the Pearl, his eyes wide.

"What?"

–

Reluctantly, the Pearl looked between White and Hematite, swallowing nervously. She handed it over.

"PLEASE HELP ME."

–

A choked noise escaped Hematite's throat, and he covered his mouth, looking away, eyes wide. Tears pricked at the corners of his eyes, and he inhaled sharply, biting onto one of his knuckles.

 _Keep it together._

 _ **Show some courage.**_

Looking at White, he gently placed the diamond pad down, inhaling deeply.

"I _will_ help you, White." His voice wavered, and he swallowed. "By the Diamond Authority... I swear it."

–

The day went on like normal. Casual, oblivious gems were walking their way down the streets, blissfully unaware of the drama unfolding within the Diamond Towers. No one had any clue anything was wrong at all. They went about their daily lives, chatting and doing their jobs like any other day. Night soon began to fall, and the cities glittered as brilliantly as they always did. The hum of content gems drifted from the close-knit districts, filling the warm evening air with a pleasant, droning sound.

Morganite was no different. Happily serving gems in his bar, he continued business as usual. Today had been busy, but thankfully gems were starting to slow down and stop flooding in. While he enjoyed his work, and it was good for business to be so busy, it did get a little overwhelming at times.

–

A small, dark-haired gem sat at the bar, sipping a rather colorful drink quietly. She was listening to the music from the dance club part of the bar, her eyes closed contentedly. Considering her drink was almost done and she didn't seem tipsy, seemed she'd gone for a non-alcoholic beverage tonight. A wise choice.

"You holdin' up there, Morg'? Been busy tonight." Rubes cracked open one of her eyes to glance at the pink-haired warrior.

–

Morgan turned with a sigh, staring off at the door.

"Ah, yes it has been, unfortunately, but I'm holding up well! Yourself?" he asked, the usual charm in his voice as strong as ever. Grabbing a glass, he started to clean it with a rag.

–

The Ruby smiled slyly and held up her glass for a moment.

"You know me. Give me my drink and I'm good for the night." With that, she sipped at it again, setting the glass down with a 'clink'. She stared ahead. "Hey... Morg'. Have you seen tough guy around? It seems like he's been gone a lot lately... And usually he tells one of us when he's going on some long mission."

–

Morgan grinned widely, shrugging.

"Can't say I have, actually. I'm sure he's fine, though! Have you tried his communicator?" He asked, clicking the glass onto the lower counter behind the bar.

–

Rubes pursed her lips, running her finger along the rim of her glass.

"I did. He hasn't answered any calls. From me or Puff." The ruby cocked a brow and sighed. "I mean I'm sure he's fine, but." Movement from the entrance of the bar caught the dark-haired gem's attention, and she looked over, blinking in surprise. "Well, speak of the giant."

Hematite looked around for a moment before heading over to the bar, spotting both Morgan and Rubes. For once, he didn't seem shy or peppy, or even _happy_. No, there was something different about him. He moved with purpose. His eyes were alight with a determined fierceness.

–

Morgan waved his hand in greeting, still smiling ear to ear. But he'd absolutely noticed Hematite's unfamiliar demeanor.

"Hey there, big guy. What's going on with you?" he asked, grabbing onto a nearby bottle. "You want the usual?"

–

The service gem hopped up in a seat one stool away from Rubes and shook his head.

"No." He looked up at the pink-haired warrior and frowned, an unreadable expression on his face. "Are you terribly busy right now?" he asked tersely.

–

Morgan blinked, glancing to the side.

"Well, not terribly, no. Is something the matter?" he asked, somewhat concerned. He wasn't used to seeing Hematite like this, and with the service gem being away for so long, something didn't sit right about this.

–

Looking around, Hematite tapped his clawed fingers on the smooth bar surface. He finally turned his attention back to Morganite.

"What can you tell me about Pink Diamond's old healing methods. Her springs, her powers, anything."

–

Morgan's brows raised, his interest piqued. He leaned in, smile fading. He matched Hematite's serious tone and demeanor. Their faces now sat far closer together. Morganite dropped his voice, a grim frown on his face.

"Why are you asking questions like this?..." He stared at the service gem, eyes half-lidded. A lock of hair fell between his eyes.

–

Rubes' brows raised, and she glanced between the two gems, her glass stopped at her lips, mid-sip. Slowly, she lowered it, watching them. Hematite continued to tap his fingers on the counter. He hesitated, but continued to meet Morgan's gaze.

"I need to know. A gem was cracked on one of my missions that wasn't supposed to. It's important that they're fixed."

–

Morgan narrowed his eyes further, pursing his lips suspiciously.

"Alright." He suddenly grinned again, more warmly this time. "Pink Diamond was well known for her healing powers, and healing methods. Personally, she used tears when she felt sorrow for other gems. She had fountains, medical stations, heck... even some of the wild-life had healing properties." He shrugged, looking upwards to the ceiling "Buuuut I haven't been to her district in such a long time... I'm afraid I don't know too much more than that. Everything that was once able to heal is either gone or stopped working a long time ago, as far as I know. I'm sorry."

–

Frowning, Hematite stared at the warrior for a long moment.

"... Is that all?"

–

Morgan frowned, looking back to the service gem.

"I'm afraid so. I'm sorry I couldn't provide any more information than that. I do hope you find what you're looking for, though."

–

There was a long pause.

Slowly, Hematite closed his eyes, lifted his hands, and clutched his head in them. He dug his fingers into his hair, tilting his face down slightly. He was silent. Rubes glanced worriedly at Morgan. She'd never seen Hematite like this, and, despite her normally cool demeanor, this was starting to unsettle even _her_.

–

Morgan mirrored Rubes' worried glance, clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth, trying to regain his casual demeanor. At first, the silence that befell the Hematite was a little awkward. But then, slowly, something else rose in Morganite's core. _Concern_.

"Are you going to be alright?..." he asked, looking at the despondent gem.

–

Hematite dug his hands into his hair further, inhaling quietly through his teeth. When he spoke, his voice was low, weak, and wavered just slightly.

 _"What do you do,"_ he muttered. Rubes blinked, setting down her glass. Hema's change in tone struck a chord with her, and she carefully scooted over one seat. For a moment, she lifted her hands near his arm, hesitating. Hematite continued. "What do you do when you have a problem you _have_ to solve, but you _know_ there isn't an answer."

The Ruby's calm demeanor fell. She looked worried.

"Hey... tough guy." Gently, she placed her hands on him, one on his back, the other on his upper arm. "Heyy, shh. What's wrong? What's going on?"

–

Morgan's eyes widened slightly. Why had that question sounded so familiar to him? Placing a glass down, he stood at attention and gazed around the club. No one seemed to need his assistance at the moment, so he didn't need to be anywhere else. Hematite's words concerned him.

When he spoke, it was soft and careful.

"We want to help you in any way we can..."

–

Sitting up slightly, Hematite let his hands fall away from his head. His eyes were wide. He looked utterly haunted.

"I have to fix this. I have to fix what I broke, and I _can't."_

Rubes glanced at Morgan. She gently squeezed Hematite's arm.

"Hey. Hema. What are you talking about? We can't help if you don't explain."

"I-I can't. I can't tell you anything. I just thought- Morgan, you're the only pink district gem I know of. The only one I can trust, anyways. Every other one I know is a rebel."

The dark-haired gem blinked. She glanced up to the side, pursing her lips.

"... You know. Tough guy. _**I**_ actually used to be a pink district gem."

Hematite lifted his head in surprise. He looked at Rubes abruptly.

"Y-you were? Why didn't you tell me this?!"

"Because it never came up, and it didn't matter? Look, that's besides the point." She paused. "Morgan is right, pretty much everything in the district is dead or isn't working anymore... Well. Except maybe one thing."

–

The pink haired bartender crossed his arms, smiling softly.

"Rubes, do you know something I don't?" he hummed out, eyeing her in a playfully suspicious manner. He wasn't really in the mood to be like this, but he figured if it helped ease the tension at all, it wouldn't hurt. That, and it masked his own rising discomfort.

–

The Ruby glanced at Morganite with a small, nervous frown. Hematite was staring her down, his eyes wide.

"Well?! Come on!"

Rubes frowned and flinched back, giving Hematite an offended glare.

" _Excuse_ you, tough guy."

The service gem immediately shrunk back a bit, glancing away.

"Sorry, I'm sorry... I-it's just." He took a deep breath, looking at her in dismay. "Rubes, this is urgent. If you know something, please. Tell me."

With a soft groan of suspicion, the Ruby rubbed at her chin, soon covering her mouth and glancing away. After a long, tense moment, she finally spoke up with a long, heavy sigh.

"We were supposed to keep it a secret, in case of an emergency. But... if you're serious about this, I guess this _is_ an emergency." She turned fully in her chair, staring the two gems down with dark, fierce eyes. "Listen closely, tough guy. Do you remember the base Puff and I were at when you came and collected us up? The one with the gem monster?" Hematite stiffened at the mention of his corrupted kin, but he nodded, regardless. "Yeah, well. It was a greenhouse, as I'm sure you noticed. And it was completely overgrown. There were a lot of useful plants there, but then... There was one thing in particular that caught our attention." She shrugged for a moment. "Axinite found it, actually. We told him not to go poking his nose around, but he did it anyways and found a tunnel system. We thought it'd be a good strategical place to hide if anyone came looking for us, but. There was something else down there. Deep at the bottom of the caves is an odd, woody-stemmed plant. I guess it grows better in the dark, or something. I remember they used to be all around the pink district before it got overgrown. It's a rather delicate plant and only blooms once every fifty years, and then sticks around until you pluck it. Axinite reported it back to us, and we all agreed we'd keep it secret in case... well. Any of us got hurt." Rubes tapped her hand on the bar. "But it sounds like you need it more than we do, now that we're settled back in the districts. I'm not sure if it could help you, tough guy. But I can say with one hundred percent certainty that that was a Pink Diamond plant, and at least, twelve or so years ago, it was alive and well. We never touched it. So unless anyone has found that place and taken it, it should still be there."

Hematite's eyes were wide, and he looked as though he might tear up.

"A-are you sure? M-morgan, no, wait. Rubes, what did it look like?"

"They had really prickly, wooden stems, looked like they had really soft petals, and I'm pretty sure they had little pink diamond-like gems in the center of the blossoms. They also had lighter pink tips at the end of the petals."

"Morgan, does that sound familiar? Were those a healing plant?" Hema gripped the edge of the counter, looking at Morgan sharply. He was incredibly tense.

–

Morganite held his hand over his mouth curiously, listening with intrigue. Brows raising slowly, his eyes shot open at the mention of the plant's appearance. He looked to Hematite, speechless.

"That sounds like the Hearthfall Flower... Those were some of Pink's primary ingredients for her medical bays! Rubes, if you really found one of those, that... that could absolutely be what Hematite is looking for!" he said, his grin widening hopefully.

–

Hematite was on his feet immediately.

 _Hearthfall Flowers, the reports said they were extinct!_

"They really need to update those archives more," he said quickly, under his breath. When he looked up at the two, his eyes were shining. His old self was back, and he grinned brightly. "It's worth a shot! If it's still down there, this could be just what we need!" The service gem looked to Rubes and leaned over quickly, hugging her tightly. "Thanks, Rubes!" He let go and looked at Morgan. "I owe you both one, but I gotta get going!" Rubes flicked her hair behind her shoulder, giving an awkward chuckle. She crossed her arms.

"Alright then, head off! Let us know how it goes!"

Hopping out of his seat, he nodded, rushing for the door with a wave.

"I will!"

–

Morgan smiled, waving at the service gem. He sure was in a hurry.

"Good luck, Hematite!" he called out, sparing Rubes a thankful glance. Whatever was going on, he hoped it went well. And hey, maybe this 'I owe you one' would turn into another trip into the blue district.

–

As fast as his legs would carry him, Hematite made his way to the towers. On the way there, he tried to contact Blue to tell her the news and meet her in her office, but she wasn't answering her communicator.

 _Fine, then I'll go to Yellow!_

–

Stopping in front of her office door, Hematite knocked rapidly, barely waiting for the doors to hiss open. He quickly stepped inside and saluted.

"Hematite reporting, Yellow Diamond! I think I might have a lead!"

Blinking, Hematite suddenly fully noticed who else was in the office.

–

Yellow was in the middle of a conversation with General Topaz at the time, but as soon as she heard Hematite's words, her eyes widened, and she stopped mid-sentence.

"What?!" she exclaimed, quickly placing her hands on her desk. She stood, glaring with shock at the service gem. "Hematite, you'd better not be joking. What have you found?!"

–

Topaz stopped mid sentence and turned in her seat, putting her arm over the back of it. She stared at Hematite intently, surprise and curiosity clear as day on her face.

"Yes, what have you found?" she asked hopefully.

Hematite was breathing rapidly from his run, but it was quickly slowing down. His hands were balled into fists in front of him, his eyes glimmering with optimistic eagerness.

"Okay, I don't know if you remember me telling you about this since we weren't on the best terms back then, but the first mission I ever went on with Blue, you know, uh, back before the whole ordeal with Earth, and all that," he shook his head, frowning. _Getting off topic, not a good idea!_ "Anyways! We found this rebel base not too far in the pink district where I found Rubes and Puff-" Hematite idly wondered if Yellow would even remember him talking about those two... _probably not._ "-And it was a greenhouse. There are tunnels underneath the base that have Hearthfall Flowers, still! They're not extinct like the reports said!"

–

Yellow's eye twitched, her jaw dropping.

"Hearthfall Flowers?! Hematite, are you sure?!" she said, coming out from behind her desk. She towered over the service gem, but still looked anxiously excited. "Pink Diamond used those to heal cracked gems, if we found one of them..." Her eyes lit up fiercely. _How had he learned of this? How did he get information about that greenhouse? Tch, it doesn't matter. He's found something, and that was all that counted._

–

Nodding excitedly, Hematite looked up at Yellow, only the faintest flicker of anxiety making itself known in his chest at the sight of her towering over him. He stood his ground.

"I'm pretty sure! I mean, I haven't confirmed anything, but that's why I came to you. We need to go check this out as soon as we can!" His eyes were practically sparkling. "I know the way, I still have the coordinates from the mission!"

–

Yellow gasped suddenly, glancing up at the door without so much as turning her head.

"Wait, Hematite! You said these were Hearthfall flowers, right? We might need to go do a little bit of research on them first. It's been such a long time, but..." Yellow pinched her fingers between her eyes, grimacing. "Rrrk.. I never handled these plants personally, but Pink did. She always went on about how there was something that we needed to do in order to pluck it right. If we don't, the flower will wilt immediately. We need to find out what that is. If this flower has special attributes, or something about it that we need to know, then we need to look it up. We can't risk losing it."

–

Hematite wilted just slightly, his hands falling to his sides.

"Aw, whaaat."

Topaz had opened her mouth and held up one hand, as if about to say something, but after Yellow's statement, she nodded and closed her mouth again.

"Yellow is right. if I remember correctly, there was a trick to them. Something about how to pick them and transport them." The General stood up from her seat and crossed her arms, walking over to stand in front of the small service gem. He looked up at her, craning his neck back. Topaz looked at Yellow. "But there should be some records at the archives, right, Yellow Diamond?"

–

Yellow ran her hand along the side of her face, clicking her teeth as she seemed lost in thought.

"YYyeeeeessss. In theory, I think so!" she said optimistically. "There should be, yes! If you go looking for them, in the right places!" She nodded.

–

The service gem perked up.

"Ah, I should still have the archives put aside somewhere, if Frecks didn't put them away." He quickly turned to the door and looked back, waiting for Yellow to follow. Topaz looked to her leader and arched a brow.

"Should I come with you? We can 'cover more ground' between the three of us."

–

Yellow looked to the General and nodded. "That's a good idea. Feel free to tag along. We might need your help," she said, following quickly behind the service gem. _Finally, this was what she'd been waiting for! Finally, they could fix White._ Despite her excitement, however, she still kept professional, and followed after Hematite with her head high and her expression serious.

–

–

The three gems searched through the archives for a good few hours. Unfortunately, the freckled Peridot _**had**_ put away Hematite's archive pile, and they had to search for them all over again, in bits and pieces.

Topaz was off to the side, currently speaking with the small Peridot, who nodded every once in a while. The green service gem scurried off, as if to go fetch something. The General watched the Peridot leave and made her way back to the table that Yellow and Hematite were seated at.

"I'm going to go check on something. The Peridot says there may be some extra archives in a separate building, but I'm unsure if they'll lead anywhere. Don't wait up for me, if you find what you need!"

Hematite looked up at the golden-haired gem and nodded, scratching his head.

"Right, thank you, General. Good luck with your search."

–

Yellow Diamond sent Topaz off with a curt nod.

"Right, good luck then, General. Contact me on my communicator if you find something interesting," she said formally. Looking back down to Hematite, then down at the archives, she pursed her lips. "Okay Hematite, did you find what you needed?"

–

Topaz nodded and walked off briskly, after the Peridot. The service gem looked up at his superior and nodded.

"Yeah, I finally found the last diamond pad. I wish Frecks had gotten here sooner, she could have saved us a lot of trouble." He looked back down at his archives that were laid out in front of him. Reaching over, he flicked through some files on one of the screens.

There was a stretch of silence as the two of them sifted through the research.

"... So we're going to have to find how to use these, after we gather them, right?"

–

Yellow sighed heavily, observing the files closely herself.

"Yes, unfortunately. I believe she used some kind of liquid with a special kind of mineral in it as a binding agent, buuut thankfully I do know that we use that same liquid in our Flask Robonoids." She thumbed through something, trying to pinpoint what she was looking for. "I believe that, mixed with the plant, may be the key to our success. But we need to make _sure_..."

–

Hematite nodded. Flipping through some pictures, he frowned, going silent. The service gem was quiet a long time. The further Hematite went into the files on the Hearthfall flower, the more something started to nag at the back of his mind.

About an hour later, he muttered something under his breath.

"What effect would these have on corrupted-... hm."

He went quiet again, enlarging a bit of text from a report on his holographic screen.

–

Yellow blinked, glancing over to the service gem wordlessly. She said nothing, brushing the odd statement off. Groaning with impatience, Yellow started to read the files far more carefully. She knew she was on the right track, but couldn't find what she was looking for.

"Oh come on, I know this stupid plant is in here somewhere." She growled quietly, tapping her nails on the desk. A few more moments passed by, and she gasped. "Hematite! I think I found it!" She exclaimed, quickly grabbing the Diamond pad and holding it closer to her face. Scanning the document, her eyes went wide. "This is it! Oh, I'm glad we looked for this, or it would have been catastrophic... Hematite, we need to slowly pluck these things directly underneath a small node in the blossom's stem, and bubble the flower immediately so that it does not wilt. That was how Pink safely transported those plants and preserved them so well! Stars, why does such an important plant have to be so finicky?"

–

The service gem had jumped slightly, and turned to Yellow in surprise. His eyes widened, and he blinked, a smile spreading across his face.

"Oh! That's it?! Well, what are we waiting for? Is there anything else it says we need to do, or is that all?" He leaned over, peering at the document.

–

Yellow took a quick look over the archive, smiling. She turned it off and stored it in her gem.

"Looks like this is it, Hematite. What **are** we waiting for?" She looked at him with a fierce determination. "I'll hold onto the archive in case we need it. We should get going! If you know the way, then take us there." She stood up from her seat, clenching her fists.

 _"Let's go fix White."_

* * *

Soon enough, Hematite and Yellow stood upon the Pink District warp pad. The Diamond took a step away from Hematite, looking out to the district. She scowled. She didn't want to be here, but she knew she had to for the sake of saving White. The sky above was cloudy and dark, blocking out the view of the stars in the night sky. The service gem quickly stepped off and looked around, pulling up a map on his eyepiece.

"Alright, it's a few hours from here, if we walk... and even if we run, it'll take a while." Inhaling quietly through his teeth, Hematite brushed his fingers together, brows furrowed. They needed to do this as quickly as they could, and he had an idea as to how to speed up their trip, but he was hesitant to bring it up.

 _No, this is for White._

They both needed to put their differences aside completely if they were to help her. The service gem turned to Yellow, looking up at her.

"If I shift up and carry you, we can get there a lot faster."

–

The service gem's words struck a nerve, causing her to flinch. She paused, slowly looking at him.

"That won't be necessary..." she said, crossing her arms. There was no way she was going to let him touch her, especially at _that_ size. Besides, she had a trick up her sleeve. She didn't need his help for getting there quickly. "You don't need to worry about me. I can keep up just fine."

–

 _That's what I thought you'd say._ The service gem looked away and nodded.

"Right, okay. Just thought I'd ask, Blue couldn't keep up when we came here." Stepping away, Hematite clenched his fists, his form starting to glow. "Let's go." He bolted off toward their destination, his form quickly shifting as he ran. It stopped glowing as soon as he reached his half height.

–

Yellow started to pace quickly, watching Hematite shift up in the distance. He was already starting to gain some distance, so Yellow picked up speed. As she followed after the giant gem, her run turned into a _sprint_ , and she dodged over and around various obstacles with startling agility and ease. Her eyes narrowed, fixing on Hematite who was far ahead. Then, her body started to glow faintly, trails of sparks fizzling around and behind her. With a lightning fast flash, her entire form was enveloped in a yellow, electrified aura. She raced forward, her speed easily tripling. Pretty soon, she found herself matching Hematite's speed. She looked up at him briefly, but kept her focus ahead of her. She made sure to stay a good twenty feet or so away from him at any given time, running alongside him.

–

Hematite glanced down at the Diamond once he caught sight of her, and his eyes widened slightly. He shouldn't have been surprised, he'd seen her use that ability in some of their fights, but to see it being used for an extended period of time instead of for a quick second... It was impressive, to say the least.

The service gem kept his focus ahead of him. _At this rate, they'd be at the base in no time!_

–

–

Within about forty five minutes, the two gems arrived at the badly damaged greenhouse. The walls were in the same state they'd been left. Well... almost the same state. Back when Hematite was here last, sure, the building was a little overrun with weeds, and it looked decrepit and weathered, but now it looked even worse. Huge, thorny blackened vines coiled around the outside, leaving large cracks in the wall where they bore down on it. The thorned tendrils coiled around the building from every angle. Their woody stems looked to be woven in and out of the building at every crevice, every open window, every doorway. Every opening was blocked off by thick brier stems, some as wide as Hematite's arm at his _current_ size. As far as Hematite could see, the inside of the greenhouse hadn't changed. It was still a huge block of overgrown plants within the glass dome. Except, this time, there appeared to be some strange, jet-black plants mixed into the dense foliage pressed up against the glass. He didn't fancy going in there, but they had to. _Stars, the past twelve years hadn't been kind to this place, had they?_

Hema slowed his pace, panting quietly as he finally stopped. He leaned over for a moment, his hands on his knees.

"Alright, this is the place," he said breathlessly, wiping a hand over his brow.

–

Yellow halted to a stop, a glow still gracing her form for a few seconds before it faded out. She squinted, her cold, critical gaze flickering over the building.

"Ugh... disgusting," she whispered to herself, taking a few steps towards it. "Alright, where exactly in this place do we need to go?" she asked, placing her hands on her hips. She kept casting disdainful looks at the overgrown facility, her lip curled up into a sneer.

–

The giant gem looked around. He suddenly looked confused, and, admittedly, a little nervous.

"Uh... I didn't ask that far." _Oh dear._ "W-well, Rubes said the plant was in an underground tunnel system, at the end of it. So I guess we have to look around in there for some sort of entrance."

 _He really wished he asked follow-up questions._

–

Yellow turned her head sharply, glaring angrily at the service gem.

"WHAT?!..." she snapped, faint sparks fizzing around her form. She groaned in exasperation, looking back up at the building. Baring her teeth, she placed her hands on the rough surface of the walls. She muttered something cross under her breath, but it was impossible to tell what she was saying. _No, don't lose your temper. Just get in there and get this over with._

Running her palms along the sides of the walls, she started pacing the building, looking over for any type of doorway. But the more she looked, the more frustrated she became. All around the building, every single entrance and crack was filled with invasive foliage, vines, brambles. It seemed as though the entire inside of the facility was overgrown to the _brim,_ like a box filled with water _._ They left no room to get inside or even peer through, aside from a few places here and there. Every now and then, there appeared to be a tiny space between the briers that led deeper into the building. They were far too small for a normal sized gem to fit through.

"Of course, it couldn't just be a door, noooo. It had to be complicated..." she complained quietly, tapping at the wall. "Maybe it's around the other side?" the Diamond called up, continuing to pace along the side of the massive facility. She headed in the opposite direction of Hematite.

–

Hema was making his way around the large building. He currently stood along part of the massive glass dome. The huge structure appeared to be too tall for him to even reach the top of at his full size. He called over, his voice carrying to Yellow, even from the other end of the building.

"I don't think it'll be out in the open... Rubes said it was under their base..." He frowned and ran his hand along the side of the glass dome, peering inside best he could. Through the dense foliage and stars knew what else, he couldn't even make out the ground. From outside, the greenhouse looked more like a glass container of mulch rather than a kempt facility of neat and tidy plant specimens. "Tch."

The giant service gem stopped circling the building, having made his way back over to Yellow.

"I think it's inside, somewhere. Blue and I never went into the building, she just flushed out what we needed." A faint, brief expression of horror and recollection crossed Hematite's face. It was hard to notice, if one wasn't looking carefully. He quickly shook it off, the image of Spike's corrupted form flashing through his mind's eye. "I don't see anything around the outside... it must be hidden indoors, maybe in the greenhouse."

–

Frowning heavily, Yellow grumbled something again.

"Well it looks like we have only one option, really," she said astutely, peering up at the service gem. "You're a deconstruction gem. Why not _make_ us an entrance? There's no direct way in through all this mess." She took a few slow steps back, gradually making distance between herself and the building.

–

Blinking in surprise, the service gem looked at Yellow, then the building, then Yellow again.

"Are you sure...?"

Hematite paused for a moment, but then seemed to realize that her plan actually did make the most sense. He was going to suggest he shift down and they go inside and search on foot, but Yellow's method was far quicker. They'd have to cut through a LOT of foliage and who knows what else if they tried going in that way. It could take hours.

And time was of the essence.

If he broke through the greenhouse section, he could risk damaging the flower if it was anywhere near there, instead of being underground. Since he couldn't see inside, he didn't want to risk that. And, even if the flower wasn't anywhere in the greenhouse... with how thick the foliage appeared from the outside, it'd still take him who knew how long to get through the wall of plant life. This really was their quickest option.

Nodding, Hema waited for Yellow Diamond to make some distance between them before he turned back to the building. Despite him being over 8 stories tall at the moment, the greenhouse base still stood taller than him. He could almost reach the roof if he lifted his arm and jumped, but that was the extent of it. He'd have to work hard to get through this one.

"Alright, watch yourself, Yellow Diamond. This might get dicey."

The giant gem stepped back. In the back of his mind, he could tell that the run to the base had taken out a large portion of his energy, and that he wasn't in any condition to shift up to his full height. Thankfully, with the state of the building, he didn't think he needed to. Hematite's hands started to glow, and his knuckledusters sparked into existence, bright pink electricity crackling between the metal prongs.

–

Yellow nodded and took a few more steps back. She adjusted her stance, readying herself if debris came her way. While she didn't entirely like giving him an excuse to be this big around her in the first place, they _needed_ to get into that building.

–

The electricity quickly faded from his fists. He wouldn't be needing it here. Lifting his hand up to his eyes, Hematite frowned and flicked on his hunting visor.

 **Whirrrrrr**

The screen began to glow in the low light, high pitched electrical sounds filling the thick air of the district. Thankfully, there was no clicking this time. No, he had to use his visor for a different purpose this time. A complex HUD blipped onto Hema's visor, various numbers and grids virtually overlaying themselves over whatever part of the building Hematite looked at. Certain spots on the building, mostly where there were cracks and dents, were highlighted in a pink hue.

The giant gem crouched down, peered around, did everything he could to get a good overview of the state of this side of the building. He just needed a weak point... Something that'd bring the wall down with minimal effort. He pulled aside a few thorny branches here and there, peeking inside whatever small openings he could. Now that he was getting a better look at this place, the inside didn't appear to be quite as filled as it seemed at first glance. He even spotted a few places a micro gem could easily fit in and get deeper into the building. Here and there, a small opening led into a more open-looking area of the inside. In all reality, he could get in if he shrank down, but then there was still the matter of getting Yellow in. Plus, he didn't fancy being in there by himself for any amount of time. Something about the scent of this place bothered him.

–

Yellow flinched upon seeing Hematite's visor show up. Frozen in place, she found her eyes locked onto it. _Why does he need that? What is he doing?_ A faintly nervous suspicion began to creep up in the back of her mind, but she tried to push it away. She didn't know too much about the Hematites' visors, she shouldn't jump to conclusions. She watched with visible discomfort, picking at her glove as Hematite peered around inside the building.

–

He kept looking for something, _anything_ that looked like a fault in the building's structural integrity. And then, he spotted it. In a rather mossy room, a huge crack ran down along the wall, seemingly stretching down past the floor, into the next story of the building. Hematite's visor gave a sharp 'chirp' and highlighted the crack on his screen.

"Gotcha."

Stepping back, the giant gem frowned, rolled his shoulders, and took a stance eerily similar to the one he took at the start of his spars. A long pause followed. The service gem took a slow, steadying breath through his nose.

 _ **CRACK!**_

In an instant, Hematite's fist and half of his arm had torn straight through the building, hitting the weak point he'd locked onto. He made it look effortless.

He pulled his fist back. His visor gave another chirp.

 _Stability at 67%_

Taking another, sharper breath, Hematite reeled his fist back again, striking the now weakened section of the building. Soon enough, large cracks began to form along the sides, spider-webbing up the surface of the dark gray walls.

–

Flinching, Yellow instinctively turned away and covered her head. The ear splitting crack rushed through the air, catching Yellow slightly off guard. Despite the fact that she knew he was going to hit the wall, it didn't prepare her for the speed or the force in which he struck it. Eyes widening slightly, she watched on with both intrigue and the slightest twinge of fear. She'd never seen him deconstruct something before, but she'd never thought she'd have to. _Stars, she almost forgot how strong he really was._

–

The service gem struck the wall in different places, strategically weakening the structure until suddenly...

 _ **CRACK!**_

The giant gem stepped back. With a thunderous thrum, the entire wall shifted, and the facility shuddered. Clouds of dust jetted out from the fissure that had been made in the thick stone. A huge, circular crack had been carefully broken into the building's wall, as if made by some terrible cookie-cutter. Hematite smirked to himself in satisfaction.

Walking closer, he fizzled away his weapons and dug his clawed fingers into the top of the fault. With a prolonged growl of effort, the giant service gem dug his heels into the ground and pulled, the entire chunk of wall shifting with a sickening, crumbling sound. Hematite squared his shoulders, and, with one final, abrupt shout, he yanked the chunk of wall as hard as he could, tearing it away from the building. Hematite fleetly stepped back, the massive piece slamming onto the ground with a shuddering THUD, sending dust and debris out around it. A gaping hole laid in the side of the building, all of its different floors exposed to the outside. The wall's destruction had torn out many of the more obtrusive vines and chunks of foliage, leaving a few entrances clear for getting inside the building. Hematite scanned the yawning wound in the facility, making sure to check that it wouldn't come crashing down on them now that he'd damaged it. He nodded once, humming a note of approval to himself. _This certainly wouldn't be a viable base anymore._

–

Incredibly unnerved, Yellow lowered her arms from her head as the dust settled, staring at the massive chunk of wall that lay on the floor. The faintest flicker of anxiety prickled in her chest, but she brushed it aside promptly. Slowly, she looked up to the immense hole in the wall. _Well, at least it worked..._ Albeit nervously, she walked towards Hematite and cleared her throat.

"Well done..." she said, looking into the building. "That was... Something."

–

Hema blinked and lifted his visor from his eyes. He looked down at her with a tiny, hopeful smile, as if he was proud of what he did, but wasn't sure if _she_ was. The smile faded, and he turned serious again, turning back to the now open greenhouse facility. He lowered his visor.

"Alright, now that we can see all the floors of this place..." He peered inside, grimacing at the invasive plant life that seemed to have overtaken the entire thing. He didn't remember there being this much around last time he was here. The giant gem slowly scanned each floor, looking for any signs of the tunnel entrance. Now and then, he reached in and brushed plant life aside, clearing away briers and woody thorns. After a few minutes... he sighed in frustration and shook his head. "No luck." He sat up. "... Yellow, now that we have a clear entrance to the greenhouse, we should check there."

–

Yellow took a gradual step inside, carefully looking around her. This place seemed pretty unstable, from the looks of it. Cracks riddled many of the walls, and tiny pebbles crumbled to the floor as the building continued to settle from Hematite's rather impressive bit of 'renovation.' But, despite the outside wall being a mess, the inside was held together by plant life and the integral structure of the facility. It didn't appear to be at risk of falling apart at the moment, from the looks of it.

"Alright, lets get a move on."

She didn't want to be here any longer than she had to be. The very sight of this place set her on-edge, which worsened the further she stepped inside. "You know this place better than I do, even if that's not saying much. At least you have some kind of map..." She sneered, stepping over a root. Retracting her foot quickly, she growled with disdain.

–

Hematite nodded and closed his eyes, quickly shrinking down to about ten feet tall, the same height as Yellow. He flicked his visor away, though his eyepiece remained online. Following after her, he made his way towards the greenhouse. It had to be in there.

After clearing away some plant life from a large doorway, the two gems made their way inside the overgrown facility and looked around. Hematite trailed after Yellow, gazing curiously at the large tunnel that appeared to be cut and burned straight through the thick barrier of foliage. Hematite ran his hand along one of the long-since singed roots. That looked like a Ruby's handiwork. Probably Rubes... He eyed the cut stems and branches that arched overhead. Those seemed to be cut rather hastily with some sort of blade. Well, Puff did have a war ax. This must have been the main entrance they used, back when they were stationed here. Looking down at his feet, Hema tilted his head. While he could see the imprints of Yellow's feet, along with two petite sets of footprints, and one large set he assumed was Puff's, he spotted something else. A pair of footprints laid in the heavily-trodden ground, surrounded by what looked to be frost damage. _Strange... Were there other gems here with Puff's group? Or, stars forbid... had someone else come here before Yellow and himself?_ The service gem looked at his visor, blinking in surprise as he noticed it was on the fritz. It glitched and fizzled softly, disturbed by some sort of interference. _Oh, great. Just what they needed..._

After a minute or so of walking, Yellow and Hematite finally stepped out into the main body of the greenhouse. It was humid, sickly-sweet smelling, and had the looks of a miniature jungle. The entire ceiling of the greenhouse was formed by high, woven branches of various plants and trees. Vines, lichen, and other sorts of plants of all shapes and sizes hung from the branches, made up the walls, and blanketed the floor. The ground itself was damp, and held a sort of peaty scent to it. Thankfully, only patches of it seemed to be moist, while the rest was either made of neatly-laid, but weathered stones, or a blanket of moss. Hematite's skin crawled, and he made a disdainful noise of disgust as a strong, acrid scent filled his nose. He didn't like the smell of things in here. And, while he was rather fond of nature, this place felt... oppressive. It almost felt as though he and Yellow, as they made their way around to check for any signs of the tunnels, were being watched.

–

Hematite wasn't the only one to notice the strange air in the room. But, instead of unnerving Yellow, she bristled with anger, her eyes widened subtly. She stomped through the main room of the greenhouse, kicking plants aside, zapping things out of her way, and even taking her sword out to hack away at some branches blocking off small sections of the area. She grumbled under her breath, making her way to another area, Hematite trailing behind her. Turning a corner, Yellow flinched as a low hanging vine brushed against her. In an acute fit of anger she snatched it off the wall and threw it to the ground, gritting her teeth. She started to walk faster, muttering more harsh words too quietly for anyone to hear.

–

At Yellow's mini outburst, Hematite flinched and looked at her, his expression one of nervous concern. She seemed on-edge, and that was never good. Still, he kept his cool and continued searching around the facility. The eerie feeling of being watched never left him, and he could have sworn he kept hearing shuffling, or smelling a rather odd scent in waves. Something wasn't right here.

Soon enough, Hematite split off, and found himself in the center of the greenhouse, in a semi-clear area. Vines and thorny branches created a near sphere-like cove around a large tree that had overtaken some sort of 'pedestal'. Its roots were curled over the edges of the stone, moss covering the ornately decorated bricks. The trunk of the tree twisted up and into the overgrowth above it, the branches meshing with the thorny stems surrounding the clearing.

"... Yellow Diamond, you might wanna come take a look at this!"

–

Yellow brushed off some of the foliage that had tacked its way onto her outfit. She cursed under her breath, frustrated with her current state. Hematite's voice caught her attention, snapping her back out of her irritated grumbling.

"What is it?" She stumbled over a few loose roots, running up to the service gem. It didn't take her very long to notice what he'd seen. She gazed up at the massive tree, brows furrowing. She went quiet.

–

The service gem looked up at the impressive tree. His visor crackled for a moment, and he frowned, tapping it.

"Tch, so this is where all the interference is coming from." Despite the static, he could see something near the tree, on his radar. With a weak chirp, Hematite's eyepiece dimmed, turning off entirely. He started looking around the tree, climbing up into the roots to check out the base. "I wonder..." Slowly, the service gem climbed his way around the massive tree, peering around its roots and trunk. He dug around here and there, moving bits of foliage and stone away. Suddenly, he gasped and sat up. "Yellow, over here!" Hematite started shoving some vines and chunks of haphazardly placed dirt aside, revealing a medium-sized tunnel that was half-hidden by the tree's massive roots.

–

Yellow followed close by, glaring at the vast plant life within the room.

"Do you think this is it?" she asked, peering over at the service gem. She stepped up onto a large root, staring down into the medium-sized hole in the ground. It looked large enough to fit a warrior gem like a Jasper, easy. It led down into pitch blackness. Yellow Diamond frowned and slowly crossed her arms, glancing subtly at Hematite. Something didn't feel right about this, but she had to keep going. They needed that flower. Still... she couldn't shake her bad premonitions.

–

Peering into the tunnel, Hematite nodded.

"This is the only tunnel we've found in here, we gotta check it out." Quickly, he climbed inside, slipping down the steep slope. He could tell they'd be able to climb back up, but he still had to focus to keep his footing. Vines and roots threaded in and out of the walls of the tunnel, which, the further down the service gem went, seemed to be getting more spacious.

–

Yellow looked through the tunnel, narrowing her eyes suspiciously. She didn't like this either. Who in their right mind would ever make a base here? She couldn't fathom how gems could live in such barbaric places. Stepping through, she followed the service gem. It was dark, but at least there seemed to be a small bit of natural lighting still left. For a little while, at least. About thirty or so feet down the gradual slope, Yellow couldn't help her breathing from hitching as she realized she couldn't see Hematite anymore.

–

The deeper they went into the passage, the less dim light they had, which, admittedly, hadn't been much to start with. Soon enough, it was pitch black. Hematite frowned and lifted his hand to his eyes, flicking on his visor.

 **Whirrrr**

In an instant, the tunnel was lit up by the bright glowing light of the service gem's hunting visor. The tracking on it in such cramped, interference-laid spaces was useless, but it was still a rather good source of light. Hematite continued on, his feet crunching down on dirt and plant life alike.

–

Yellow stopped for a second. If the noise didn't startle her, the sudden light in the darkness that followed certainly did. She lifted her hands over her gemstone, pulling at the wrists of her gloves. She continued following without a word. That was the last thing she'd wanted to experience in a pitch black room. It felt far too familiar.

The two gems carried on for some time, their path only illuminated by Hematite's visor. They stayed silent, their footsteps the only sound to break the silence that fell between them. That is, until about ten minutes into their trek, Yellow finally spoke.

"Do you know where we are going?" she asked, the faintest trace of irritation lacing her tone. Part of her told her to turn back, but it was unlikely that the plant they were looking for was anywhere back where they came from.

–

Hematite glanced back, his visor illuminating the Diamond behind him for a moment. He turned his attention forward again, shaking his head.

"Not exactly, but it has to be down here. Rubes said it's at the end of this tunnel. So if we just keep going-"

 _HissSSSsSsccKK_

Hema stopped dead in his tracks, looking around. His eyes went wide, his chest tightening.

–

Yellow stopped as well, her brows shooting up. She suddenly held up her fists, sparks forming around them.

"Alllright, what was _that?_ " she growled with exasperated frustration. The flowing electricity provided a small bit of extra light, but not for very much.

–

"I don't know. But you heard it too, huh. I thought it might have been my vis-AH"

The service gem leapt a good foot or so back, flailing his left leg in the air. He looked down, and his visor illuminated a huge, dark, thorny vine that had latched onto his ankle.

 **HSSSSKKKKCCKCK**

Summoning his weapons, Hematite grimaced and swept his fists down to strike the vine holding him. It reeled back with a hiss, retreating back into the dark. But more were closing in. In the blackness of the large tunnel, bright, bluish points of light suddenly blinked into view. Then, slowly, they started moving down the walls.

–

Yellow scowled, quickly summoning her sword. Bright flickers of electricity licked up the blade and spiraled around it, providing more light. It didn't take her long to identify what the glowing eyes belong to.

"Watch your back!" she snarled, taking a few bold steps past the service gem, walking towards the dim lights. "Vicious, feral _pests..."_

–

Hematite nodded.

"You too!"

The service gem looked around quickly. He knew he wouldn't be able to shift up much bigger in here, it was too small... The tunnel only seemed to be about two stories or so high, from what he could make out.

Hematite felt another vine latch onto his ankle, and he growled in frustration, using his other heel to kick at it, hard. The vine retreated and slithered up the wall.

Hematite turned his attention toward the dim blue lights, and his eyes widened when his visor illuminated their source. Crawling along the walls were multi-eyed, spider-like gem monsters. But instead of having normal, insect-like bodies, they were lithe, animal-like, but still had an extra set of legs. They had spindly, vine-like tails that trailed out behind them, twitching in fury. They seemed to have leaf-like 'tufts' spiked along their shoulders, backs, and ears. Hematite couldn't tell if it was some sort of 'fur', or if the tufts were solid spikes. Their bright blue eyes locked onto their targets, long, toothy jaws opening to reveal bright, glowing mouths.

 _HSSSKKSKSKSK!_

Hematite backed up quickly, his knuckledusters alight with electricity. The moment they lit up, the creatures hissed aggressively and leapt, their long, jet-black claws stretched to strike.

Hematite was soon in a rather even match against the onslaught of creatures. He'd poof a few, take a couple hits, poof another, it was endless.

In his struggle to stay on top of things, he could only get glances of Yellow across the way. He hoped she was doing alright.

–

There was so many of them, it was a wonder that they could even fit in the caves with them. They appeared to flow out of the very walls themselves! Thrashing her sword in an even, measured pattern, she cut at the vines that slinked their way towards her. Occasionally, one or two of the vines would wrap around her, but were soon sliced in half with her electrified blade.

"Rraaagh!" She snarled angrily at the creatures, turning on her heel to face a few that were coming in past Hematite. Crouching low, she readied her sword and struck the ground, sending out a small shockwave in their path. The monsters hissed with pained protest, stunned for a few moments. She rushed to them, slicing her blade clean through their bodies. Cloud after cloud of navy-blue dust filled the air.

–

Thankfully for the service gem, Yellow's electricity didn't do too much to him, but it did make the vines that had wrapped around his legs retract.

"Thanks, Yellow!"

He couldn't tell if it'd been to intentionally help him or not, but it did, all the same. After a few more minutes of fighting, Hematite felt his energy starting to wane. Between his run to the greenhouse, taking down the wall, and then this fight... the service gem was quickly reaching his limits.

In a last ditch effort to end the fight quickly, Hematite summoned his electrical whips and lashed fiercely at the creatures making their way toward him. They hissed in protest, one or two of them getting hit hard enough to be poofed. The rest scurried off.

He turned his attention to the last of the creatures, which seemed to be retreating back up and... into the walls? Hematite frowned in utter confusion, his chest heaving. After Yellow poofed a last group, the two gems were left alone in the cavern.

Hema was breathing heavily, his whips dissipating into a show of sparks. He lifted his visor and wiped his brow, sighing heavily. Returning the screen to his eyes, the service gem looked around.

"... I think they're gone."

–

Yellow listened carefully, eyeing the walls for any sign of movement. Thankfully, it looked as if Hematite was right. Re-lighting her sword with more electricity, she kept a hold of the blade, just in case. It helped her rising anxiety. Stepping forward, she held up her sword and lit the way.

"Come on," she whispered.

–

Hematite looked back and nodded, following after Yellow. The two made their way further and further into the caves... Until they reached a dead end after about ten or so more minutes.

"... Is. Is this it?" He looked around, his visor lighting up the walls of the large, round cavern. "Okay, this must be it! The path stops here!" The service gem scurried ahead of Yellow Diamond, and started checking the walls and floor for the pink plant. "It's gotta be here somewhere."

–

Yellow followed behind, but her pace was far more slow and steady than Hematite. She knew better than to rush in.

"Be careful, Hematite. You don't know what is in here," she said, sighing. "There might be more of those nasty creatures. If the plant is in here, then we can't risk it getting caught in the crossfire if we get attacked." the Diamond warned, illuminating some of the area with her sword. Waving it around slowly, she was able to make out small pieces here and there of the area. Oddly enough, this place seemed barren, aside from the obviously dense plant life.

–

Hematite looked up and around, his visor illuminating the roof of the cavern. Instead of dense rock and dirt like the rest of the tunnels, this room's ceiling was unnervingly made entirely of roots. A mess of thick, wooden branches twisted and curved around the top of the room, creating an almost weblike, clustered formation. Hematite mumbled something under his breath before turning his attention back to the rest of the room.

"Alright, where is it..." He checked around quickly, looking for any sign of the pink flowers that Rubes had described. Woody stems, pink blossoms, gem-like center...

...

But they weren't there. The longer Hematite looked, the more a sense of dread started to rise in his stomach. Dread and _anxiety_.

"N-no, this isn't right. Rubes said it was here... A-at least, it was twelve years ago..." he muttered, almost too quiet to hear.

–

Yellow froze, almost dropping her sword. _She'd caught that._ Slowly, Yellow turned and held up her sword, faintly illuminating Hema's hunched-over form near the wall.

 _"What...?"_ She started to back up, staring at the dimly lit service gem from across the room. Her chest rose and fell slowly, her brows furrowing. She twitched, face twisting into a look of pure, unbridled _rage_. " _WHAT?!_ What do you mean it's not here?! TWELVE years ago?! Hematite, YOU-!" She snarled, her entire body suddenly enveloped with blinding electricity. Taking a step forward, sparks flickered out from her feet, singing the plants she walked on. Raising her shoulders, she breathed heavily, staring Hematite down with unholy fury.

–

The service gem froze.

He whirled around, plastering his back to the cavern wall, and stared at Yellow, eyes wide.

"I-I thought it'd still be here! Rubes said this place was a secret, s-so! It was worth a shot!"

Hema's body went cold as Yellow Diamond suddenly coursed entirely with electricity, her form lighting the room dimly. Hematite's chest started to rise and fall rapidly, and he gripped at the plants growing along the wall, a raging sea of panic and terror coursing through him.

–

Yellow opened her mouth to retort, but she stopped, the light around her flickering suddenly.

 _Can you think of any reason the Hematite would have for turning on his leader?_

Her eyes widened with shock and realization. She took a slow step back. The subtle anxiety and horrible premonitions that'd plagued her since arriving at this gem-forsaken suddenly clutched at her chest. She tasted bile at the back of her throat, which she quickly tried to swallow down.

"You..." Her hand trembled slightly, and she started to take a few more steps back. "This was a trap. You lead me into a TRAP!" Her brows furrowed, anxious rage overflowing her very core. "I should have known... I should have known better than to trust you! You just wanted to finish me off down here. BUT I WON'T LET YOU!" she screamed, summoning a second electrified sword. Crossing the blades together, she took a defensive stance. Her piercing yellow eyes furiously locked with Hematite's gaze.

–

The service gem's mouth fell agape, and he shook his head in blind terror as Yellow Diamond pulled out a second sword and readied her stance.

"Y-Yellow! C-calm down! This isn't a trap, I thought the flowers would be down here!"

–

"NO! Don't you DARE tell me to calm down, you... MONSTER!" Her eyes pierced through him like fiery blades, striking directly into his core. She took a heavy breath, hissing through her teeth. She stepped forward, her form fizzling and sending out small bolts of electricity that struck the plant life around her, searing everything it touched.

–

The service gem physically flinched at Yellow's venomous words, and he whimpered audibly, a choked sob cracking from his throat. Hot, stinging tears began to flow down his cheeks, past his visor.

 _No._

 _No... NO!_

Hematite's gemstone began to glow in his blind panic. But, as soon as it began to glimmer, it fizzled out. He didn't even have enough energy to shift up.

Terror seeped into his very core as Yellow approached slowly, menacingly. Her expression was all too familiar. _He'd hoped he'd never see it again._

He felt long, ice-cold claws closing in on him on either side. He stopped breathing entirely, staring at Yellow with eyes as wide as saucers, though right now, she couldn't even see them past his visor. Opening his mouth, the faintest pitiful plea escaped him.

"Y-yellow, please-"

–

Her hands clenched tightly around the swords' hilts, poised to strike him down as soon as she got close enough.

"You think you can fool me? You think you can get the better of me? You think you've WON? No. I won't let you hurt _anyone_ else." Her tone was low, dark, and condescending. She sneered at him with a familiar, hateful look. All her fear from before was suddenly crushed under the heel of her deep-seated distrust of the service gem. Slowly, as she got mere feet away from him, she raised a sword up, never once taking her narrowed eyes off of him.

"I should have done this years ago..."

–

The ivory-haired gem felt his heels slowly slipping from under him as he pressed his back hard against the wall. His eyes were locked fearfully on Yellow. He felt his entire world crumbling around him, and yet couldn't bring himself to speak. It suddenly felt as though some outside force sank their claws into his chest, holding any words he could have said in his throat. He couldn't breathe, he couldn't speak, he couldn't move.

And then, he saw the blue lights.

Lifting his chin ever so slightly, Hematite stared up in horror at the ceiling. A set of glowing blue eyes was peering out from the roof of twisted roots, locked right onto the two gems. Its eyes looked like the creatures' that they'd fought before... but no. This one was far... _far_ bigger. _It was the mother._ Hema stared fearfully, a lump of ice in his throat. He suddenly realized that the gem mother wasn't staring at both of them. Its eyes were focused entirely...

 _ **On Yellow.**_

The creature opened its mouth, jet-black teeth silhouetted against a glowing blue mouth. Glittering strands of saliva dripped from the monster's jaws, falling to the tangled roots below it.

–

The Diamond's eyes darted down from his visor to his gemstone as he tilted his head back, practically _presenting_ her with the silvery gem. He gave her a perfect shot. With a sly, hateful sneer, she arched her arm back and readied her strike.

–

Time seemed to stand still. Everything around Hematite slowed, and a prickling chill crept up his neck. Yellow had her sword readied, prepared to strike him down. The gem monster above slowly lurched forward, jaws wide open. Hematite's entire body suddenly coursed with energy, a fiery surge rushing through his very core.

 **Act.**

In a flash, Hematite launched himself off of the wall, shot toward Yellow Diamond, and shoved her backwards. He winced, her lightning coursing through him and locking him in place as soon as he made contact to shove her onto her back.

 **S N A P!**

–

Yellow gasped sharply, taken by surprise at Hematite's sudden burst of movement. _Blast, she thought she had him!_ Snarling out in furious anger, she stood up and turned around. She immediately stopped in her tracks after righting herself.

Her eyes widened in undisguised, rageful _horror_. _He tried to push her into that thing!_ Eyes fixated on the snarling monstrosity before her, she realized Hematite was suddenly _nowhere_ to be seen. The giant gem mother crept back up into the ceiling of the room, once more The Diamond quickly fizzled away one of her swords and turned away. _Nothing here was worth sticking around for._ Without a second thought, she made a run for the entrance, as fast as her legs would carry her.

A furious, boiling rage bubbled in her stomach, making her hair stand on end. She'd been tricked, she had no Hearthfall Flowers to show for it, and she didn't even have a chance to finish Hematite off herself. There was nothing left for her down there. Whatever fate had in store for Hematite, she wasn't sticking around to find out. She didn't care anymore.

It wasn't her problem.


	55. Shattered

_Summary: Blue Diamond visits someone in the Yellow District._

* * *

It took a couple hours, but Yellow finally made it back to the Yellow District. After the initial shock wore off, Yellow thanked her lucky stars she got out of that relatively unscathed. That could have ended horribly. But something still didn't sit right with her.

She had _hope_ for him. She thought that things were different; that maybe things had changed. She wanted to believe that maybe she'd patched things up, but no... he just wanted her out of the picture. Leading her to a dark, secluded tunnel with a bunch of monsters, acting clueless, getting information from some dubious source, if he even _did_ get information from someone... trying to push her towards a gem mother... it was all planned. _Why didn't she just trust her gut? Why on Homeworld did she believe he'd found some convenient specimen of a long-dead plant? The suspicious behavior, his previous attempts to take you out; all of it pointed towards this. Why didn't you trust yourself?_

That wasn't the only thing on her mind, though. On top of everything else, they still didn't find the plant that they needed. It wasn't even there to begin with. Would they ever find a cure for White? As Yellow approached the head of the Pink District, she rubbed at her forehead with her palm, grimacing in regret. _You never should have trusted him. Now, not only are you without the Hearthfall Flowers, but you have to explain to White that Hematite is gone, and made an attempt on your life._

She knew _that_ wasn't going to be pretty.

Stepping up onto the warp pad, she teleported to the center of the tower facility. It didn't take her too long to get back to her tower at a running pace. With a heavy heart, she entered her office after making her way up in the elevator. The door hissed shut behind her, and she was left in deafening silence.

She just wanted everything to go back to normal again. She wanted White back, she wanted _peace_. Now she was left without a cure, and the responsibility of telling White what had happened. Sitting down in her seat, Yellow stared at her desk. She rested her arms on it, and her head sunk into her hands. Groaning in weary exasperation, she closed her eyes. She wanted to rest. But she wasn't going to. She couldn't, especially not after what just happened with Hematite. She knew what that led to. No, she didn't even _need_ sleep. She'd just power through it like she normally did. Sighing, she sat back up, bringing the diamond pad out of her gemstone. She turned it on and began looking through its files. Reading thoroughly over the information, she looked carefully for any other sign of hope. Another plant location, some other variant, _something_. There had to be something else.

 _Beep beep beep! Beep beep beep!_

Yellow flinched upon hearing the grating noise of her communicator. Groaning, she straightened herself up and cleared her throat. She pulled the communicator out of her gem, turning it on.

 _Vwip!_

"This is Yellow Diamond."

–

The voice on the other end was low, clear, and had an excited drive to it. It was General Topaz.

"Oh, thank _stars_ the call went through, finally! Yellow Diamond, I've located the Hearthfall Flowers!"

–

Yellow's eyes widened slowly; the world around her stopped. _Did she hear that right?_ Quickly, she leaned in, clawed fingers gripping harshly at her desk as she held her communicator close.

"WHAT?! Where are you now?!" she asked frantically. She blinked, a small flicker of panic rushing through her. "Wait, General! You have to bubble the blossoms after picking them a certain way! You didn't just _pluck_ them, did you?!" she said quickly. She clasped her hand to her face and dug her nails into her skin anxiously. _Stars, she hoped Topaz hadn't just been carrying them around!_

–

It sounded as though the general were running as she spoke on the communicator, though she didn't sound remotely out of breath.

"I'm on my way back to the towers, and don't worry, they're safely bubbled! I figured out the trick to them, one of the archives in another building had the answer. I tried to call, but your communicator couldn't be reached earlier, where were you?!"

–

Yellow drug her fingers down her face and sighed with relief.

"Oh thank stars... I..." She paused, remembering the danger she narrowly escaped. "I was deep underground. I'll explain the rest of the details _later..."_ The end of her sentence came out more as a low and angry growl. "Look, just get back here as soon as possible, and I'll tell you the rest! Hurry!" she ordered.

–

"I'll be there soon."

 _Click._

–

Yellow kept her communicator running, sitting back in her chair. She couldn't believe this. If Topaz really found the Hearthfall Flowers... _White was saved._ The Diamond leaned her head back into her seat, closing her eyes with a relieved smile. _Thank the stars, White was saved... She could stop hiding._

Ever since this whole ordeal started, White couldn't make herself known to the public. They'd done a spot-on job keeping her little 'problem' a secret, but her absence _hadn't_ gone unnoticed. With no way to communicate with her speech, and no way to show herself outside of her tower, her district lacked a good bit of leadership. It certainly wasn't as bad as the Yellow District all those months ago when Yellow Diamond had her breakdown, but the White District wasn't entirely unfazed. Managers didn't have crystal-clear schedules and instructions like they were so used to. Formal events lacked their leader coming to either speak or attend social gatherings or culture events. People were starting to get a little nosy. Other gems started to get noticeably worried, falling into unorganized disarray. They had little guidance and with no direct contact with their superior, they started to suspect something was wrong. Once in a while, mild panics broke out. With how well White kept her district, the authorities were able to keep the mild little breakouts under control, as they mostly consisted of social gatherings turning into slightly bristly, worried conferences. Unrest slowly was spreading, but now...

That was about to change.

Yellow leaned forward, clicking her communicator off. She had one more person to talk to, now.

 _Vwip!..._

–

–

About forty five minutes or so passed. The general was no-where to be seen for a good time, until finally, someone knocked firmly on the door. Without waiting for a reply, Topaz opened the office door and walked briskly inside, saluting Yellow enthusiastically.

"General Topaz reporting, Yellow Diamond! Sorry I took so long," she said breathlessly.

–

Yellow stood at her desk, rushing over to the golden haired general.

"Thank stars you're here! I'm glad to see you, General," Yellow said, offering her a thankful grin. "Do you have it, then?" she asked, not seeing the plant anywhere in sight. Raising a brow, she looked over the gem's face curiously.

Immediately, the door rushed open, a shorter figure hobbling through.

"Ugh, Yellow! Why did you have me carry these robonoids in here?" came Blue Diamond's voice from behind the towering general. She was carrying eight or so flask robonoids in her arms, grunting as she set them down on the desk behind Yellow. Turning, she sighed heavily and waved at Topaz in greetings.

"You sounded hurried, what's going on here? And why is General Topaz here?" Blue asked, confused. She knew the general was helping them with research, but she thought the military leader was staying at the archives to study.

Yellow turned to the other Diamond, a fire in her eyes. She had a small smile on her face, which alone befuddled Blue even more. Yellow lifted her palm to her gemstone and took out a sizable jar, filled half way with a foggy pinkish liquid. Yellow stepped closer to Blue and grabbed one of the robonoids from her desk.

"Sorry, I didn't have much time to explain, Blue! I needed you to gather these up as quick as you could..." She paused, cracking one of the robonoids on the desk. Blue gasped quietly and watched as Yellow poured its thick glowing filling into the jar with the liquid. Yellow looked to Blue and gave her a nod. "We're going to fix White."

Blue stared in disbelief at the other Diamond, looking between Yellow and Topaz. Her expression brightened to pure elation, and she clasped her hands together excitedly.

"WHAT?! REALLY!? But... but how?! How did you?-"

–

The general nodded at Yellow Diamond and brought her hand to her gem. It started to glow a bright, yellow light, and the warrior gem pulled out a single, shining golden bubble. It was filled with the blossoms of the Hearthfall Flowers. They were pristine and healthy, all plucked at the correct place. She appeared to have a good amount of them, at least a dozen or so. Shooting the shorter Diamond a warm, excited grin, Topaz walked over to Yellow Diamond and offered the bubble to her.

"Our research finally had a breakthrough," she replied to her, relief weighing down her voice.

–

Yellow took the bubble and stared into it with disbelief. That was the plant alright. She looked to the general and nodded.

"Thank you, General Topaz. You don't know what you've just done for the Diamond Authority... for all of Homeworld," she said with a genuine smile.

–

Topaz handed the bubble over with a solemn nod.

"Thank you, Yellow Diamond. I'm only glad I could help, I know how terrible this has been for all of you."

–

Yellow Diamond nodded, looking down at the bubble.

"But..." She paused, curiously gazing at the blossoms. "How did you know where to get this? How did you find it?" she asked curiously. "Hematite took me to where he said the plant was... But when we got down there..." She stopped again, her brows furrowing. She looked almost pained, but it was rapidly replaced with a look of anger.

Blue frowned suddenly, her smile fading. Her eyes flicked over Yellow's expression, and the gears in her head suddenly started turning. She lifted a hand, brows furrowing in concern.

"Hematite went with you? Where is he now? What happened?" she asked. Yellow didn't look at her.

–

At Yellow's question, she arched a brow.

"..." She glanced at Blue. Inhaling slowly through her nose, the general stood a bit straighter and turned so she could face the both of them. She reached up and brushed her hair away from her right eye, subtly earning the attention of both Diamonds, Yellow especially. "Yellow, at the mention of this so-called location, I took it upon myself to look up a few of Hematite's missions. I'd already skimmed a couple to see if he had ANY information from his recon missions that could pertain to our efforts, but I found nothing." She sighed softly, pursing her lips. "So... I looked up some rather obscure files on the Hearthfall Flower, AND I looked up the coordinates from the mission Hematite mentioned he'd gone on with Blue. I cross-referenced them with the records on the Hearthfall flower. Despite the records showing it was extinct, the archives still listed some old locations where the flower used to commonly grow. There were _no_ records of a large concentration of the plant for the location Hematite specified." Topaz sneered slightly, turning her head to Yellow. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you I was leaving... I had a bad feeling in my gut that Hematite might be up to something, so I took it upon myself to go check all the locations I researched. I found the Hearthfall flower _near_ the location Hematite provided," she said, putting emphasis on the last few words.

–

Blue's brows furrowed as she frowned deeply.

"You went through Hematite's files?!" she exclaimed, crossing her arms. Yellow quickly hushed the other Diamond, a hand covering her mouth. She looked haunted. Blue scoffed and swatted Yellow's hand away, looking at her in offense. Yellow stared into space, not even noticing Blue's gesture.

"I... see," she said quietly. "You did what you could to help, and you got the flower. That's all that matters here. I don't know how you got in Hematite's files, but I'd pardon it given the circumstances..." she muttered a little quietly, gazing back into the bubble. She seemed distant, lost in her own thoughts.

–

The general arched a brow and looked away, almost shamefully.

"I'm sorry, the Peridot said they were available to look through, if the situation called for it. And Hematite said it was fine when I asked him about it a few weeks ago, if you recall."

–

Yellow blinked, her gaze still vague and distant.

"Ah, right. I do... remember that," she muttered, not sounding entirely there.

Blue rolled her eyes, but she guessed Yellow had a point. If this really was the cure for White's gem, then going through Hema's files was a clever idea. A bit of an invasion of privacy... but they _had_ probably just avoided a catastrophe by it. Looking up to the slightly taller Diamond, she was about to say something, but froze. Yellow looked _off_.

Lifting her head to look at the general, Yellow scowled in both fear and anger, her sour temperament written all over her face.

"So it really _was_ a trap..."

–

Topaz slowly raised her brows at Yellow's words, as if in realization. She suddenly looked _horrified_.

"What? What was a tra-"

 _Silence._

After a long pause, the warrior gem lifted her hand to her mouth and took a step back. Her hair fell back over her eye.

"Oh, stars. He-..." Looking away, Topaz clenched her free hand, her knuckles cracking loudly. Taking a deep, steadying breath, she sighed, as if in resignation. "… I was afraid of this. I didn't think he was cunning enough..." Looking up sharply, she gazed at Yellow. "Where is he now?"

–

Blue took a step away from Yellow, small beads of sweat forming on her brow.

"Wh... what are you talking about?!" she hissed, staring in disbelief. Yellow still refused to look at her. Instead, she glanced at Topaz and stood up a little straighter. Her anger came flooding back to her, but she managed to keep her nerves under control. She was putting the pieces together, and she didn't like it. _Not one bit._

"He's gone. He shouldn't be a bother to us now," she said simply.

Blue rushed forward and just _barely_ refrained from shoving her, her eyes wide.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN HE'S _GONE?!_ Yellow WHAT did you do?! What happened?! What did HE do?!" she shouted with distressed fury. Yellow backed up, growling at the smaller Diamond.

"Calm yourself, Blue Diamond! _I_ didn't touch him." She narrowed her eyes harshly. Blue matched her gaze, but didn't back off. Yellow continued. "After Hematite mislead me down a dark tunnel, we were attacked by a group of corrupted gem monsters. I didn't think too much of it at first, but I had my suspicions. I should have listened to them... once we got in the end room, we found that there was no flower, and the mother monster attacked us. He was snatched up after trying to shove me into it, and I fled," she said. The smaller Diamond felt the hair on the back of her neck stand on end, and she suddenly took a step back. Seething, Blue threw up her fist in anger, bringing one down on the edge of Yellow's desk. With a resounding THWACK, she left a rather ugly, sizable crack in the other Diamond's desk. Yellow turned furiously, but before she could protest, Blue took a bold step towards her.

"HOW COULD YOU JUST LEAVE HIM LIKE THAT?! So you _think_ he lead you to a trap just because he _miscalculated a room?!_ " she snapped, taking another threatening step forward. Yellow quickly retaliated, holding the bubble away from Blue.

"YOU don't understand, Blue! You weren't there! He tried to push me into the gem monster, he tried to get me alone; Secluded! He tried to lead me astray! You know what he's thought of me in the past, he was trying to finish what he started!" she growled. Blue inhaled sharply, eyes furiously burning into Yellow's.

"Gee, I _wonder_ why he thinks of you that way," she snarled back.

–

Topaz listened to Yellow's story, her brows slowly furrowing in rage. She muttered quietly under her breath. A haunted look crossed her face.

"I should have gone with you..." She shook her head slowly and looked at Yellow. "Yellow Diamond. Was he shattered? Did you see what happened to him?"

–

Yellow frowned and looked away.

"I don't know. It was dark, and I didn't see any smoke... Nor did I see his gem. He could still be alive, but... I honestly am not sure," she said, pursing her lips.

–

Topaz grimaced and looked away before turning and pacing away from the Diamonds. She kept her back to them, silent for a long moment.

"Then he's still very likely out there. And he'll try again. He won't stop until his plans succeed." The general's voice lowered. "He started with White, and now you... Stars, he's more dangerous than I thought. It's a good thing you got out of there unscathed," she said worriedly.

–

Yellow and Blue's attention shot to the general. Yellow's eyes widened, but Blue started to squint suspiciously.

"What do you mean 'his plans'? What do you mean he 'started with White?' What are you saying, General!?" she growled, stepping towards her. Yellow grabbed onto Blue's shoulder quickly, holding her tongue. She closed her eyes, biting the inside of her cheek. She stayed quiet a long moment, inhaling slowly through her nose.

"What _**are**_ you saying, General?" said Yellow softly.

–

Slowly shaking her head, Topaz rubbed her face quietly. There was another pause, and the general took a deep breath, letting it out in a way that sounded like she didn't want to say what she was about to. She tilted her head back for a moment, groaning reluctantly.

"... I... _hoped_ my suspicions were wrong. I thought perhaps I was just being paranoid. You get like that, being in a war." She let out a dry, humorless laugh. "I hoped... Perhaps Hematite wasn't the gem he made himself out to be when he attacked you so long ago, Yellow. I didn't _want_ to believe that the very gem White chose as her bodyguard was capable of such deeds." She dropped her hands to her sides, clenching her fists. "I thought that perhaps, since he brought back White's gem, and since he was looking so fervently for a cure, maybe I misjudged him. After all, what kind of gem would commit a crime and then bring back the evidence, only to try and fix what they'd done...?"

Slowly, the towering general turned, her visible eye burning with a furious mistrust.

"Only a fool, or a _genius_."

–

Blue and Yellow both shared a look of horrified shock, but Yellow hid it better than Blue. After the initial shock wore off, Blue looked _angry_ more than anything else.

"Are you suggesting Hematite cracked White?! What kind of accusation is that?!" she growled.

Yellow looked away with a bemused look of pain and realization. She remained silent.

–

"What KIND OF ACCUSATION?!" Topaz turned fully now, baring her teeth, her knuckles cracking loudly as she clenched her fists tighter. "Look around you, Blue Diamond!" she snapped, whipping her hand out to the side to gesture vaguely around the room. "The evidence is stacked a spire high!" The general suddenly closed her eyes, looked away, and took a deep breath. The edge softened from her voice, and she forced herself to relax. "Apologies. I know it must be hard... to accept that someone so close to you would be capable of such treason. But I _need_ you to hear me out. For everyone's sakes." A steely look entered Topaz's gaze, and she slowly turned her eyes back to the two Diamonds. "Because _even_ if what I'm about to tell you is wrong... if there's a chance that I'm right about that Hematite... It could save the Diamond Authority a _lot_ of grief."

–

Blue blinked, appalled by the general's outburst... but she froze before she could reprimand her. Both Yellow _and_ Blue froze, Topaz's words striking them deeply.

 _'To accept that someone so close to you would be capable of such treason...'_

Yellow and Blue glanced at each other briefly, memories of Pink Diamond flooding back to them all at once. Blue's gaze was filled with discomfort and mild anxiety... while Yellow looked as though she'd already accepted where Topaz was going with this. But _Blue_...

 _No. She couldn't mean this... How could she say these things?_

Blue snapped her attention from Yellow back to the general, taking a step toward her.

"You're... You're wrong! Hematite would never do such a thing!" Blue growled, tears suddenly forming in her eyes. Her brows twitched, and her expression faltered from anger to uncertainty. Glancing away with a soft, indiscernible noise, she couldn't bring herself to say anything more. She wanted to scream, to deny it, to tell Topaz she was out of line for even saying such things... But even if she did, she knew all too well that it was possible. _It happened with Pink Diamond, it could happen with_ _ **anyone**_ _._ If a _Diamond_ was so willing and capable of betraying them... who's to say a service gem wasn't able to as well? They'd seen plenty of traitors in the war, and outside of it. Since none of them had had bodyguards in the past until now, at least, not personal ones like Hema, what Topaz was proposing was unprecedented... _but not impossible._

–

Staring evenly at the two Diamonds, Blue in particular, Topaz frowned sympathetically. Slowly, she inhaled through her teeth and gazed out the window behind them at the glittering, night-shaded city.

"Maybe it'd be best if you saw this from an outside perspective."

Topaz took a single step away from her superiors, folded her arms behind her back, squared her shoulders, and half-opened her visible eye, staring straight through both Yellow and Blue. After taking a long, deep breath, she began speaking evenly, powerfully, and with as much respect as she could manage.

"I never trusted the Hematites. They're far too powerful for their own good, and they're especially too dangerous to be kept at such a close proximity to the three of you. But, I didn't say anything when you told me she'd chosen one to be her bodyguard, Yellow. I didn't question White's judgment ... Not out loud. I thought I was being paranoid; surely White of all people would know exactly what she was getting herself into, creating such a gem... and then taking it on as her bodyguard. That all seemed fine and well." A thoughtful pause followed. "But then he went rogue and attacked you, Yellow Diamond. I do not know what his motives were, but that was a rather bold show of his true colors. I'm unsure why he wasn't shattered. But, again, I had no rights to question you out loud as much as I wanted to. But I was always troubled... worried for your safety. So I offered my services, my soldiers. And then one of them..." A faint flicker of rage passed over the general's face, but she quickly tried to brush it off, shaking her head. "One of them failed their orders. Broke their code. And because of this, my warriors had to be withdrawn. I trusted yours and White's judgment on that, Yellow Diamond. I did." The smallest hint of sympathy entered her voice. "But I never stopped worrying... Worrying about all three of you. If he was capable of attacking you in _public_ once, what's to say he wouldn't..." She sighed, frowning and looking away. "Attack you while you were _alone_."

An eerie silence fell upon the room. Yellow and Blue didn't respond. They stared at Topaz expectantly, picking up on the fact that she wasn't done. The general shook her head faintly, brushing her hair away from her right eye.

"... I will admit _right now,_ I do not know what motive that Hematite could have for wanting to shatter White Diamond. I don't. And that _is_ a weakness of my accusation, a _big_ one. However. It stands that I saw what I saw. White and Hematite went on a mission to help me with some pesky rebels, and only Hematite came back with White's cracked gemstone, far sooner than he should have. You didn't see what I saw. He looked paranoid, hunted, _**guilty**_. You _cannot_ tell me you didn't have your suspicions too, when he returned with her gem," she implored.

She let her last words sink in. The two Diamonds frowned and shared a glance before Yellow hesitantly gestured for Topaz to carry on. She spared her the smallest, reluctant nod. Topaz returned it, sighing as her hair fell back over her eye. She almost looked disappointed as she carried on.

"At first I was confused... confused why, if he _had_ committed such an act, he would bring back White's gem... He could have finished the job and shattered her, harvested her, hid her, anything else besides what he _did,_ " she said quietly, thoughtfully. "But as time went on...- No, when _you_ brought that very point up in the archives, Yellow, I thought of something. 'What possible effect could bringing White back here have on _you two?'"_ An edge entered her voice. "He wanted to weaken you both. Mentally and emotionally... He's been close enough to you all to know what you're like. He knew seeing White Diamond cracked and hurting would have a terrible effect on you, making you far more likely to make mistakes, to be _unfocused_. And White? In his mind, letting her reform was no problem. She was cracked, and as such, was far less of a threat." Looking away, Topaz looked pained and almost _fearful_ for a brief moment. "It was a brilliant plan, one that seems like... well. One that almost _worked_. It looks like he tried to take Yellow out first. Then, he probably would have gone for you, Blue. Or White, if presented the chance... if he covered his crime just enough to bring back a half-intact Diamond, he could look innocent and take all three of you out at the same time..."

Topaz covered her mouth with her hand, her professional air faltering for a moment as she glanced away. She looked pained, yet relieved. Her voice softened, genuine solace lacing her tone.

"I'm only glad he failed. We have a cure for White, you both are safe. And I was able to tell you all my suspicions. Even if I'm _wrong_... it's best you see this from the point of view of someone who just wants the best for the Diamond Authority, for Homeworld." She turned her head, a fierce light in her eyes as she gazed down at the two Diamonds before her. "For all of gem kind."

–

Blue clenched her fists tighter, her knuckles turning lighter in color. Tears streamed from her eyes, but instead of a furious light... her eyes held a deep, horrified pain. Unable to say anything, she trembled, looking away.

 _No. Topaz was wrong. She had to be wrong. She_ _ **had**_ _to be..._

Yellow turned to look at Blue, unsure what to do about her. She knew it must have hurt to hear all this, but Yellow was prepared for the worst. She'd seen this coming a mile away, even if she had tried her best to push it away. Neither of them wanted to believe it. But they both knew that it was feasible. Everything that Topaz had said made sense, to Yellow more so than it did Blue.

Blue shook her head rapidly, digging her fingers into her hair as she inhaled unevenly through her teeth. She tried to wipe her tears away, but they wouldn't stop coming. When she finally did speak, her voice wavered and cracked, gruff with denial.

"No... He wouldn't... HE WOULDN'T!" she shouted. Yellow frowned and gently placed her hand on Blue's shoulder, her expression sympathetic.

"Blue, please..."

 **SLAP!**

Blue roughly smacked Yellow's hand away from her, sharply turning on her with her teeth grit harshly. She practically growled at the other Diamond, her heavy breaths hissing through her teeth.

"DON'T TOUCH ME," she hissed loudly, backing away quickly. Yellow looked offended, a prickling heat in her chest as she snarled at the smaller gem in anger.

"Blue! Stop this, you're being irrational! Listen to Topaz. She's right! Look at the facts, look at the evidence! Hematite isn't who you think he is." She paused, sighing as she looked away momentarily. An odd mix of pain and sympathy addled her stern expression. "... I'm sorry," she said sympathetically, holding her hands out to the side.

Taking a deep breath, Topaz watched silently as the two Diamonds argued, her hands neatly behind her back again with a sad, compassionate countenance.

Blue trembled heavily, taking in a shaking, uneven breath. With venom in her words, she bared her teeth at the other Diamond.

"You aren't _sorry_... You're a _fool_."

Without giving either of them a chance to respond, Blue bolted for the door and punched it completely out of its mechanical hinges, barreling out of the room. She disappeared without a word.

Yellow stood in furious disbelief, running a hand over her face as all the sympathy and pity vanished from her in an instant.

"Ugh, she's so hard to deal with..." she sighed. Turning to the warrior, she pursed her lips. "I... should have listened to you, Topaz. All that time ago. I should have listened to my own judgment.. I should have shattered him when I had the chance. But, hopefully, he won't be a problem anymore..." she stated calmly, looking down at the bubble that she still held carefully in her free palm. "I knew there was something wrong about all of this... About _him_. I just wish I'd been wiser about all this."

–

As soon as Blue left, the general turned to Yellow and sighed.

"It is alright. White will be fine, now. And in the end, if he does show up, we can bring him to justice. For now, let us focus on this." She motioned to the bubbled flowers. "How long until the flowers take to the fluid? Isn't it a few days?"

–

Yellow nodded and grabbed the jar.

"Yes, four and a half I believe" she said simply, unscrewing the lid and carefully picking up the bubble. "Blue will thank us later... I know it's a lot harder on her than it is on me..." She grimaced suddenly, feeling something knot up in her stomach. _Oh, stars. She almost forgot._ "White's... not going to take this well. At all."

–

Topaz looked at her sympathetically, a faintly worried frown on her face. She stepped over to Yellow, who turned to look up at her silently. The general nodded reassuringly.

"I'll help you break it to her, when the time comes."

–

–

 _A few hours later..._

–

–

 _Come on, come on... has it been long enough? Stars, how many hours has it been? I need to get out of here, it's so gross!_

 _ **What if Yellow's waiting for you out there?**_

 _No, this thing would be dead if she was still around. That, or she would have joined me... Either way._

… _I think it's time._

Gritting his teeth, Hema opened his eyes, glaring fiercely into the grim, glowing blue 'stomach' around him. Bubbled gems lined the walls of the inside of the corrupted gem mother, glistening in the dim blue light. Hematite grimaced and stood up, looking around as he wiped his arms in disgust. Viscous teal saliva clung to his suit, plastering it damply against his form. The monster hadn't moved for some time... _it was probably sleeping, wasn't it? Well, whatever it was doing..._

 _It was about to get a rude wake-up call._

Inhaling slowly through his nose, Hema closed his eyes and focused on his gem. It started to glimmer, and he braced himself as his entire body began to glow with not only the light of his size shifting... but with bright pink sparks as well.

The massive monster laid dormant in its web of roots and vines, watching the ground below. Its bright eyes were narrowed and vacant, as if it weren't entirely 'there.' But then, it sharply sat up, looking at its midsection with a disgruntled chirrup. A viscous screech filled the air before suddenly-

POFF!

With a surprised gasp, Hema clung tightly to one of the tangled roots. His clawed nails left small scores in the wood as he hoisted himself up, looking down at the blackened cave floor. Flicking a hand over his eyes, he lit up one of his hunting visors. The cavern was quickly filled with its pale white light which faintly illuminated the ground far below, even through the screen of dark blue smoke.

Hema grunted and slowly slid off of the root, making his clumsy way down into the cavern. He shifted down before hitting the ground, afraid to damage anything in the room. As he stood straight, he scratched his head in frustration. His hand swiped down from his hair to his arm, quickly wiping away the dampness that still clung to him.

The cavern laid in silence. Hematite stepped forward and turned slowly as he gave the cavern a thorough look. _Looks like Yellow really did leave. Of course, why would she stay and help me? She's out to shatter me all over again._

Hematite jumped in surprise as his foot nudged something on the ground that made a soft, crystalline sound. Looking down, his eyes rested upon a small, triangular blue stone. It glowed in the light of his visor, very easily catching his attention. Leaning down, Hema frowned and reached towards it, bubbling it without much effort. His visor quickly performed a scan.

 _Gem Found: Benitoite Status: CORRUPTED Mission Objective: –_

Hema sighed to himself and quickly stored the bubble away in his gem. He was curious why he'd never seen this gem type before, but decided to check on it later. He had bigger monsters to catch right now. The service gem slowly moved forward towards one of the walls, placing his hands to its cold, rocky, and uneven surface. His palms brushed over small roots and patches of thick moss. He furrowed his brows, expression hardening.

 _ **You know, that monster probably just saved you. Yellow was ready to execute you right then and there.**_

 _Well, it's a good thing she didn't, isn't it?_

 _ **But how long will it last?**_

 _I'll go back and explain things to Blue. She can talk to Yellow, or maybe White. Everything will be fine._

 _But first, I have to find that flower._

Hema, determined to track down the Hearthfall Flowers, began to scour the cavern. He was surprisingly calm, for what had just happened to him. But, as he began to comb through the cavern more thoroughly than he had before... his collected demeanor started to crack. Panic slowly rose in his chest once more, as if Yellow were still in the room, watching him. It wasn't there. Nothing was there. Sure, the room was big, but he was being so slow and careful, he should have found it by now. Rubes wouldn't lie to him, would she? No, she'd have no reason to.

 _So then what happened? I mean... it has been twelve years, maybe one of Rubes' other group members came back for it? Axi, maybe? What if Puff came back and took it? Weren't there other members in their group..._

Hema leapt down from a high-hanging root, landing with a semi-pained grunt onto the ground. He grimaced and brushed himself off, walking towards the exit of the cavern. That was the last place he hadn't checked. He'd been searching now for what felt like at least a couple hours. His eyes were starting to burn, and every part of him ached from not only his and Yellow's mission, but from escaping from the Benitoite mother. Escaping from a gem monster in that manner always left him sore and dazed. How much longer did he have to search through this place? He thought that after a couple hours, he would have found something, but, no. This place was clean. There wasn't even a strong scent of anyone being there before. All he could smell was Yellow, himself, and the overwhelming stench of the Benitoite and the plant life. Then again, his sense of smell wasn't exactly the best. He couldn't tell if there was something else that he wasn't catching or not, over the strong smells that already lingered there.

With a deep, shuddering sigh, Hema stopped in front of the large exit of the cavern. He looked up, his visor dimly lighting the tunnel entrance. His chest felt heavy. _Nothing. There was nothing here, was there?_ Hematite looked at the parts of the tunnel closer to the ground, paying particular attention to the mounds of uneven rocks that almost cascaded down the lower slope of the walls. They were blanketed by different plant life of all shades and textures. Hema walked over and placed his hand on the mossy wall, his expression slowly falling. He looked down, his brows furrowed, teeth grit together.

And then, there, half-hidden under a vine... he saw it. A singular, pale pink petal laid in solitude on the floor. Hema's eyes went wide with shock, and he gasped as he knelt down, brushing the vine aside. Extending his hand, he bubbled the tiny petal, lifting it up to his face in disbelief. It floated in the middle of the silvery casing, now in full view. Hematite swallowed quietly, looking it over. The petal was half-wilted, and seemed on the verge of dying entirely. If he'd found it much later, he was certain it would've just been a browned scrap of foliage on the floor like everything else littered about the cavern. But what he could make of the petal, it fit Rubes' description. A pink petal with a lighter pink tip... either there were multiple plants that fit that description, or this was exactly what he'd been looking for.

Hematite's breathing quickened. He looked up sharply towards the exit, his eyes widening as he shot forward, storing the bubble away in his gem.

 _There's still hope. The flower was here... all we have to do is track down who took it, it had to be recent! Otherwise, the petal would have been dead!_

 _We can still do this, if the thief bubbled them right!_

 _We still have a chance!_

–

–

Panting heavily, the service gem leapt over a large, downed column blocking his path through an abandoned city street. He landed roughly on the other side, stumbling. He stood straight and continued to run clumsily forward, sweat dripping off his brow.

 _Stars, I should have waited longer to shift up earlier. Tch, but then that petal would have been dead... Come on... come on! This is taking forever! Why can't I shift, I know I have the energy for it!_

The service gem scolded himself mentally, grimacing. He urged his aching feet forward faster. If he could just get there before Yellow tried to report him to anyone, he could still explain himself and convince her it was all a misunderstanding. He had to. As much as he dreaded it, he knew his very fate could rest on her not convincing herself that he'd tried to kill her. Hematite's expression twisted with pain, Yellow's searing accusations stabbing into his very core.

 _Yellow, you're wrong._

 _I wasn't trying to fool you!_

 _I'm not trying to hurt anyone!_

Slowly, but surely, another voice rose alongside Yellow's faint echos. It was dark, menacing, and familiar.

 _ **But you hurt White. You let her get cracked. This is all. Your. Fault.**_

Hematite grimaced and willed himself forward even faster. He tried again to reach his powers, deep within his gemstone. He felt as though something was cutting him off from his powers, directly standing in his way. It was as if some inner force had erected a wall between his mind and his inner abilities that laid in his gem. The voice hissed at him again, distracting him from trying to gain access to his powers.

 _ **Your fault. You monster.**_

 _No!_

 _ **And you couldn't even find a simple flower to save her. You found a half-dead petal.**_

The service gem suddenly felt something flicker at the edge of his vision. He gasped and looked around, even more sweat forming on his brow as his running faltered.

 _Those... looked like claws..._

 _Was someone following him?_

 _No, no of course not. He was alone._

 _... Alone..._

 _ **And Yellow left you to die.**_

 _ **Because she couldn't shatter you herself.**_

Hematite shook his head, teeth bared.

 _No, we'll find a cure, still! The plant isn't extinct, we'll find some more of it!_

 _ **That was your last chance.**_

 _STOP IT!_

The service gem growled in frustration and shot ahead, only about thirty minutes away from the warp now.

 _Please, Yellow, just listen to me! We have to work together so we can save White!_

–

–

Panting, the small service gem sprinted up the spiral hallway leading up to Yellow's office. He was exhausted, on the near point of collapse, but he had to get to her quickly. He'd gotten a few strange looks, and even some startled remarks from guards, but they knew Hematite by even a quick glance, so no-one tried to stop him. That didn't prevent them from muttering amongst one-another as he'd run through the Diamond Tower Facility, though. Now, he was in the last stretch to Yellow's office. _Just a little further..._

The general stopped mid sentence as she heard approaching footsteps. She'd been in the middle of a semi-pleasant conversation with Yellow about the cure, and how happy they'd be to see White back to normal. But she stopped dead in her words when she heard an approaching gem outside the torn-out door. She couldn't see them yet...

 _But she had an idea who it was._

–

Yellow frowned, not yet hearing the footsteps herself. She was too busy pouring the last of the robonoid fluid into the jar and making sure everything was in order. A diamond pad laid to the side with a guide on how to add the robonoid fluid to the flask, and it looked as though she was on the last step. She looked over her shoulder, curious as to why Topaz had stopped mid-sentence.

"What is it, General?" she asked. Then, she heard it too. Her nerves jumped, and she suddenly spun around, eyeing the entrance of the doorway with bated breath.

–

Topaz didn't take her eyes off the doorway, her face completely turned away from Yellow, out of her view. Her brows furrowed into a look of apprehension and curiosity. The closer the steps drew, the more familiar they sounded.

Tak tak tak TAK _TAK_

Hematite skidded into view of the office. Very nearly falling over from his sudden stop, he stood straight and opened his mouth as if about to say something, but he looked at the destroyed doorway in confusion. His brows furrowed, and he clicked his tongue once.

"... What happened _here?"_ he muttered.

–

Yellow's teeth grit together in alarmed fury. She quickly placed the jar onto the desk and stepped in front of her desk, placing her palm to her gem. It glowed for a brief moment, and with a quick flick of her arm, a shining blade whipped itself from her gemstone, glimmering brightly. It clinked abruptly against the tile floor.

"How _dare_ you... you have a _lot_ of nerve coming back here. Give me _one_ good reason I shouldn't shatter you here and now," she hissed darkly. Topaz glanced over her shoulder at her leader, the faintest flicker of anxiety in her chest. Yellow stood tall and proud, staring down at Hema with a deadly look that could rip through the cores of the strongest gems, the golden-haired general included.

–

The small service gem's eyes widened, and he looked at Yellow with undisguised terror. He put his hands up in front of him defensively, backing away a step.

"W-wait! Wait. I-I know you're mad, and I know what happened back there looks bad, b-but, I-" Hematite started to lift his hand to his gemstone, which began to glow.

And then, abruptly, Topaz stood up and looked down at Hematite, glaring daggers into him, rendering him motionless with fright. The general stepped forward, turned back to Yellow, and gave her a knowing smirk.

"I can give you a reason, Yellow." Topaz stepped forward without warning, closed the distance between herself and Hematite, and grabbed his arm, pulling it away from his gemstone. "This little traitor..." She put a hand to her gemstone- which glowed brightly - and pulled out a gleaming white bracer. It was the same kind used by the Diamonds to hold prisoners, like the ones the Hematites had hunted so long ago. Topaz forcefully pulled Hema's hands in front of him, earning a terrified cry. She slapped the over-arm cuffs on, completely covering his forearms and hands. His gem stopped glowing instantly, with a sickening fizzle sound. "Needs to face _true_ justice for his crimes. An informal execution isn't the way to go about this."

She turned and smiled at Yellow, holding Hematite's bracer tightly in one massive hand. The service gem struggled weakly, trying fruitlessly to pull away or out of the cuffs.

"Wh-what's going on?! What are you talking about?" he demanded, looking up at Topaz in both fear and indigence.

–

Yellow sneered, never once taking her eyes off of Hematite. For a long, tense moment, she drummed her fingers along the hilt of her weapon, tapping its tip once or twice on the floor. Her eyes glittered with grim, deep thought. Then, slowly, she inhaled through her teeth, taking a single step back as she looked up at Topaz.

"I couldn't agree more, General... Take him away. We'll deal with him when we bring White back."

–

Hematite's eyes were wide as saucers, and he looked rapidly between Topaz and Yellow, shaking like a leaf. Despite his size not changing... he suddenly felt as though he were steadily shrinking smaller and smaller in the presence of the two powerful gems.

"W-wait! What did I do?! I-I have a petal, the plant was down ther-" Hema's eyes fell upon the jar on Yellow's desk, just behind her. He could see healthy pink flowers floating in the odd liquid. Those were the Hearthfall flowers. Hematite went quiet for a long moment, a disbelieving exhale escaping him. "W-what... How did you find-"

"Let's get moving." Topaz violently yanked Hematite toward the door, earning a pained shout from the gem. He tried to dig his heels into the ground, but was effortlessly drug along by the general by his hands. He looked sharply over his shoulder to see Yellow Diamond turning away from him, placing her sword off to the side. His chest tightened, a quick swallow catching in his throat.

"WAIT! I-IS WHITE GONNA BE FIXED? YELLOW-!"

His calls quickly faded down the hall, and were cut off entirely by the doors of the nearby elevator.

–

 _The next day..._

–

The air held a chilling silence. It was cold, dark, sterile. A metallic thrum hummed through the air, droning on unyieldingly and sending a faint tremor into any gem that paid too much attention to it. Every now and then, a door somewhere would slam, or someone would break into a fervent fit about how they were here unjustly, or how they'd shatter the Diamonds once they escaped. The silence was a blessing when it was there.

Deep within the most highly-guarded halls of the Yellow District Prison, Blue Diamond stomped through the halls, eyeing every cell she came across with silent, seething rage. Every gem that was still conscious that had the misfortune of making eye contact with the livid Diamond was quickly reduced to a shuddering mess in the back of their cell. She hissed through her teeth as she rounded another bend in the massive, straight halls of the prison.

 _"WHERE IS HE?!"_ she bellowed, sending a subtle tremor through the room. One of the guards standing idle in the hall flinched, saluting the Diamond. They opened their mouth, beginning to speak, but Blue grabbed them by their arms and yanked them close, teeth bared. Eyes widening, the Amethyst swallowed loudly, sweat forming on her brow. The guard kept steady, despite being visibly racked.

"W-Who, ma'am?" asked the guard, shaking in their armored boots. The Diamond groaned in furious frustration and slammed them against the wall, her eyes dark.

"Where. Is. The Hematite," she snarled. Shakily, the guard pointed down the hall and motioned a few numbers with their hand. Blue let go of the guard with a snort, continuing down her path. The Amethyst clutched at her chest, breathing a deep sigh of relief.

Slamming through another door, Blue entered a much darker part of the prison. Two guards standing by saluted, but stood in her way. She quickly shoved them aside, fiery eyes staring straight ahead. As she made her way down a small flight of stairs. As the floor evened out, she started counting the cells. All of them were empty in this section, it seemed. There was no-one standing guard in here, either, aside from the two gems that'd been standing in Blue's way before the stairs. This was a specific section for criminals that were not to have contact with other gems before being spoken to, specifically by a Diamond. And, given her status, that's exactly why no-one was stopping the livid azure gem.

She stomped down the massive, tall room, passing by cell after cell. She quickly took note that there were even some small, secluded halls that branched off from the main one, leading to smaller, mostly empty cells that were secluded off on their own.

"512. 513. 514..."

–

There, at the end of one of the strange hallways, Hematite was sitting in a small, sturdy, square-shaped cell with a destabilizing screen in front of it. The service gem looked disheveled. His hair was ruffled, his suit was bunched up slightly in places, unlike its usual neat and smooth state.

Eyes staring straight ahead at the floor, Hema was backed against the middle of the wall, holding his knees close with his braced hands.

–

Blue turned to her left as she stomped ahead, squinting towards the end of another long, dark hallway that branched off of the main one she'd been walking through. Her eyes widened.

 **There.**

Blue stopped for a second at the end of the hall, looking down it. There, at the other end, was a cell... and Hematite was in it. _ **Perfect.**_

Growling lowly, the Diamond stormed down the hall at a steady pace, swinging her fists beside her, her knuckles light in color. Everything went **red**. Time seemed to slow to a crawl, and the world around her went quiet.

 _ **"HEMATIIIIIIIIITE!"**_

–

With a horrible start, the service gem looked up, eyes wide. For the briefest second, he was glad to see Blue approaching his cell. But that happiness was dashed to pieces when her angry shout echoed through the room, shaking him to his core. With a shaken inhale, he pulled his knees closer, back plastered against the wall. An audible whimper escaped him.

–

Blue was upon the cell in no time, towering above his cowering form from outside the 'door'. The buzzing screen offered no comfort to the small gem as the furious Diamond's very form cast Hematite in a faint shadow. Her lips were curled into a snarl, her eyes glaring right down at the gem, who, especially when curled up like he was, was utterly puny in comparison.

 **W H A M!**

Her fists slammed down on the sides of the doorway, her entire form taking up the space of the cell entrance, making her appear even **bigger** than she already did.

–

A shriek of fear escaped the service gem, and he let go of his knees in an instant, holding his braced hands up in front of his head, shielding himself best he could.

–

There was no denying that every scrap of Blue's usual peppy demeanor was far, far gone. She was absolutely heaving with hot fury, her fingers gripping unsteadily at the flat surface of the door frame.

However, despite her rage, despite her heavy, deep breaths... when she spoke, her voice was hushed into a grieved, pained _whisper_.

 _"Why..."_

–

Hematite, after a long pause, managed to crack one eye open. His trembling never quelled. When he opened his mouth, he tried to speak, but nothing but a choked 'squeak' escaped him. He swallowed hard, tears pricking the corners of his eyes.

"Wh-why what? B-blue, what are you talking about?" His voice was quiet, strained, and _scared_.

–

Blue was breathing so harshly now, so quickly, the air that flowed between her teeth sounded like _hissing_. She didn't respond, her fury rising at the mere sound of Hema's tiny, pitiful voice.

Then it slowly died down again, and her brows twitched, her expression falling. Tears formed in her eyes, much to her dismay. Her core cooled faintly, weighed down with confusion and grief.

"Why would you do this... First Yellow, then White... were you gonna come after me next...? What did White ever do to you? What did _**I**_ ever do to you?!" she demanded, tears starting to flow down her cheeks. She furrowed her brows again, unsteadily lowering her fists from the door frame. "How could you... do something so horrible?!" she hissed, retracting her hands completely and grasping at the open air around her as she looked rapidly between her hands. "I can't... believe you! IS THIS REALLY WHAT YOU WANTED?! THIS WHOLE TIME?!" she demanded, glaring at him as she waited impatiently for an answer.

–

Hematite stared in confused horror at the sight before him. He'd never seen Blue like this. She was furious, she was _distraught_. _And he didn't know why._ Tears started to flow down the service gem's cheeks. He shook his head slightly, never taking his eyes off Blue.

"Wh-what are you talking about?!" he managed, his voice cracking. When Blue just glared at him, hissing through her teeth, something suddenly shifted in Hematite's core. His fear, though temporarily... was suddenly mixed with _anger_.

"I don't know what's going _on!_ I was just put in here without an explanation! And then you show up and start asking why I did something?!" He scrambled to his feet, shaking his head rapidly, tears flicking from his cheeks and falling to the stone floor. When he looked up, his eyes were filled with grief and confused anger. His own breath hissed through his teeth. His voice wavered. "I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHY I'M IN HERE, WHAT DID I DO, BLUE? _WHAT DID I_ _ **DO?!"**_ he cried at the top of his lungs, voice cracking. He inhaled through his teeth and sharply glared daggers at the wall beside him, slamming his braced hands into it. He stayed there for a moment, the loud 'clang' echoing down the hall. Then, slowly, he came back to his senses, his eyes widening. All his anger cracked and peeled away, leaving only the overwhelming fear and confusion in its wake.

Slowly, he slumped against the wall, his eyes shutting tight in a pained grimace. He couldn't hold it back anymore. All the pain from yesterday, all his confusion, the fact that he was in _prison_ , the uncertainty and inability to know White's current state... it all came crashing down on him at once.

Hema shook his head weakly, a weak sob cracking from his chest.

–

Through all of her anxiety, through all of her fury, through all of her grief... she stopped, albeit for a second, instinctively concerned for the service gem. The sight of seeing him so distressed made her pause, just long enough to see him slump against the wall.

But then, whatever concern she felt in that moment was gone in a flash. _Don't let him manipulate you. It's a trick. You know it is. You know how smart he is._

Angrily, she slammed her hands against the sides of the door again, inches from the buzzing screen that kept the two apart. All her rage flooded back into her core like a sea of hungry flames, making her very form boil with rage. His pitiful cries only seemed to anger her further, and she shook her head rapidly, everything Topaz said racing back to her as her clear, agonized voice ripped itself from her chest with gnashing teeth.

"YOU. CRACKED. WHITE," she screamed, more tears dripping from her cheeks and spattering on the cold metallic floor. With a sharp inhale, she clawed her fingers down the door frame, eyes narrowing from the hot tears that flooded them. Her tone lowered, pained and forced. "And you were gonna take us down, one by one..."

–

Hematite gasped audibly, a shuddering exhale following.

 _YOU. CRACKED. WHITE._

The service gem's eyes went wide as saucers. All the life drained from his face, from his gaze. His shoulders slumped, and he stared, unblinking, ahead of him, mouth ajar.

 _'You cracked White.'_

 _'You cr a c hi t e'_

 _ **You cracked-**_

 _"No,"_ he said softly, his eyes wide and distant.

–

Blue tensed up, clenching her fists furiously.

"Don't you _dare_ play stupid with me, Hematite... You..." She lost her words, then her breath. Shaking herself back, she snorted angrily. "You thought you'd get away with it, didn't you... that maybe we wouldn't find out... maybe we wouldn't suspect you! But you..." She heaved, lashing out at the door with a readied fist. With a loud, crackling BZZZT, Blue's hand was reflected away from the destabilizing screen. Blue hissed through her teeth, completely unfazed by the strike.

"We trusted you... How could you lie to us?... How could you lie to ME?! How could you crack her?! Is it because you've got nothing to live for? That you're angry with her because she made you? Because you're a doomed gem?! IS THAT IT?! DAMMIT, HEMATITE!"

She lashed out again, slamming both of her fists on the screen directly again. Her eyes glared daggers into the small service gem, tears still dripping down her cheeks.

–

Hematite couldn't take it anymore. Between Blue's scathing accusations and her physical strikes to the screen, he felt his entire world crashing in on him.

 _You cracked White._

 _We trusted you._

 _How could you lie to us?!_

 _How could you crack her?!_

 _IT IT BECAUSE YOU'VE GOT NOTHING TO LIVE FOR?_

The service gem cried out as Blue struck the screen a second time, scrambling into the corner of the cell, slumping against the wall. He quickly collapsed to the floor in a shaking mess, holding his bracer over his head.

 _You're angry with her because she made you? BECAUSE YOU'RE A DOOMED GEM?!_

 _ **IS THAT IT?!**_

Hematite's voice cut through the air with a desperation that not even Blue herself had heard before. Everything seemed to go silent at his cry.

"STOP! STOP, _**STOP IT!"**_

–

And she did.

The screen buzzed loudly with interference, and the Diamond's hands started shaking, fizzling. She retracted them quickly, clenching and unclenching her now singed hands. Eyes widening, Blue felt her hair stand on end as Hematite's voice echoed through the prison hall.

She slumped to her knees, silent.

But _he_ continued.

"Stop it... stop. _Please."_ Hema hadn't even noticed she'd gone silent, that her cutting accusations had stopped. Sobs wracked his small form, and he buried his face in his knees, his voice quiet and strained. It... didn't even sound like he was talking to _her_ anymore. _"Stop..."_

–

Blue stared at the service gem, looking over him thoroughly. As she gazed at him, she suddenly felt something bubble up in her core. A nausea-inducing cocktail of guilt, sudden regret, and concern prickled in her chest. She felt _horrible_. No matter how angry she was at him, no matter how hurt she was...

 _She couldn't bear to see him like this._

With a heavy, shuddering breath, she looked down at the ground in front of her knees, guilt plain as day on her face.

"Hematite..."

–

He didn't seem to hear her. He didn't move. He couldn't even speak anymore. His voice failed him, and his words melted into a series of choked sobs and hiccups.

 _ **You cracked White.**_

 _No... no, I didn't!_

 _ **Yes, you did. And they believe so too. That's why you're in here.**_

 _Stop..._

 _ **Yellow knows you tried to lead her into a trap.**_

 _I-I didn't do that either!_

 _ **But you**_ **did** **_crack White._**

 _N-NO I DIDN'T, STOP IT!_

 _ **But you don't**_ **know** **_you didn't. You blacked out. You could have cracked her. You DID crack her. Because you're a doomed gem, because she made you that way. Yo her._**

 _N-no... no! She's my leader! I could never hate her, SHE'S MY WHITE DIAMOND!_

He didn't even respond to Blue. He simply laid there, shivering, shaking his head faintly.

–

"HEMATITE!" Blue shouted, looking at him with desperation and confliction in her gaze. "Please... listen to me..." She heaved again, holding her singed hands close to her face, balling them up into fists.

 _They're wrong._

 _They have to be._

And she wanted to believe it.

"If you _are_ innocent, please... Please..." She begged, gasping for air as more tears fell down her face. She looked at him weakly, all her anger from before completely gone. _"Prove it."_

–

Hematite slowly opened his eyes. The service gem laid where he was for a long moment.

 _Prove it... Prove what? I didn't do anything... I-I don't even know what you all think I did, exactly. H-how could I have cracked White? I was unconscious._

He didn't answer, uncertain what he could even say.

–

Blue stared at him, sniffing.

"Tell me anything... show me anything... make me believe. I don't want something like this to happen _again_. I had so much faith in you, Hematite..." She wiped her hand against her cheek, wiping away tears. "Please. They're going to kill you for this... I don't want to see you go. I don't want you to be a traitor. I don't want to believe you are..." She placed her hands on her knees, clawing at the fabric of her outfit as she lowered her head. "Just... say... _something..."_

–

 _Say something._

Slowly, Hematite sat up. He shifted where he crouched, and slumped his back against the wall. One knee was bent, his other leg stretched out in front of him. The look in his eyes was... _worrying_.

He looked defeated. He looked scared, confused.

But, more than that...

 _He looked_ _ **hollow**_ _._

A long pause stretched between the two. His mouth was slightly ajar, but no sound came out. Then, finally...

"I'm _sorry_."

–

Blue felt her very core _drop_ , and she frowned in confusion.

"What..."

 _That can't be it._

 _Please..._

 _'Sorry' doesn't tell me anything..._

His expression haunted her. Nervously, she tilted her head away slightly, watching him with quickly rising apprehension.

–

After a long moment, Hematite's brows raised slightly. He cracked some sort of expression of grief.

"I'm sorry. I-I can't... I don't have... anything. I told you everything I could, in your office. Th-that's. That's all I've got." He looked at his bracer. "I didn't do it. I didn't. B-but I can't... prove anything. I've got nothing. I don't even know what happened. I-I still haven't been able to figure out what went on in those caves. No matter how many times I go through it mentally, I-I." Hematite's face scrunched into a look of pure desperation and guilt. "I can't figure it out! There was nobody down there! It was just me, White, and that damn scout, and I caught _her_! She couldn't have done it!"

The service gem's breath suddenly picked up, and he heaved through bared teeth, the sound coming out like rapid hissing. He suddenly shouted in pained frustration and slammed his bracer on the floor, his voice coming out as an angry sob.

"IT'S ALL THAT DAMN EMERALD'S FAULT! _SHE_ KNOCKED ME OUT, I DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED BECAUSE OF _HER_!"

–

Blue's eyes widened further, and she put her hands up to the sides of the door frame again.

"Wait... you caught her? Hematite, what did you do to the gem you caught?!" she asked, an idea springing up in her head.

–

After a moment, the service gem calmed enough to look up at Blue. He sniffled quietly.

"... I bubbled and harvested her."

–

Slowly, a grin formed on Blue's face, eyes filled with hope.

 _That was it. That was what they needed._

"Hematite! That's it! If you can bring out that gem... you can prove that not only were you occupied with her, but we can get her to talk! Maybe she knows what happened to White," she said proudly, smirking.

–

The service gem blinked in surprise and sat up a bit straighter. _Wait, maybe she was onto something... If they could get the Emerald to confirm that he wasn't near White...!_

"I-I, well. Maybe! I... can't bring her out right now, is that what you mean?" He looked slightly confused from his currently disheveled state. He held up his braced hands.

–

Blue faltered, raising a brow.

"What do you mean you can't bring her out right now?! Hematite, your life is on the line here..." She said with pleading eyes.

–

The gem frowned and blinked in confusion. Pursing his lips angrily, he shook his braced hands at her.

"Because of this thing! It blocks off all my gem abilities. I can barely make any contact with my pocket dimension, and I certainly can't bring out any bubbled gems!"

–

Blue scowled, glaring down between the bracer and the service gem's face.

"Hematite, I _cannot_ take that off... Surely you must at least know where she is?!" she said desperately. "If you can confirm you have her... I can probably get you an audience with White and Yellow."

–

Hematite dropped his hands with a loud 'clink' and drew his lips tight, expression an odd mix of frustrated and nervous.

"... Alright. Give me a minute."

Slowly, the service gem lowered his face and closed his eyes. He went silent.

–

Blue sat back and crossed her arms.

This wasn't good... _was he lying?_ Maybe she was wasting her time... But she wanted to hang onto what little hope she still had. There had to me something. Anything.

–

Getting a hold of his pocket dimension proved difficult. The bracers on his hands prevented him completely from accessing any of his gem abilities, and it very nearly cut off all mental attachment he had to his pocket dimension, even the tower. He'd never felt so disconnected from his inner self. Normally he would have been able to check in an instant where he had a gem, but now, there was a block, and he had to carefully, slowly, check each section of the tower. It felt like he was trying to stare through thick, frosted glass, when the window was usually crystal clear.

His brows furrowed, and he muttered to himself.

"Tch, I was in such a state, I think I might have put her in a cubby instead of a prison cell... I wasn't really paying attention at the time." He tilted his head slightly, a curious frown on his face. "She was rather small, she would have fit into one."

He went silent again. Every once in a while he would make a faint 'Mm.' of refusal at finding an incorrect gem.

Five whole minutes passed.

All of a sudden, Hematite slowly opened his eyes. He looked _petrified_.

"… She's not there."

–

Blue's expression quickly matched Hema's.

"No..." she breathed, her lower lip trembling. Slowly, she clenched her fists. "So... that's it, then..." She looked down, seeming a thousand miles away. Unable to move or speak, she let her tears fall onto her legs and onto the ground in front of her. Slowly, she lifted her hands, burying her face into her palms.

He had _nothing_. He had no evidence to prove his innocence... It was true... She didn't want to believe it, but... he had _nothing_.

–

Hematite looked up, his breathing suddenly uneven as he realized Blue was rather quickly giving up on him.

"No, _**no!"**_ He inhaled through his teeth and abruptly made his way over to the screen, on his knees. "Blue, please! You know I would never hurt White! You know I would never hurt anyone on purpose! I know I've messed up, I know this looks bad, it looks really REALLY bad! But I swear to you, I swear on the Diamond Authority, I didn't crack White! I didn't lead Yellow into a trap!" He whimpered and shook his head, all but begging the Diamond to listen to him, merely through his tone of voice. "I don't know what happened to White in those caves, and I don't know how the Emerald escaped her cubby, but I-" He held back tears. "Blue, you have to believe me!"

–

Blue stared on in agonized pain. She couldn't even bring herself to be physically furious right now, no matter how her emotions fluctuated within her. She was angry. She was confused. She was disheartened, hurt, betrayed... And she was upset.

Upset because White was cracked.

Upset because Yellow and Topaz were so convinced that Hematite was guilty.

Upset because Hematite could not prove he was innocent, and because he, too, was distraught.

And no matter how hard he tried, no matter how innocent or guilty he may have been... He was losing hope fast. He wanted someone to believe him. _Anyone_. He wanted someone to listen to him. And she was his only hope.

She looked blank. Horrified, but blank. Looking away slowly, she didn't say a word. _How could she trust him? How could she believe him?_ All the evidence was stacked up against him, and he had no way of proving that he didn't crack White.

"..."

–

 _No..._

 _Blue, please._

 _You and White are my only hope._

 _And White's cracked right now-_

Hematite's eyes widened. He drew his lips tight, looking at Blue silently. He looked pained. He looked _desperate_.

"... Blue." He took a shuddering breath. "That stuff that was on Yellow's desk, in her office." His voice dropped to a hush. The service gem swallowed weakly. "... Please, tell me. Is White going to be okay, now?" he asked, his voice wavering.

–

Blue snapped her attention back to Hematite, blindsided by his question. _He cared enough to ask that?_

She offered him a very faint, but genuine smile. She nodded.

"They've found the cure... She'll be alright."

–

 _They've found the cure._

Hematite trembled slightly. Then, he looked down, a soft sound escaping his chest.

"Ha..." At first, the dry laugh almost sounded _upset_... Raising his brace slightly, the service gem pressed his forehead against the smooth metallic surface. The cold metal bit at his skin, making him wince faintly. His shoulders shook. "Hah... ha. Oh, stars. She's gonna be _okay_."

Hematite suddenly broke into an uneven, but genuine, laugh. It sounded heavy, but also relieved, in a manner.

 _Nothing's unfixable..._

–

Blue seemed worried for a moment, unsure what to think of Hema's reaction. Her smile faded quickly, and she sighed. Well, at least the tears had stopped.

Blue stood up finally, looking at her hands. She was quiet a long moment.

"She'll be back to normal in five days; they're giving the serum extra time to set, just to be on the safe side... After that, you will be brought to face her." Her tone was monotonous and eerie. She stared at him wide eyed, almost sympathetically. "Whatever you are, guilty or innocent... I hope you're prepared for the worst, for your own sake..."

–

"..." Hematite looked up slowly.

The service gem dropped his hands, his posture slumping slightly. He stared ahead, the same hollow stare he had before returning to him.

 _ **She doesn't believe you.**_

 _ **Nobody believes you.**_

 _ **You may or may not have cracked her...**_

 _Don't._

 _ **But it's still**_ **your** **_fault it happened._**

"... Right," he replied weakly.

–

Blue nodded and, reluctant to turn away, clutched her hands tightly and spared him another uncertain glance. Finally, after what seemed like minutes, she turned completely. Taking a few steps, she stopped quietly. Without turning her head, she hung her shoulders low. It seemed as though she were going to say something.

 _Reassure him. Give him advice. Tell him it will be okay, lie if you have to!_

 _But does he deserve it? What if he's guilty? What if he_ _ **is**_ _lying?_

 _You know what he's like, you've seen the way he's acted. You've seen the way it's destroying him!_

 _Pink Diamond didn't seem like the type, either. But look what happened with her._ _ **Anyone**_ _can snap. Anyone can change for the worse. People aren't always who you think they are._

But did she really believe that he could have cracked White...?

Even she didn't know what to think anymore, but things weren't looking good for him, and that much she _did_ know.

Without a single word, Blue Diamond picked up her pace again and headed out of the hallway. She was gone in no time, and Hema was left in eerie silence once more without a breath of comfort to ease his anxiety.

–

 _Five days later..._

–

 _Tak tak tak tak tak_

"H-hey, not so hard," Hematite complained, tugging for a moment against Topaz' grip on his bracer. The warrior hadn't said a single word to him this morning after fetching him from the prison. Hema knew they were headed for White's...

And he felt a rock settle in the pit of his stomach.

The general rounded a corner and stopped in front of White Diamond's office. She knocked.

–

The door slowly hissed open. There stood White's Pearl, bowing respectively and stepping out of the way. The room was warm, welcoming, and had its old lively charm back. As refreshing as it was for things to be supposedly back to normal again, there was an eerie calm that lingered in the air.

And there stood White, back to normal with a fixed gemstone. She was professional, proper, and well presented. She was even smiling. Yellow stood nearby, her arms crossed. She didn't look near as happy.

As the warrior entered the room with the service gem, White's smile faded, looking upon them with great concern. Yellow narrowed her eyes, shooting Hematite a rather nasty look.

Blue was nowhere to be seen.

Stepping forward quickly, White raised up her palms slightly and looked to Hematite and Topaz with suspicion.

"Hematite! ... Would either of you care to explain why he is in a _prison bracer?"_ she said darkly, slowly turning her head to glare at Yellow. The other Diamond, however, matched her gaze and tilted her head up slightly. She didn't say a word.

–

The moment Hematite spotted his leader standing in the office, he perked up and let out a breathless gasp, taking a step forward. But Topaz grabbed his shoulder and held him back. She gripped tightly, earning a pained wince from the gem.

He looked up at his leader with wide, almost pleading eyes.

"Wh-white, I'm so glad you're okay." A weak smile spread across his face.

 _But his eyes..._

 _His eyes gave him away._

They were filled with anxiety, dread, and _**guilt**_.

Topaz didn't say a word.

–

Yellow stepped forward and bowed her head at Topaz.

"Thank you for escorting him here, General. If you would please... " She paused, glaring down at Hematite. "There's something you should know, White."

White turned her head, looking at the other Diamond offendedly.

" _Excuse_ me?" she said, her hands on her hips. "You take my Hematite into your own hands _again_ , put him in your prison bracers, and for what? Was this really necessary? What is the meaning of this, Yellow Diamond?"

–

Hematite shuddered at Yellow's glare. He didn't say a word.

Topaz, however, stepped back and crossed her arms. She gazed at White evenly.

"White Diamond. We have found there to be considerable evidence backing up that this Hematite is a traitor to the Diamond Authority."

–

White's eyes widened, and she remained still.

"Wh...What?" she stuttered, double taking on the sentence. "What do you mean? How? What has he done?!" she growled, narrowing her eyes at the warrior. Yellow glanced up at White quietly, pursing her lips. _She knew this was about to get ugly._

–

The general stared evenly into White's gaze, arching a brow.

"While you were out of commission, we were all researching a way to fix your gem, as you well know. However, there was an incident toward the end of our efforts." She glanced at Hematite without moving her head. "This service gem claimed to have found a location with Hearthfall flowers. According to Yellow, he lead her to this location, which upon arriving, they realized had no such flowers, and the two of them were attacked. He took her there alone. And then to top it off, also according to Yellow, he pushed her into the path of a gem mother."

Hematite's brows shot up, and he glared at the general, teeth bared.

"I did not! I was trying to push her _out of the way!"_

–

Yellow took a step forward, clenching her fist with fury.

"You pushed me TOWARDS it!" she snarled, but White raised up her palm and shoved Yellow Diamond back in the spot she was standing in before, effortlessly. White looked back to Topaz, a look of unamused, unconvinced suspicion written all over her face.

"Is that all?"

–

Topaz narrowed her eyes.

"Hardly."

Hematite's expression faltered. The general cleared her throat and squared her shoulders. When she spoke again, her voice was almost casual, and even-toned.

"White Diamond, what do you remember from your mission with Hematite. Please specify any details towards the... 'end' of it."

–

White blinked a few times, trying to recall that dreaded night. Her expression fell, suddenly deep in thought. _Stars, it had been a while... and even when it had_ _ **just**_ _happened, she didn't remember too much._

"Well, Hematite and I went on a mission to find a group of rebels for you... but, what we found was a cave system. There was a scout we were to be looking for, and we chased it there. At least, I presume it was the scout," she stated. There was a small pause as she attempted to recount the events. Yellow swallowed thickly, shuffling her boot in place quietly. White continued. "Hematite told me that it might be risky to go on ahead together, so we split up. We went down two separate paths, and... then I heard this... absolutely dreadful screeching!" White took a deep breath, a worried look returning to her. "And, then I felt something hit me pretty hard, and everything went dark after that."

–

The service gem listened carefully and nodded at White's recounting of events. He grimaced at the mention of the screeching. _Stars, that was a terrible sound._

But then his brows shot up.

"W-wait, what hit you?! There wasn't anyone else in the caves when I came to find you."

–

White paused, glancing between Hematite and Topaz.

"I'm not sure... I think I heard footsteps very briefly, and then a..." Her eyes widened again, a mildly horrified expression crossing her face. "A heavy, blunt force hit me. I wasn't... able to turn around in time, the screech was too disorienting and I was distracted..."

–

The service gem blinked in confusion. _Okay, blunt force that was strong enough to crack a Diamond. So the Emerald was out of the question._ He'd thought for a moment perhaps she escaped his grasp while he was blacked out, but there was no way a tiny thing like her could do any damage. Hematite inhaled slowly through his nose and looked away.

He had nothing else to say. Topaz, on the other hand, certainly did.

"... A blunt, heavy force, you say?" she said thoughtfully. Topaz slowly looked at White, her gaze even.

–

White glanced at Hematite briefly, but looked to the side. Her gaze ended up falling upon the Pearl who nervously stood at the back of the room. The Pearl saluted, but stayed quiet.

"Yes... Something big," she said simply. Gears were turning in her head as she looked down at the floor. She was ominously still, her tone quiet.

Yellow was starting to get a little fidgety, shifting her weight from leg to leg. She kept glancing at White, sparing her unreadable looks.

–

Hematite pursed his lips, thinking. Maybe it was a fusion, or a gem monster that he'd missed. _But they had to have been fast... unless he was blacked out for longer than he thought. And, for that matter, why had they cracked White and not shattered her?_

He shuddered at the thought.

Topaz drummed her fingers along her arm.

"This service gem was seen fleeing to the galaxy warp with your cracked gemstone in a bubble. He looked afraid, hunted, _guilty_. I saw him with my own eyes. I had arrived there to see why you were back so early, but when I saw him, I stopped..." Topaz frowned and looked away. "... Tell me, White. Have there been any incidents that have made you, perhaps, _question_ this gem?"

Hematite's eyes widened, and he looked at White, fear and apprehension written all over his face.

"White, don't listen to her!"

–

White frowned, crossing her arms. It was hard to tell what she was thinking, but there was certainly _something_ going on in her head.

"Well... there was the incident with Yellow Diamond, some time ago..." she said simply, shooting the other Diamond a glare. Yellow remained steady, glancing at Topaz to avoid eye contact with White.

–

Topaz nodded and arched a brow.

"Yes, I'm well aware of that little _ordeal_. Which brings me to my next point, actually..." The general lifted her chin slightly. When she spoke, her voice was bold and even. "This Hematite has played you for a fool. He only needed to lay a few pieces in place before he could commit these heinous acts."

Hematite began to sweat. _What was she talking about?!_ He found himself unable to speak, any words of protest catching in his throat.

Topaz continued.

"I am unsure what his motives are. I've admitted this to Yellow Diamond. But I want you to consider something, White. There have been more 'incidents' that haven't set right with me. A plan has been forming for a long time now, even if I may not understand his motives behind it."

A pause.

"Think back to Diaspore. Didn't you find it the LEAST bit odd that not only did he have not one but two witnesses with him that day, but he also HAPPENED to have an incriminating recording of said gem? He wasn't shattered by Diaspore because that guard was never aiming to kill him that day. When I said I couldn't believe there was a traitor among my warriors, I meant it. My guards were under a _**strict**_ order: only attack a gem if they pose a serious and life-threatening danger to other gems. He arranged, and probably threatened one of my soldiers to attack him when he had a few, but not too many, witnesses. He then committed the deed in broad daylight, and had Diaspore found guilty of trying to shatter him. We cannot confirm this, as Diaspore is no longer _with us_... but I digress. Why would he do this, you may ask? Why, to make you feel the need to assist him, that he needed protection. While looking through the archives for any sort of lead on a cure, I perused Hematite's mission reports with permission. I thought since he's a recon gem, he would possibly have tidbits on something, anything that could help you in your time of need. But then I noticed a pattern that made my suspicions worse. After his 'debacle' with Diaspore, you started going with him on missions, didn't you? That was all he needed... A chance to get you out, alone, in the middle of no-where. Certainly, he couldn't _ask_ you to attend him, but he had time. He could wait for the perfect opportunity... And, sadly... he got one."

Topaz sneered before looking away. A softer expression befell her.

"Thankfully, his chance was ultimately wasted. He didn't achieve his goal. His plan was probably to kill you before going after the other two. But he's failed. You're fixed, Yellow is safe... We still have all three of the Diamond Authority... Thank the stars."

Hema looked up at Topaz, aghast with horror. His form began to tremble, and though he swallowed and tried to speak, his words stuck in his chest. All he could manage were a few soft, pitiful sounds.

–

The world around White fell silent. Throughout the story, White listened, but put her own pieces together. Her face twisted between subtle expressions of horror, disbelief, anger, and hurt. She never once looked at Hematite, and soon after Topaz had finished explaining, White was left staring down at the floor, wide eyed. She started to move her lips like she were saying something, but no voice came out. Slowly, she lifted her head to the general, complete shock on her face.

She thought about how adamant he'd been about letting his hands heal. She remembered the method he'd used to sneak up on that corrupted Sphene on their first mission together; how he'd shrunken down to get close and then struck. She remembered all she taught him as Howlite.

And, suddenly, she wished she didn't have such a good memory.

"I... but he wouldn't... he couldn't..." She clenched her fists, looking swiftly to the side, away from anyone else. She turned her whole body soon after, her back facing everyone. "No..." she whispered. Everything was falling into place. Everything started to make sense... _No, this couldn't be... How?_

Slowly, she lifted her head back up.

"We...we had just finished talking about corrupted gem monsters... I knew he was upset. But... Do you really think...?" Her voice sounded pained, as if she didn't want to accept what was being thrown down in front of her. She had to hear other people's opinions, she had to confirm her judgments... because she wasn't liking where this was going.

–

Hematite felt his body going cold. _Topaz was convincing White of all these lies._

"Wh-white! None of that is true, I swear! I-I wasn't upset about the gem monsters, I was just curious about what you thought of them!" Sweat started to form on his brow. Topaz clenched a fist.

"What's this about corrupted gems, White Diamond? Is there something I'm missing here?"

–

Yellow looked away completely. She knew of this all too well, but she didn't care to think about it either. White never turned back towards them. She tried to speak evenly, an odd, eerie tone to her voice.

"Hematites are... They have... a fatal flaw, that will one day lead to certain corruption... I... There's nothing we can do to help them. He... asked me if gems could retain sentience after they corrupted... but... I didn't know how to answer him," she said, her tone still laced with hurt.

–

The general's brows raised in genuine surprise. She slowly turned to Hematite, her gaze piercing right through him. When she spoke, her voice was low, even, and menacing.

"A gem with nothing to lose. Nothing to live for. Out for its creator's life. That certainly sounds like a motive to me."

–

There was a cold, dead silence.

Suddenly Yellow started to sweat. Eyes widening slowly, she took a step back from White.

"Uh...White...?" Yellow dared to speak up, biting the inside of her cheek. "Are you...-"

Suddenly, and without warning, the pressure in the air shot up. The atmosphere in the room grew harsher...Thicker...denser... _Suffocating_. Until...

 _ **BBBBBBZZZZZZZZZZZZZZT- CRASH!**_

With a strained, electrified whir, the room fell dark, aside from the light filtering in from the windows. All of the lights illuminating the room had exploded from the sheer amount of pressure. If the air in the room wasn't unsettling enough, White's stance certainly was. She was slouched slightly, shoulders rising and falling with heavy, steady breaths. Silence followed... until the Diamond finally, slowly spoke up.

"Yes. It does."

Slowly turning her head to face both Topaz and Hematite, her dimly lit form stood darkly before them. A single, piercing, glowing white iris glared menacingly at the service gem. Her brows furrowed, and she slowly turned to them. She was _**livid**_.

Yellow had seen enough, and given the now broken state of the room, she decided it was time to leave. Without a word, she dismissed herself, quickly walking past both Hematite and Topaz. There was absolutely no way she was going to be caught in the middle of what she knew was coming.

–

Hematite's chest tightened, and his eyes went wide as the lights in the room suddenly shattered under the immense pressure change. His entire world froze around him at White's quiet, menacing words.

 **Yes... It does...**

His breathing became uneven, and he took a frightened step back the moment White looked at him. Topaz felt her expression falter, and she let go of the service gem's shoulder, taking a few long strides away from him.

Hematite was left alone, facing White Diamond.

"Wh-white-!"

The service gem felt his breath catch in his throat. He suddenly couldn't speak. He opened his mouth, but only a weak, choked sound came out. Holding his braced arms closer, he shook his head, taking another step back, his eyes never leaving hers.

–

Ominously slow, White walked towards the service gem, glaring at him with violent fury.

"Is this what you've been hiding from me..." she said, hissing quietly. "Is this what I felt when we fused that day...? When you wanted to feel _powerful_ , Hematite...? You were hiding your plans from me..." she continued, stopping a mere two feet in front of him. She towered over him, rolling her shoulders. Her eyes were fixated on him, lips curled into a maddened snarl. "All that power you craved... You liked feeling more powerful. You wanted to be stronger... but you just weren't satisfied..."

She leaned down sharply, inches from his face.

 **"WERE YOU."**

–

Topaz stood against a far wall, her fingers drumming along the top of her arm. She narrowed her eyes, curious about this mention of a fusion.

Hematite, however, was far less collected.

If they weren't cuffed, he would have raised his hands in front of him in defense as White approached him, furious, towering, _terrifying_.

He wanted so badly to say that the fusion was her idea, but his voice was failing him.

Hematite physically flinched back when White leaned down, a sharp whimper escaping him. He stared up at his leader, eyes wide, his form starting to tremble uncontrollably.

–

White stood up tall again, towering over the puny service gem. Her teeth were bared, eyes wide with wrath. No longer was she whispering.

"YOU HID YOUR EMOTIONS FROM ME... I thought nothing of it... but I should have known something was wrong." She hissed the last phrase, narrowing her eyes. The Diamond rolled her head, neck cracking subtly. "Oooooh but maybe you thought I wouldn't notice that... Or, notice how you _RAN_ WHEN I CAME BACK," she snarled, the Pearl instinctively cowering on the other side of the room. She couldn't leave, but she couldn't move if she wanted to, anyway. White continued furiously. "HOW YOU BROUGHT ME BACK CRACKED, AND RAN LIKE A _COWARD_... And because w h y?" she growled, hunching over again. "Because you couldn't look at what you'd done. Because you couldn't face me. Because you were GUILTY."

–

Hematite shook his head. Weakly, he managed to finally speak.

"I-I'm sorry. I didn't know what to do- I. I was scared...!"

 _It's your fault she got cracked._

 _Guilty._

 _ **GUILTY.**_

–

"SORRY? SORRY?!" she growled, taking a single step back, her eyes locked on him. Swiftly, she raised her hand to her gem and, with a bright flash, summoned her weapon. Clicking the end harshly to the floor, she gripped it tightly. She was _seething_.

–

The moment her pole arm appeared, he stiffened, backing clumsily against the wall, plastered against it.

–

"WHY, HEMATITE? WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS? AFTER ALL I DID FOR YOU!" She turned her head, running her nails through her hair. She shut her eyes tight, the faintest trace of tears forming in them. "WHY... After I did ALL I could to make sure you were HAPPY! After I stuck my neck out for you, when I damn well shouldn't have! After I taught you so much, after all that we did..." She sounded winded by the last word. Even as furious as she was, she was hurting.

Her eyes shot open, glaring daggers into Hematite's pitiful form.

"I TRUSTED YOU. I GAVE SO MUCH FOR YOU... I BROKE RULES FOR YOU! AND THIS..." She lifted her pole arm, twisting the bladed end to face him. "THIS IS HOW YOU REPAY ME?!"

–

He couldn't take his eyes off the weapon, even as White spoke. He opened his mouth, but no words came out. No, nothing but weak, pitiful whimpers escaped the service gem. His form was shaking violently where he stood.

The moment her pole arm twisted to face him... the icy claws returned.

 _But this time, they were closer._

 _Sharper._

 _ **Colder.**_

 _ **Hematite felt them gradually close in on his gemstone.**_

He slowly drew his eyes away from the tip of the weapon, and met White's fearsome gaze. All the affection, care, and respect the Diamond's fierce eyes once held was gone, replaced by mistrust, fear, and _hatred_. The service gem's mouth opened, and for a moment, nothing came out.

He swallowed.

When he spoke, his voice was strained, choked, and _tiny_.

"Please, forgive me."

–

Furiously, White took a sharp breath and reeled her arm back, her eyes locked on Hematite's gemstone.

"There is nothing to forgive."

 _ **THWIK!**_

 **K!**

The Pearl shut her eyes, flinching with a shrill squeak. Slowly, uncovering her hands from her face, she looked to the horrific display before her.

Buried deep in the wall, a mere inch from Hematite's neck, rested the head of White's pole arm.

White, staring into Hematite's very core, was still heaving, her hand gripped tightly at her weapon.

No one dared to speak a word.

After a few agonizingly long moments, White stood up straight and brushed her fingers through her hair. Her anger faltered, leaving her with a blank, hurt expression as she gazed down into Hematite's eyes.

"… From this day forth, you are no longer my Hematite."

–

 **K!**

The faint noises of cracked marble sounded beside Hematite's head, moments after the damage had been done. He heard every sound. Every little shift in the now split rock.

And he could vividly hear the sound of his gemstone shattering into a thousand pieces, despite it being completely intact. The noise echoed through his head. He heard nothing else. The world went dark around him. A single tear that had formed in the corner of his right eye welled up and rolled down his cheek. Slowly, as he gazed into White's eyes, the life drained from his face.

He looked dull.

 _Empty._

He looked like _nothing_ was going on in his head anymore.

 _ **Nothing.**_

 _ **e.**_

"..."

–

Turning to Topaz, she took a shaky breath, crossing her arms.

"General... get this loathsome traitor out of my sight... I can't bear to see him right now. And If I'm exposed to him much longer there's no telling what I'll do." She clenched her fists, avoiding Hematite's eyes completely. "I will give him one chance to prove he's innocent... He will have a trial in one week. I want to be present at this trial myself. Me, you, Hematite, Yellow, and Blue. All of us... I'll make my final judgment then," she stated formally, the pressure in the air finally beginning to drop. "I need some time to... calm down. Before I can pass a fair, rational judgment... I hope you... understand," the Diamond said, narrowing her eyes.

–

Topaz nodded and walked over, taking Hematite's bracer in her hand.

"Let's get moving. White... you take care." The general gave her superior a sympathetic frown before she drug the service gem away in silence. He didn't struggle. He didn't protest.

He walked along behind her.

Quietly.


	56. Final Verdict

_Summary: Take an inside look at the Homeworld Capital Diamond Courthouse._

* * *

Seven days.

He sat alone in a cold, dark, secluded cell for seven days. He spoke to no-one, he saw no gem but his guards, and news of what was going on with him never reached the outside world. The service gem had done nothing but sit in one single corner of his prison for seven days. Unmoving, silent, _**hollow**_.

It looked as though he'd been frozen in time. In fact, if it weren't for the occasional shift or blink, one would think it was a statue, not a gem, in the cell. His eyepiece was missing.

Everything around him was icy cold. In the pit of his stomach, Hematite felt a sloshing, frozen sea of dread raging. It filled his entire body, up to his gemstone. It, too, felt like a chunk of ice.

His thoughts were slow. Foggy. Distant. Everything he managed to think about even semi-coherently seemed muffled, far-off, as if he couldn't make out his own inner voice.

 _ **Pro o f...**_

Hematite blinked slowly. Today was the day of his trial. At least... he thought it was. He couldn't be sure.

 _What day is it?_

 _Ev idence...?_

 _What i s th ere?_

 _ **You cr acked W hi te.**_

 _No t my Hemat ite- is this wha t you re ally wanted- what did I d o?_

 _Pe t a l? Sc out? Emer ald, g one, e scaped. No p r oof._

 _No b o dy the re. W ho crac ked W hi te?_

 _No thin g to li ve for._

 _Did I c ra ck W hi te?_

Nausea boiled in Hematite's stomach, and he shifted uncomfortably where he lay. There it was again... that thought, that nagging, heavy doubt.

 _ **Did**_ _I c r ac k W hi te?_

He'd had seven days. Seven days to think about the events that transpired over a month ago. He had no proof. The evidence was stacked against him for that mission... and he had no recollection of what happened when he blacked out. He couldn't know how long he was out, what happened, who was in those caves, if anyone else at all.

Slowly, but surely, the doubt had sunken its long, black claws into his mind. It held on with a vice grip, causing him pain every time he mentally pulled away to try and think of some other scenario that could have transpired to result in White being cracked. It kept pulling him back, locking his mind in place, facing him toward one, inevitable truth.

 _What if I'm g ui l t y._

 _W ha t if I corru pte d for a mom en t._

 _Is that how it w or ks?_

 _Y o u lo se con tr ol..._

 _F o r get where you a re... who you a re..._ _ **Is**_ _that how it works? What if it is... what if that can happen with Hematites... co ul d I have corrupted for a m om ent?_

… _Did_ _ **I**_ _crack White?_

 _Clang!_

The service gem slowly blinked. He didn't look at the door down the hallway as a large, armored Jasper made their way closer to his cell. She had something in her hands.

"You are being allotted one hour with your archives. If you are caught tampering with any of the files, you will be brought directly to White Diamond for falsification of evidence. There will be no trial."

With that, the Jasper opened up the cell, tossed the two items inside, and closed up the screen again. Hematite's eyepiece, and a small, oddly shaped power supply clacked to the ground unceremoniously. Slowly, he reached over and picked them up. It was the first time he'd properly moved in seven days. His body felt as though every nerve was pierced with a small, icy shard, and it hurt to even pick up the items.

He drew them closer and stared at them blankly. The Jasper outside his cell stood to the side, crossing her arms as she glared down at him. Hema blinked slowly.

 _A r chi ves. Re cord ing s?_

He hadn't seen his eyepiece in seven days. They couldn't have him tampering with any of his files, so they'd confiscated them. But now that he was supervised, he would have one hour to look through anything he had for evidence. They'd told him this seven days ago.

And there were only two recordings he could think of, the entire time. That, and one piece of physical evidence. Silently, Hematite blinked and put his eyepiece on. He lifted his hand to his gemstone, pulling a silvery bubble out of it. He quickly held it up to his face and peered inside... only to slowly lower his hand. His eyes stared blankly at the tiny, shriveled-up piece of foliage in the bubble. The petal was dead. It held none of the tell-tale color it had before, nor did it look the least bit physically sound. Hematite had a sinking feeling that if he unbubbled it, it'd merely crumble into dust.

With a pained, crestfallen grimace, he slowly moved the bubble back to his neck, storing it away in his gem once more. That was going to do him no good. He had so little to work with... Topaz seemed convinced that he'd made Diaspore disobey her orders, that he'd framed her and set her up to attack him, only to be shattered. And while he knew that wasn't the case, with Diaspore dead, there was no way for him to prove it. He wasn't allowed to gather testimonials from gems who weren't involved in this current case against him, so he wasn't even allowed to contact Morgan and Puff. Not that contacting them would do him any good. If he supposedly 'set up' Diaspore to attack him when there were witnesses around, Morgan and Puff's words would mean nothing. He had no way to 'prove' what he was hiding from White when fused. He had no evidence saying he didn't try to attack her in that cavern, aside from his own words... and Emerald. But the tiny, elusive gem was somewhere in his pocket dimension, loose, and alone. He had nothing.

Nothing but two recordings that perhaps, had some scrap of proof to prove his innocence. If there was anything, it was there. After all, every full scan of a gem kept a video record for his archives... maybe if there was even a single glimpse of when he'd tried to scan Emerald...

The smallest...

 _Faintest._

Glimmer of hope shone in Hema's eyes.

 _ **Maybe there's something here.**_

* * *

The courthouse.

Within the next two hours, Hematite was lead into a huge, open room with a podium on one end, and a small stand for him in the middle. The room was sparse, for lack of a more pleasant word. It bore no homey decor, no comfort, nothing. It was sterile, towering, and bore the same powerful presence as the Diamonds themselves. Hema now stood on the stand, four guards at his back. His hands were not braced. He had full access to his abilities, but was told that if he did anything but present evidence, he would be shattered on the spot. Topaz was standing to the side, near the far podium that stood opposite to Hema, her arms folded neatly behind her back. Her eyes were closed.

Hematite waited for the Diamonds to arrive. The air in the room felt unnaturally cold. Hematite stood, shoulders limp, arms at his side, staring ahead with hollow eyes.

–

It didn't take long for the Diamonds to show up. As the next hour rolled by, they arrived on the dot. Three tall figures took their stands behind the main podium and towered above the service gem near the center of the room. White and Yellow shared the same cold, condescending glares; but Blue looked upset. She looked like she didn't want to be there at all. Alas, she had to be, and she knew it.

While this was Yellow Diamond's courthouse, White was the first to speak. Her powerful voice rang out through the courtroom, striking a faint chill into every gem present.

"Hematite, you have been accused of high treason against the Diamond Authority and the attempted shattering of my gem." The tallest Diamond narrowed her eyes, stifling a fierce scowl. She forced herself to remain calm, despite the poisonous mix of conflicting emotions in her chest. "How do you plead?"

–

Hematite managed to look up at White after a long moment, signifying that he had indeed heard her. However, he didn't respond.

 **y.**

 **Y ou're g ui lty.**

"..."

–

Yellow straightened up and stared down upon the gem, deadpan and professional as she ever was. "Hematite, you must plead something..." she said, her tone forced. Blue watched on in pained discomfort, staying silent. _Come on, Hematite, this isn't making you look any better. Please, you can't be guilty... You just can't be..._

–

 _I h a ve to?_

 _What is the re to s ay?_

"... Innocent," he replied quietly, almost too soft to hear.

–

Yellow rolled her eyes, and White dug her nails into the podium. _That's what I thought you'd say._

"And what proof do you have of your innocence? Show us why we should believe you. Give us evidence that you are not a traitor. Give us solid proof that you did not frame Diaspore and create false witnesses, and, more importantly, that you did not make an attempt to shatter my gem," she said, her voice loud and clear. Blue glanced away, her arms crossed. Out of the three, she looked as though she didn't even belong up there.

–

Hematite looked down. He'd checked the files. _There was nothing._

He'd checked the two recordings... and.

...

He was already dead. Might as well buy himself a few more minutes.

Slowly, the service gem lifted a finger to his eyepiece. He turned it on with a soft 'chirp' that echoed hollowly around the courthouse. With his current mental state, he had to manually type in all the orders for his eyepiece to get to the two recordings he'd found. There was no mental connection left between himself and his archives.

A holo-screen fizzled into the middle of the court, big enough for all to see. All three Diamonds flinched at the sight of the screen, but for all different reasons. The sight of the visor seemed to unsettle Yellow, and she glanced away for a moment, messing with her glove.

There was a pause.

 _Tap. Tap. Tap._

 _ **Whirrrrr.**_

The recording started.

The visual on the screen was a matte gray color. There was a large diamond insignia in the middle of the screen, and some numbers and gem speak to the side. They were too faint to make out. All they could see were the words and insignia on a flat, gray background.

The audio of the recording kicked in.

A faint inhale of breath could be heard on the screen, followed by what was the start of the tell-tale click that signified Hema's visor had finished its scan... then.

 _Cli-_

 _ **SCCCCCREEEAA-**_

 _CKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK_

The screen glitched out, going from a matte gray color to a cacophony of static and feedback. It made an unholy, unnatural buzzing and clicking sound. This lasted for about two seconds, and then the recording abruptly ended. The screen never showed an image of Emerald, not even for a moment.

Hematite didn't say a word. He stared ahead, his finger still on his eyepiece.

–

Blue gasped softly, covering her mouth with her hand. _Was this ALL he had?_ Yellow stared down furiously at the gem, her eyes narrowed. But White... White was eerily haunted by the sound. She waited, wondering if Hematite had had anything else to present.

But, unbeknownst to the other Diamonds, Blue's eyes widened. Glancing away quickly, she kept her hand over her mouth, looking like she had recognized something. _Was...Was that a...?_

–

There was another long pause.

... _Tap._

 _CCCCCCCCKKKKKKKKKKK-_ _ **whirrrr**_

The screen was still glitched out, static filling the entire field of view.

 _Click_

The screen suddenly went dark, but not pitch black. The visual on the visor was illuminated by the odd night vision it bore. The diamond insignia was now a mere outline instead of a solid shape, and it was focused on a tiny white shape from far, far above. It was _painfully_ obvious that Hematite was currently huge, in the recording. He was staring down at White's cracked gem in the center of a massive, cracked crater in the cave floor.

Bright red words flashed on the screen in gem speak. The screen faltered for a moment, a strangled sound of distress could be heard on the video, followed by uneven breathing.

Gem found : White Diamond

Status: GEM CRACKS DETECTED

An inhuman whimper sounded on the file. And then the screen went black.

–

The room fell quiet. White started to shake with anger, and Yellow almost felt sick to her stomach. But somehow, she managed to keep herself held together. Taking a deep breath, Yellow Diamond glared daggers at the puny gem before her.

"I don't know what kind of game you think you're playing Hematite, but if this is _all_ you have..."

–

He looked up. His hand fell away from his eyepiece, and the holo screen in the middle of the room fizzled out. Silence. He stared up at the Diamonds helplessly, with a worrying look of grim acceptance in his eyes.

–

Narrowing her eyes, White felt her lips twitch into a teeth baring growl. The pressure in the room started rising, but Yellow quickly took a bold step towards her fellow Diamond, placing a hand on her arm. Leaning towards her, she whispered something too quietly to hear. White's shoulders sunk, the pressure in the room falling back a little. Not quite back to normal, but it was better than it was before. Blue hadn't said a word throughout this entire trial. She looked pained, uncomfortable, and almost scared. Her gaze was elsewhere, as if distracted. The tallest Diamond inhaled slowly through her teeth.

"Well, Hematite... if this is all you have to give us..." White started, her jaw parted even after she paused. Completely engulfed with grief and fury, the tall white gem looked away for a brief second. Her look of fury had all but vanished, now masked with betrayal, hurt, and almost disbelief. Even now, she looked conflicted and hesitant, aside from her anger. Some part of her hoped this was all some misunderstanding...

But he couldn't provide anything. All the evidence was stacked against him, and all the proof said otherwise. The only evidence he did have made him seem even _more_ guilty.

Blue lowered her fingers into her mouth, biting at her nails nervously. She couldn't bring herself to look at anyone. Was that... that _scream_. She _knew_ that scream. She knew what kind of gem COULD scream like that... Her eyes went wide, small tears prickling at the sides of them.

–

Meeting White's eyes, Hematite opened his mouth to say something, but then closed it again. He slowly lowered his head.

The claws hovered over his gemstone.

–

Grimacing, White closed her eyes and sighed. Yellow crossed her arms, standing straighter, and shot Blue a curious glance. Blue returned her gaze, swallowing nervously. She shook her head 'no'. Yellow, too, looked away and closed her eyes.

Blue remained frozen, clenching her fists. She couldn't say anything... no. _No, she'd have to be smart about this..._ Shooting Hematite a sympathetic, worried glance, Blue frowned. Her eyes were wide with undisguised panic.

White clicked her nails onto the podium and, slowly opening her eyes, a horrible mix of fury and pain struck her to the very core.

"Then you are hereby found guilty." Taking a quick breath, White straightened up, her gaze piercing right through the service gem she once called her own. "By the order of the Diamond Authority... Hematite... You are sentenced to **death**."

–

"..."

 _So that's it, then._

At least he cherished the time he had. The icy claws gripped fiercely at his gemstone, sending a burning cold chill through his entire form.

He went numb. All the life drained from his face, and whatever hope he'd held onto sank deep into a dark fog that had been hovering over his mind as of late, never to be seen again.

 _Morgan, Puff, Rubes... Blue._ _ **I'm sorry.**_

–

"General Topaz, please escort Hematite to the Shard Morgue in the Blue District. Someone will be sent out tomorrow at dawn to take care of him. Just..." She leaned her elbow on the podium, running her palm along her face with exasperation. "Get him out of my sight... Please."

Blue's heart dropped, and she looked away from everyone. Yellow, However, looked unmoved; she'd been ready for this. Looking to the General, she gave her a nod. None of them offered any more words for the service gem before them.

–

The general looked up at the three Diamonds on the podium with a solemn stare. She nodded.

Slowly, she walked over and put a bracer on Hematite. He didn't struggle. He didn't make a sound. Topaz, without a word, drug him off, the four guards following behind her. Hematite followed, his steps heavy and slow.


	57. Lost

_[ **AUTHOR NOTE:** Hey everyone! So, last chapter we noticed some **copy-paste errors** in the text of the chapter. We're super sorry about that, and we don't know what's causing it! If there have been sections in the past that didn't make any sense and seemed to be **missing parts,** that's why. We'll try to look through and see if we can find all of these wonky sections, but it'll take us a long time. Sorry about that, we don't know why it decides to cut out random letters/words when we copy-paste! Regardless, we hope this hasn't ruined your enjoyment. Enjoy the chapter! It's a good one.~ ;) ]_

 _Summary: Two friends are unexpectedly reunited._

* * *

"RRAAAGH!"

 **CRACK!**

With a vigorous punch, Blue sent one of her training dummies flying straight into the wall. Heaving relentlessly, the Diamond clenched and unclenched her fist. The thoughts of today's trial were still racing in her mind, and while she was still heavily upset about Hematite's final verdict... Something else was bothering her. Something about Hematite's trial set storm of different thoughts in motion. Something had shone a _small_ ray of light upon the situation. It was tiny and bleak, but it was there. And she knew she had to act on it _now_ or never now that she was away from White.

Quickly, the Diamond made her way over to her desk and pulled out her communicator. She chewed her lip for a moment, contemplating if she should even do this.

 _Hematite's life is in grave danger... and if what you believe is true... His shattering could be unjust. You need to do what's right._

She bared her teeth in frustration, groaning to herself. Clicking on the communicator, she cleared her throat and sat up straight.

"Blue Diamond reporting to Yellow Diamond. Do you copy?" she spoke, the communicator flicking up a small holo-screen. Soon, what appeared onto the screen was a clear video of Yellow. _Oh, thank stars, she picked up._

"This is Yellow Diamond. What is it, Blue?" the other Diamond responded formally. Blue frantically leaned forward and gripped at her desk, clutching the communicator tightly.

"Yellow, there's something you should know about the trial today!" she said. Immediately, Yellow frowned and stifled a small grunt. Blue scoffed. "No, listen to me for once! Hematite might really be innocent!" she said quickly. Yellow's eyes widened, but she didn't look pleasantly surprised. No, she looked annoyed.

"What?! Why didn't you say anything in court? How do you believe this?" she hissed.

"Because, when I went to visit him before he faced White, he said something about capturing an Emerald scout!"

"You went and saw him without me knowing?"

"YES! Okay?! That's not the point, listen! Emeralds are really adept at screaming at such a frequency that ends up interfering with gemtech! It's a high possibility that the Emerald scout could have cut out that transmission! And, if he DID have the Emerald... Then they could prove he was apprehending them, and couldn't be anywhere NEAR White! They split off in different ways, after all!" she said. Yellow pursed her lips, not entirely convinced... still, she did seem to momentarily take it into consideration.

"And, if he really did capture this 'Emerald'... why didn't he take her out as evidence during his trial? That's a very valuable asset, surely he's not dense enough to overlook that?" she inquired. Blue's expression faltered, a bead of sweat forming on her brow as she glanced away uncomfortably.

"Er... well... he claims to have uh, _lost_ it..."

Yellow's eyes narrowed.

"I sssee... Look, Blue... I know you want to give him the benefit of the doubt. I know this must hurt you, but look, that's just another ridiculous claim. He can't even prove that he has the Emerald. Just... move on, Blue. You're a Diamond, he's a service gem. He's not worth this much stress," she said with a hint of sympathy. Blue gnashed her teeth and dug her fingers into her hair.

"Nooo, NO, Yellow, you don't get it! Rrrgh he's... Fine! If you won't listen, then forget it! I can't believe you're so-" Before Blue could finish her sentence, Yellow ceased communication. Blinking, Blue slammed her hands into her desk with rage. "UUUUUGH! OF COURSE you would hang up on me! You... mmnnngh..." she grumbled, tapping her fingers on the side of her cheek rapidly.

 _I had a feeling you'd be impossible to convince...  
_

With a sly smile, Blue turned the communicator back on, but this time started to dial for someone else. From the looks of it, she had a second signal queued up to call.

"This is Blue Diamond. Rubes the Ruby, do you copy? Please respond."

...

...

...

No answer.

Frowning, Blue tried once more.

...

...

No answer.

Groaning, she clicked her tongue to the roof of her mouth repeatedly, thinking hard. Suddenly, something came to her. Turning on the communicator one more time, she scoured for the number she needed. She still had one more person she knew that she could turn to for this.

–

–

Puff was sitting on her couch, listening to a lecture on ax-fighting techniques that she'd downloaded to her communicator. She bobbed her foot in place, a faint smile on her face. Her apartment was dimly lit, and as cluttered as always. Off to her left, she appeared to have a small stack of incredibly thin 'diamond pads,' which each displayed a digital document. She had her cut, district, facet, and all her other personal information filled out on most of them. She appeared to be in the middle of taking a break from them, though, to listen to her lecture.

 _Beep beep beep, beep beep beep!_

Blinking in surprise, the Jasper adjusted her communicator, answering the call. Blue's voice sounded over the device.

 _"This is Blue Diamond. Puff the Jasper, do you copy? Please respond."_

Sitting up straight, Puff gasped softly and very nearly dropped her communicator.

"B-Blue Diamond! Oh, uh. Ahem." She glanced around for a moment. "Yes, I copy?"

–

Blue sighed heavily with relief.

"Oh thank stars, someone I can actually TALK to! Look, Puff, we don't have much time. I need you to head over to the Blue District Shard Morgue as fast as you can, alright? I'll meet you there and fill you in with all the details." Biting her lip, she looked away. "I'm... gonna need your help with something very important. You're the only one I can trust with this, and only you're available right now. I'm sorry to drop all this on you at such short notice, but we don't have time to chit-chat here. Please be quick!" She ordered far more seriously.

–

The Jasper's eyes widened, and she started scratching nervously at her face. _The Shard Morgue? What could Blue possibly want her_ _ **there**_ _for? ... Did this have something to do with Hematite being gone for so long?_

"I'll be right there."

 _Click._

–

Night hung over the Blue District, as beautiful as ever. Not a single cloud was in the sky and the stars glimmered brightly overhead. But, even so, the air felt stiff and still. A certain tension hovered thick in the air around the Shard Morgue. Blue stood out at the side of the massive building, back pressed against the wall. She tapped her foot, arms crossed anxiously. She frantically looked everywhere from any sign of the Jasper. _Come on, hurry up... we don't have much time..._

–

Soon enough, Puff stumbled around a corner, looking around for Blue in confusion. As soon as she spotted her, she perked up and rushed over, saluting her respectfully.

"Sorry, the guard at the gateway gave me some trouble." She bit her lip for a moment. "What's going on?"

–

Blue's eyes widened and she took the Jasper by the arm. Rushing inside the doorway, she started to run down the halls. Nobody seemed to inhabit this particular area. She made sure to only speak to Puff when there were no guards around as they ran.

"Look, Puff, to make a long story short; We have a huge problem and Hema's life is on the line here! I'm probably gonna ask you to do something really weird, so I hope you're on board with me..."

–

The Jasper yelped in surprise as she was pulled along behind Blue, but soon enough her steps picked up, and she was able to follow along without being dragged.

"W-wait, WHAT?! What do you mean Hema's life is- What on Homeworld is going on?!"

–

Blue stopped abruptly, glancing from side to side. She had gotten a few odd looks from the guards, but no one made a move. This was her district. Muttering something quietly, she perked up and made a sharp left turn down a hallway.

"So, uh, you probably don't know this, and that was a good thing but I guess it's necessary now; White got cracked a few weeks ago, and Hematite's been found guilty of being responsible for it." She stopped, turning quickly to face the Jasper head-on. "But I don't think that Hema did it!"

–

Puff felt an icy chill shoot down her spine.

"... White was _cracked_?" She was speechless for a long moment, her eyes wide. She was trying to process _that_ alone. "... If he's been found guilty..." she started, disbelief lacing her tone. "I-is. Is he here? Wait, Blue what are we _**doing?!"**_ she said sharply, looking around in confusion.

–

Blue placed her hands on the Jasper's shoulders and smiled awkwardly.

"White's okay now... But Hematite isn't. In the morning, he'll be shattered. And that's where we come in..." She took the Jasper's hand again and bolted down the hall once more. Winding past a few more guards and doors, she found herself at the end of a wide hall with a large sign overhead that read "Death Row."

–

 _Shattered_.

Puff's eyes widened further, and she put a hand over her mouth before Blue started to drag her off again. Down the halls they ran, and the Jasper couldn't help but give nervous and confused glances to some of them. She looked up at the sign when they stopped. A heavy shudder passed through her.

 _Death Row._

 _No, no this couldn't be real, Hematite wouldn't do anything like this! He wouldn't get himself-..._

She thought back to the incident with Yellow Diamond, a chill running down her back, doubling on the shudder from a moment ago.

–

Barreling through the doorway, they were sent into a dimly-lit room with a staircase leading down. Blue stopped, taking a sharp breath. Placing her hand to her gem, she summoned her weapon and swung it over her shoulder.

"Play it smart, alright? If anyone asks... you're my bodyguard. Don't say anything unless I tell you to," she said with a curt nod, staring straight on ahead. She started down the stairway.

–

Puff slowly looked down the staircase as they entered the next room.

"... B-but..." Blinking, the warrior bit her lip, glancing behind her uncertainly. Slowly, Puff followed after her as Blue pulled her along.

–

As they headed down the staircase, it seemed like it was winding down forever. Blue eventually let go of Puff's hand and let her walk freely behind her. There was an ominous silence.

Stopping at the bottom of the stairs, there was an immediate doorway that was blocked by one of the electrified holo-screens. Blue stepped forward and punched in a code on the device that was next to the screen, and promptly disabled it. She turned briefly to nod at the Jasper before continuing through the doors.

"We're here," she whispered. As they entered the next room, another rather massive hallway opened up before them. It wasn't quite as big as the Yellow District's prison halls, but it did its job. There were a few small gems angrily huddled up against the corners of their cells, a fair bit of them looking absolutely defeated. Blue's frantic demeanor dropped completely, and the look on her face was now replaced with dour seriousness. She rolled her neck and walked forward, brows furrowed furiously. The cells were spaced out a fair bit with one guard by each cell. However, there was one to the left with two guards standing stationary. Blue made her way to them.

–

The mere sight of this place was enough to send a deathly chill up the Jasper's spine. All these gems in here had done horrid things worthy of shattering. They were murderers, kidnappers, gems that performed illegal experiments on other gems, leaders of small rebel factions...

 _So how had_ _ **Hematite**_ _gotten himself found guilty of cracking White, of all things?_

The Jasper attempted to peer into the cell from behind Blue, but when she couldn't make out the form inside, she stepped back and crossed her arms, looking serious. She did her best to keep calm and collected, as if she were meant to be there.

–

Stopping, she stood in front of the guards and clanged the end of her weapon to the ground. The guards looked at each other, then back to the Diamond.

"Stand aside." Blue said, unwavering. The guards shifted their weight, but didn't move.

"Sorry, Blue Diamond... we have direct orders from White Diamond to not let anyone in, not even-"

Blue slammed the guard up against the buzzing holo-screen, glaring darkly into their face that laid half-hidden by their helmet. Puff winced as Blue shoved the guard up against the screen, but she covered it quickly. She didn't like where this was going... Blue narrowed her eyes.

" _ **I**_ have direct orders from White to go ahead and finish this gem off myself. If you have something to say about that, I'm sure White will _**love**_ to hear how you stopped me," she growled quietly. The guard twitched and cried out in pain for a moment, holding up her hand in defense.

"R-R-R-right, y-Yes ma'am! As you wish, I'm t-terribly sorry. You may proceed..." she spoke, shakily saluting the Diamond. Blue shoved the guard off of the screen and to the side, glaring up at the other guard as well.

"You don't need to be here either. I can take care of this myself." She narrowed her eyes, sending a chill up the guard's spine. They, without a word, saluted and left with the other guard. Blue turned and looked at the rest of the hall, gritting her teeth. "All of you! Set your cells to lock-down mode and leave! I demand privacy here! None of you are to tell anyone that I'm here, under any circumstances, is that clear?! And don't come back in here until I come out!" she ordered, clanging her mace down on the floor. The guards along the hall flinched and did as they were told. The clanging of heavy doors sliding down to block off the already-protected cells filled the air. Each cell was now sound-proof, and virtually inescapable, along with being completely blocked off visually from the outside world. The guards all shuffled out, muttering among one another. After a minute or so, all went still.

It was just Blue, Puff, and Hematite now.

Blue watched the guards leave without a word, slowly turning her head to look inside the cell. What greeted her wasn't a pretty sight... But despite the image she was met with, she forced herself not to shake her act just yet. Holding her weapon tightly, she slowly punched in the code to Hematite's cell screen. She had a murderous, dark look in her eyes, and stared him down with a cold, merciless sneer.

–

As the guards left, the Jasper drummed her fingers on her arm. As the cell opened, she looked around warily and stepped inside a pace or two. _What was Blue planning... and for that matter, what were the details to this whole mess?_ _How_ had Hema been found guilty of-

Puff stopped dead in her tracks as she finally spotted the form inside the cell. A soft, disbelieving exhale escaped her.

"…Oh, _Scrap_ …"

 _The sight wasn't pretty._

As if he hadn't looked bad enough in court... he somehow looked even _worse_ mere hours later.

Hematite was laying on his side, his back against the wall, his head in the corner of his cell. His hair was half-hiding his face, his visible eye staring dead-ahead, half-lidded. His knees were drawn to his chest, his cuffed arms wrapped limply around them. He didn't seem to be breathing.

He didn't even _flinch_ as the two entered his cell. He did, however, slowly look at the Diamond without so much as moving his head.

"…"

 _So they sent Blue._

 _Huh... thought Yellow would be the one to do it._

–

Blue stepped further into the cell, motioning with her free hand for the Jasper to follow. The room was fairly small, but could comfortably fit about six or seven gems if it needed to. However, the ceiling was lower here, only about fifteen or so feet high; whereas most of the cells here stood at least twice that high. As soon as they were both inside, Blue pressed the timed switch on the outside of the security lock. From the top of the device, a digital key slid out. She took it, quickly retracting her hand back into the cell. A small buzzing sounded for three seconds, and the holo-screen fizzled back up. They were all trapped in the room together now, and the only way back out was the key Blue held in her palm, or if someone came and let them out from the outside. Blue slowly turned to the service gem, placing the key into her gemstone with a soft glow. Silently, she gripped at her mace... And poofed it away.

Her serious demeanor immediately dropped, and she held her hands up close to her, looking worried and hurt.

"Hey, rookie..." she said sympathetically, taking a few steps towards him. Blue dropped to one knee, getting a tad closer to the service gem. _Stars, he looked really bad_... It haunted her, _hurt_ her even, to see him in such a state. "I would ask how you're holdin' up, but I don't think I really need an answer for that..."

–

Puff glanced momentarily at the holo-screen before turning back to the two gems. She cautiously stepped forward, wringing her hands together. The service gem still didn't move. He seemed to be looking straight through Blue, as if she wasn't even there.

The only thing that changed was that his brow twitched ever-so-slightly as she spoke. But that was it.

–

Blue spared the gem a warm, hopeful smile.

"So I..." She paused, unsure how to say what she needed to say. She gripped at the leg of her pants, glancing away uncomfortably. Time was ticking by, and they were racing the clock. They didn't have time for this. "Hematite..." Blue's brows furrowed, her fists clenching over her legs. For a moment, her lip quivered, as she searched for the right words. Grunting, the Diamond stood up tall and puffed out her chest. "Hematite! I believe you..."

–

For the briefest moment, Hematite's visible eye widened. But, it slowly drifted half-closed again, and the service gem stared at the wall, past Blue.

"It's a little late for that." His tone was flat, monotonous, void of emotion. It sounded like a completely different gem was speaking, instead of Hematite. He sounded _empty_. "… I'm out of time."

–

Blue's heart sank. _No, she couldn't give up on him now._ The sight of him so defeated did weigh on her chest, but it brought something new with it. A fire. A burning, tight feeling in her chest made her inhale deeply, frowning with concern. She had to make things right. She had to help him.

"Hematite, it's _not_ too late... Listen." She looked to Puff and gave her a nod. "That Emerald that you lost in your pocket dimension... let Puff and I go find it for you. If we can get that gem, we can prove your innocence! Please, kid, it's not too late!" she pleaded, her fists clenching so tightly they lightened in color. Puffed looked in shock at Blue, taking a step back.

"W-what?! Are you out of your mind?! I'm not going back in _there!_ ESPECIALLY not with him about to be shattered!"

Blue shot Puff an alarmingly-fierce glare. "Yes. You are... because I'm going with you."

–

There was an eerily-long pause. Hematite almost seemed like he hadn't even heard her. That is, it _would_ have seemed that way if his eyes didn't slowly go as wide as saucers.

He was silent for so long, Puff started to speak up, but she was suddenly cut off. The service gem's look of utter surprise was quickly replaced with one of _fury_. Hematite scrambled to his feet, shaking uncontrollably, and lurched forward toward Blue, shoving her weakly away.

Despite being furious and putting all his effort into it... the push was weak. He couldn't have budged her more than an inch...

"NO! GET AWAY FROM ME, GET _OUT_ OF HERE!" he demanded indignantly. Hematite backed up against the wall, looking around him frantically. He had a wild, hunted look in his eyes. "Y-you're crazy, Blue! Just leave it alone! The Emerald is GONE! She escaped the tower and I don't even know if she was there in the first place!" At this point, his voice was less of a shout, and more of a _shriek_.

–

Blue, even when shoved, remained undeterred. She matched his fierce gaze, shoulders tensed. But what look was in her eyes wasn't one of anger, frustration, or even hurt. No, she was determined to help him. She wasn't going to back down, not even in the face of his rage.

–

Puff's eyes widened, and she took a few big steps back, placing her hand on the wall. She began to sweat quietly, a frightened grimace on her face. Hema continued.

"IT'S _OVER_ , BLUE DIAMOND! If you wanted to help me, you should have done it _before now!_ You're not going in there to look for some gem that i could have made up! I blacked out, I DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED!" He inhaled shakily, the very breath sounding painful to take.

"I don't know anything anymore! JUST SHATTER ME, GET IT _OVER_ WITH! BUT DON'T COME IN HERE AND GIVE ME SOME FALSE HOPE WITH SOME NONSENSE PLAN THAT COULD GET YOU KILLED!" He looked at her with a burning fury in his eyes. But it was more than that. Everything he'd been feeling the past few weeks boiled in his tired, furious gaze. _Fear. Guilt. Betrayal. Grief. Confusion. Hopelessness. … Doubt._ He heaved and shook his head, taking a step back.

"I DON'T DESERVE IT!"

–

Hissing through her teeth within a split second, Blue snatched Hematite close by his bracer, nearly colliding with him as she pulled him close. A squeak of fear escaped the gem as Blue pulled him closer by his bracer, and his eyes widened, staring up at her. He started shaking.

"BE QUIET!" she growled, staring down at him with a passionate fire in her eye. "Stop saying things like that, Hematite. And listen to me. That's an _order_." She lifted the gem off the ground by his bracer and moved him a few feet back into the corner, setting him down gently. She placed her hands on his shoulders, face twisted into a hopeful grin. He lowered his eyes after she set him down, his breathing was uneven, and he couldn't meet her eyes. Blue gently squeezed his shoulders for a moment.

"You _do_ deserve it... And do you wanna know why I'm choosing to believe you?Are you gonna calm down and let me talk?"

A shudder ran down Hema's form, and he swallowed quietly. Slowly, Hematite looked up at her. Tears were streaming down his face and dripping down his chin. He looked _terrified_. It almost appeared as though her words hadn't completely sunken in. Overcome with dread and fear, he looked distant, desperate, and _hollow_.

"... Please... _help me."_

–

Blue took a deep breath. _Keep steady... you know he's petrified._ Her hands gripped slightly tighter on the service gem's shoulders, but not uncomfortably so.

"Hematite, I believe you... the Emerald is a Blue District-specific gem, and Emeralds are capable of interfering with gemtech. That could have been the reason your recordings were faulted, and it's why the other two didn't really recognize the cry... If we can find that Emerald, it'll prove that you were off capturing them during the time that White's gem got cracked! We can probably get them to talk and prove your innocence!" she said, grinning ear to ear. "Puff here has been in your pocket dimension before; maybe she can help me look around! We can find her; I want to find her! I.." She paused, looking back to the Jasper.

"… Hematite, I know all too well what it's like to have a friend that can turn on you in the blink of an eye, even if they aren't the kind of gem you'd think would do it." Slowly, she drifted her solemn gaze back to him. "But I've got a good feeling about you... And, I've seen the way this whole ordeal has hurt you. The way this truly affects you..." Her brows raised, and she frowned with concern. "You wouldn't have done or said the things you did, or reacted quite that way if you were really guilty... I mean sure, maybe if you were a really good liar, but I... I just don't see it." Drawing her lips into a tight line, she swallowed quietly and forced herself to stay composed, despite the faint mist that stung at her eyes.

"Hematite, I've felt the kind of spirit you have, when we fused. I've felt what makes you happy and seen what makes you sad. I at least like to think I knew you pretty well... I considered you a pretty close friend." Her brows furrowed, and she found herself grinning again. "And I still do. So _please_ , Hematite, _let me do this for you._ It might be risky... but... I'm willing to take that chance! If you are guilty, if you are lying... hey. You'll be shattered anyway..." She pulled him into a tight hug, still gripping at his shoulders.

"But I really think you're innocent, and I want to prove it... to put this aside once and for all. You're not just a service gem. You're not just a common, throwaway worker... No matter what anyone else may say. _I_ think you're worth the risk. I still trust you... Even if it's foolish." She pulled away slowly, giving him a reassuring nod. "If everyone wants justice, no matter what happens here tonight... we're going to get it. But I need you to trust me. "

–

Hematite stared at her, eyes wide. His face slowly scrunched into a pained grimace, and he shook his head, leaning forward and holding his arms close to him. If it weren't for the bracer, he would have latched onto her. Sobs wracked his small form, and he buried his face in her neck. The service gem whimpered quietly, everything Blue said sinking in little by little.

 _Hematite, I believe you. I've seen the way this hurts you. The way this truly affects you. I've felt what makes you happy. I considered you a pretty close friend. And I still do._

 _You're not just a service gem. You're not just a common, throwaway worker..._

 _ **No matter what you may think.**_

After a long moment, he pulled away and wiped his face on his shoulder.

 _I still trust you..._

 _I need you to trust me._

"... I do trust you. Just... please." Hematite looked at Blue directly, his eyes wide, still brimming with tears. " _Please_ be careful. Homeworld can't lose another one of its leaders."

–

Blue felt a wave of relief wash over her, but it was short-lived. She still had to get the job done... she still had to save him. There was a very good chance she might not ever come back out, but she had to risk it. She knew they could get in and out of there in time, if he was telling the truth about Emerald. Nodding, she turned to Puff, quietly giving her a firm look.

"You'll be there to assist me, should I need any help... I know you don't fancy going back in there, but if you want Hematite to live, then you need to trust us both. Do I make myself clear?" she asked, more professionally this time.

–

The Jasper had been silent this whole time. She stood against the wall, eyes wide, watching the scene transpiring in front of her. When Blue turned to look at her, she had her palms pressed together in front of her mouth, fingers resting gently on her lips. There were tears in her eyes.

 _Okay... so she didn't know everything that was going on._ She didn't know what had happened, how White had been cracked, how Hema had been proven guilty of hurting her, or how Blue had gotten to the point she was at right now...

But.

She just couldn't shake the feeling in her gut that Blue was right, about whatever was happening. No, she didn't fully believe it either. Hematite wouldn't hurt a soul. Not on purpose... And to see him in such a state; so scared, angry, confused. Sure, she didn't know him INCREDIBLY well. But she _did_ know him well _enough_. Hema was a gem to be trusted, as far as she was concerned. Did she still feel some hesitation with going back into that gem-forsaken place in his pocket dimension? Yes.

But if it could save him... If it could right whatever was wrong. She was willing to do it.

She was willing to find this...-

...

This _**Emerald**_.

Something faltered in Puff's mind. Her eyes widened slightly. However, she quickly pushed it aside and shook her head a tad. Opening her eyes again, Puff took a deep breath and stepped forward, her arms falling to her sides, fists clenched.

"Crystal-clear, Blue." She arched a brow and crossed her arms. "Just one question, though. How exactly are we supposed to find this gem? And... for that matter." Giving Blue a rather leery, yet half-hearted look, she leaned on the wall and motioned to Hematite. "How are we supposed to get in _there_."

–

Blue smiled, nodding to Puff with thanks. Turning back to Hematite, she grabbed a quick hold of his bracer. Placing her palm over her gem, she summoned the key that she had gotten from the door's security device.

 _CLICK!_

Hematite's bracers hissed open, clanking to the floor. His hands were now freed. Hematite rubbed painfully at his wrists, adjusting his sleeves. _Finally_. He'd been in that for almost two weeks now... He felt the mental block to his pocket dimension lift, and he breathed a sigh of relief. Blue placed the key back in her gem and cracked her knuckles.

"Alright, Puff... Hematite can't really size-shift up here, and even if he did, he couldn't do it by much." She looked up to the ceiling awkwardly. "We're gonna have to retreat into our gemstones and have Hematite... well, more or less... harvest us." She shrugged, looking back down at the two. "Once we're in, we'll head out and try to find the Emerald. There's just, one other thing." Crossing her arms, Blue poked out her bottom lip a little curiously. "Hematite... do your hunting visors work if other gems use them? Do you think it's possible I could borrow one?"

–

Looking up at Blue, he stared curiously at her as she explained the plan. He blinked as she asked about the hunting visor.

"O-oh, uh. Yeah, it works." Looking down slightly, he lifted his hand up to his eyes and flicked it over them, his hunting visor sparking into existence. Puff grimaced slightly. Instead of booting it up himself, he suddenly took it off, looking up at Blue. "Here." He lifted it up to her, turning it around.

–

Blue took the visor, eyeing it carefully. She was gentle holding it; she didn't want to risk breaking it, no matter how sturdy it may have been. She knew she often miscalculated her own strength, and this was probably the only one she was going to get.

"Alright, so... like this?" She placed the visor over her eyes, fitting it over the bridge of her nose.

–

The visor was perfectly formed to fit Hematite's face, so while the front fit, the sides were a bit weird on Blue's face. With an awkward frown, the service gem took notice and stood on his toes, reaching up a finger.

"Hold on." He carefully placed the tip of his index finger to the center of the screen, which still laid dormant. "Alright, Blue. Now think really hard about what you want the visor to do. Try to boot it up. Usually a command like 'Activate' will work. If thinking it doesn't work, try saying it out loud."

–

Blue bit her lip, straining to focus on the visor. At first, nothing happened. Was this really how this worked, or was he pulling her leg?

"Er... Come on... Activate!" she said awkwardly.

 _ **Whiiiiirrrr.**_

–

The visor seemed to shift, and the once awkwardly-fit screen morphed subtly to perfectly match Blue's face. Snugly, the sides adjusted to fit her face, and the front shifted so it laid comfortably over her nose and cheeks, a small hole forming to accommodate her gemstone. It glowed to life with a soft whirring sound. Hematite removed his finger, a diamond insignia resting underneath where he'd had it pressed.

Blue's vision was now a far more interesting array of gem-speak and graphs, and the area around her was now illuminated with a grayish night vision. There was a round grid in the upper right corner of her view. It appeared to be blank.

–

Blue took a step back, mouth open with awe.

"OOooohhhh..." she hummed out, lifting her hands to touch the visor. She stopped though, just shy of actually making contact with her fingers. "Hematite, this is neat!" she said, grinning. But, her smile soon faded as she remembered the task at hand. "Er, right, how I go about looking for the Emerald then? I know there's some trick to you finding gem signatures and locking onto one, if I'm not mistaken?" she said, daring to lift the visor just slightly.

–

Hematite nodded. He was oddly calm for his situation, but it came from having something to finally distract him _._

"Right, lower the visor again." He waited for her to do so. "Because you don't have my eyepiece, I'm afraid this might be a little more difficult." Clearing his throat, he rubbed his forehead. His eyepiece chirped to life. He quickly read through some numbers. While his visor hadn't gotten a visual of Emerald, it still managed to store her gem signature. When Hema spoke again, his voice was clear. "Gem signature input. Emerald. Facet 45GH, Cut, X24." He read off some strange, archaic numbers, and the visor started to click. " _Lock_."

 _ **Whirrr**_

 _Click!_

Blue's screen blinked for a moment. The diamond insignia spun slowly in a circle, as if processing something. It then gave a sort of error noise, but the screen remained the same. Blue lowered the visor again and tapped her finger onto her lip. She had been caught off -guard upon hearing the error noise, and she jumped a little. That certainly wasn't a noise she'd heard before. Some of the graphs had gone away, leaving the insignia, the round grid, and a blank box to the bottom left.

"Don't worry about that. The Emerald's signature is now locked in. Unfortunately, it can only give you a vague direction of where she'll be, until you get close enough. You'll see some numbers on the grid to your right, along with different color signatures. I think you'll be able to take it from there. The visors normally have a limit of two or so miles, but I'm not sure if that will apply in a pocket dimension..."

He bit his lip for a moment.

"You'll need to know how to scan. If you think the Emerald has made a dash for it, or that you're not going in the right direction, you have to tell it to 'Rescan' or 'Scan'. Also, you'll need to confirm it's the same Emerald, just to be sure. There are a few I've harvested in there, though they _were_ corrupted... Just. Be on the safe side. In order to do that, you can think "Identify Target", or say it out loud, when you have her in your sights." Hematite stood a little straighter. "Blue, try to scan my gem right now, to see if you can do it."

–

"Alright!" she said, getting quiet. If she was going to be tracking down this Emerald, she'd need to do it as slyly as she could... so the less she had to speak, the better.

She thought for a moment, and it seemed at first, nothing was happening. Until...

 _Whiiiirr..._

Click!

A target appeared in the dead-center of her visor with a diamond insignia, locked onto the service gem. "Woaah..."

Suddenly, it looked as though text started appearing on the screen, and Blue took quick note of it.

–

Hematite stood straight, his expression unreadable.

In the bottom left corner, an outline of Hematite's gem appeared, along with a few lines of archaic gem speak and numbers. Seemed they were signature stats. To the lower-right were some statistics in far simpler language.

 _Formed: Yes_

 _Conscious: Yes_

 _Emotional State: Distress-Anxiety-Fear_

There were a few details about Hematite gems themselves in much smaller writing, but at the top-left...

Were some more worrying words, in dark-red letters.

 _Gem Located: Hematite_

 _Status: Gem Instability Detected_

 _Mission Objective: -_

–

Blue's smile faded silently, but she brushed off what she'd seen for now. She'd worry about that later...

"Right, I think I've got it now... Hang on." Blue turned, now facing Puff. "Er... Rescan?"

–

Hematite quietly turned his head to look at Puff. The Jasper pursed her lips, brows raising in surprise. She uncrossed her arms from in front of her gemstone and huffed her bangs away from her face awkwardly.

 _Whirrrr_

 _Click!_

 _Gem Found: Jasper_

 _Aliases: Puff, Fuzzball, Jaspuff_

 _Status: No gem faults detected_

 _Emotional State: Anxiety_

–

Blue smiled faintly, turning back to Hematite.

"Alright, I think I got it this time! Is there anything else I should know about these things, kid?" she asked, taking the visor off for a moment.

–

Hematite nodded.

"The signatures are based on movement. Like I said, if you think you're going in the wrong direction, rescan. It'll update the map. But it will take a moment to refresh, and you can't rescan immediately. Do _not_ overload it. Let it have time to cool down, about thirty seconds or so, or it could freeze up on you. It's happened to me. And _don't_ break it. I can't get you another one in there, if you do. You'd have to go to the library on the floating islands to get another one. They're stored in a glass cabinet near the entrance. And once you do find the Emerald, you must return to the inside of the tower, in a prison cell. All of them are currently open. I won't be able to detect you guys or let you back out otherwise."

The service gem suddenly paused and crossed his arms, looking away for a moment.

"... And be careful in there. I don't... _think_ anything can hurt you, but just... be on the safe side. There's some unique stuff about Hematite pocket dimensions that nobody's studied up on yet, and... mine's a bit unpredictable."

–

Blue gave Hematite a curt nod, taking the visor off and storing it within her own gem. She rolled her shoulders and took a solid stance.

"Right. You ready, Puff?" Blue asked, a fierce look on her face. _This was it. It was now or never. No turning back now... Was this risk really worth it?_ _A Diamond putting their life on the line for the sake of a service gem?_ Blue turned to Hema with a resolved frown, her eyes glittering with determination. _To her... yes. It was._

–

The service gem took a step back. He seemed to be mentally preparing himself. _Blue was putting her life at risk for him. She was willing to sacrifice everything to try and save him._ Even when there was still a nagging doubt in his mind that he wasn't innocent... But they had to try, right?

Puff looked at Blue, and after a moment, she gave her a determined, albeit nervous, nod.

… _If I don't come back... take care of yourself, Rubes._ She closed her eyes. _I love you._

"Ready." The Jasper sighed with a frown and focused. Her gemstone started to glow brightly.

–

Blue folded her arms behind her back, closing her eyes. Her gemstone, too, began to glow. Before she did anything, however, she opened one of her eyes slightly, peering at the service gem before her.

"Oh, one more thing before I go, kid... Whatever happens... If we don't make it back in time, if something happens to us, if something happens to you... If you don't let us back out..." Her gemstone glowed even brighter now, and she closed her eye again. She smiled widely. "I'm still glad to have met you at all." Not a moment later, Blue's form enveloped itself with light and vanished, leaving a vulnerable, square-cut Diamond on the floor.

–

Jasper's form soon followed, leaving behind a small, almost cubic gemstone on the ground. Hematite stared at the two crystalline pieces on the ground before leaning down, ever-so-gently scooping them up in his hands.

"... Good luck."

 _Vwip, vwip!_

A bubble in each hand, Hematite brought the two gems close to his neck. His gemstone started to glow, and Puff's bubble shrank down before transferring to his pocket dimension. Hema stared down at the vulnerable Diamond floating above his palms, his breath catching in his throat. Blue's gem floated defenselessly in the silvery-pink bubble, glittering faintly in the low light. Quietly, Hema swallowed, bringing the gem up to his neck like he had the first one. The bubble shrank down and vanished in a flash.

Hematite covered his gem lightly with his fingers, his wide eyes staring straight ahead. He went silent, and the prison hall around him fell deathly quiet.

–

–

 **Cold.**

 _Vwip, vwip!_

Blue and Puff's bubbles appeared in two separate, but adjacent, cubbies in the wall of the tower, about halfway up the lower section of the structure. The fronts of them had the same glass panes as all the others. However, after a long minute of nothing, the glass panes flickered away in a show of sparkles, and the bubbles slowly drifted out. They lowered to the floor. Thunder rolled overhead, making the tower tremble.

 _Plip!_

–

With a blinding light, Blue's gem started to glow and lift from the ground slowly, a humanoid form silhouetted in white soon coming into shape. After a few very brief seconds, her form came into view and flashed brightly. Landing on the ground with a soft thump, Blue blinked, moving her hands around as she looked down at herself.

"Woah... It..." She looked up at the tower she had found herself in. "It worked!... We're ... We're in! I think?"

–

Puff's form had soon followed, and she took shape just in time to hear Blue's question. Touching down on the ground, she looked up and around the tower. She felt a shiver go up her spine.

At the open top of the spire, the Jasper could see dark, rolling storm clouds. Lightning flickered between them, flashing bright, harsh light into the tower every once in a while. The air felt cold, dense, and charged with electricity.

"I think so, but. It didn't look quite like this when I was here. At the very least, it was sunny before." She frowned, scratching her cheek. Well, it had been sunny for a little while. Strangely enough, Puff did remember the weather changing after a while. "But, yeah. This is the tower." Stepping forward, she peered over the side of the ornate spiral staircase. "I'm pretty sure Rubes and I were stuck down here. I haven't been to the top part..." She looked around at the rows and rows of empty and occupied cubbies, and unoccupied prison cells.

–

Blue frowned, looking up to the sky. It was incredibly hectic up there...she wondered what the rest of this place was like.

"So, you've been in here, but never outside? Do you have any ideas of how to get out of this tower? Maybe there's a door..." she muttered quickly, starting up the staircase a few steps at a time. She, too, caught herself peering into the cubbies. Were all of these trapped here? Were they waiting for judgment? Or maybe White made him hold onto these. She didn't dwell on her curiosity for too long; They had a job to do, and time was of the essence.

–

Puff looked around and followed after Blue. The two of them passed by cubby after cubby, the screens in front of them dim, but still readable

A Peridot, a couple Amethysts, a cracked Aquamarine, a Jade, a Ruby. With a grimace, Puff paused and stared at a cubby that Blue was about to pass by.

Inside was a pale-yellow gem, shattered into three large shards, which were contained in a silvery-pink bubble. The date read about twelve years ago. Puff narrowed her eyes. In fact, if she remembered correctly, this gem was marked as shattered the day before Hema came and got her and Rubes out of the Pink District.

"Tch..."

She shook her head and tried to ignore it, continuing up the steps. She didn't want to see Hema's handiwork. Not right now.

–

The Diamond had one focus in mind; getting outside of this tower. It seemed to go on for ages, and she wondered for a moment if there were even an end to it. Eventually, they'd wandered high enough to enter a second floor. At the very least, it was much more well-lit than the floor beneath them.

"How're you holding up, Puff?" Blue whispered, not taking her eyes off the stairs.

–

Puff looked around quietly.

"Fine, but. Something's off about this place. It was a lot warmer last time too. This just doesn't feel right." Her eyes suddenly rested on something, and her brows raised. "Blue, over there!" Not waiting for a response, the Jasper rushed over to a row of cubbies toward the bottom of the second staircase that lead up to the top of the tower.

There was a single cubby with a shattered glass pane in front of it.

–

Blue's eyes widened, quickly following after the Jasper. After a few seconds, she knelt down to look inside the cubby.

"Woah.. .what happened here?" She blinked. What on Homeworld could have done this? Then it hit her. Gasping quietly, Blue bounced back up, standing straight. She tossed her arms up in the air excitedly. "PUFF! Do you think this is the Emerald's cubby?! The one that got loose?!" she asked, a fire blazing in her eyes.

–

"Well, I mean, it's gotta be, right? All of these have bubbled gems, none of the others have shattered screens like this!" She picked up a piece of the glass, turning it over to observe it. "..." The glass seemed to have been broken in an... Odd fashion. Instead of the pieces being messily shattered into large chunks, there was a hole punched out in the middle of the glass. A spider-web like cracking pattern seemed to have weakened the glass until it had shattered into a spray of tiny, cubic pieces.

 _She'd seen this before._

"... Yes, I _definitely_ think the Emerald was in here."

–

Blue nodded, looking back up.

"Then...he wasn't lying..." Blue felt the faintest trace of tears sting at her eyes, but it was so subtle that they quickly dissipated. Shaking her head, Blue nearly cheered. Grinning ear-to-ear, she grabbed the Jasper by the hand and started to run again. "Come on Puff! We've gotta save Hematite!" she called out, elated.

 _If this evidence proved true... If this was what she'd hoped... then it wasn't all for naught._

–

Puff let out a sharp yelp as she was dragged along, but she quickly matched Blue's footsteps. She seemed a bit distracted, but she tried to push it aside with a frown.

 _It's not her, don't get your hopes up. It's just another Emerald._

The two gems soon found the door leading out of the tower at the end of a long, cold hallway. As soon as they stepped out, they were met with a rather worrying sight.

Wind was howling, buffeting the grass fields that spread out around the huge spire. It was dark gray in color, and patches of it seemed to be far taller than others, here and there. Dark storm clouds rolled overhead, lightning crackling between them at an alarming rate. Thunder shook the ground every once in a while, the sound far too loud for comfort. The tower seemed to be on a hilltop amidst rolling plains of grass. The hills were surrounded on all sides by sheer cliffsides, but from where Puff and Blue stood, it was easy to see what laid beyond the cliffs.

Far in the distance, a cluster of floating islands were just barely visible against the dark sky. Some of the smaller islands leading up to the largest one looked as though they were slightly crumbled, though they were still floating. Closer than the islands was a huge line of trees of varying sizes and species. They stretched as far as the eye could see. But to the west, past the line of trees... were the three Diamond Districts. The Yellow and White Districts seemed unnaturally huge, towering thousands and thousands of feet in the air, above anything else on the horizon. Lightning crashed around the buildings, occasionally striking them.

Puff frowned nervously and looked around.

"... This is _awful_."

–

Blue threw her arm behind her head. Admittedly, she was pretty unnerved by the sight of things... But she had to deal with it. Placing her hand to her gemstone, she brought out the hunting visor that Hematite had handed her before. Staring at its lens carefully, she shot Puff a glance.

"Stars, this place is a mess..." Turning to look at the districts in the distance, her curiosity was piqued. Eyeing the huge buildings, she quirked a brow. _Huh, why are those there?_ But, instead of dwelling on it, she placed the visor over her face, eyes narrowing. "Heeeeeey, how come Sparky's district's bigger than mine? Hmph." She chuckled, starting off in no direction in particular.

–

Puff shot Blue a rather puzzled look, as if wondering how she could be so casual about their situation, but she brushed it off and sighed, following after her.

"How big _is_ this place? My pocket dimension certainly doesn't feel this... vast."

–

Blue adjusted the visor a little bit, making sure it was comfortable on her face. With a wide grin, she kept walking forward, starting through the vast expanse of gray grass.

"Your pocket dimension is what you make it out to be! Sure, they've got their basics, but they're all unique to each gem. For all we know, this place could be as big as Homeworld!"she cackled. Her usually bright and cheery tone was failing on her in her attempt to mask her rising anxiety, but hey. It was the best she could do right now.

"Hmmm... Activate." she whispered quickly. The visor flicked on, emitting a soft light. Blue's smile widened. Yes, it worked in here... at least, so far. "Scan."

–

Whirrrrr

Chirp!

 _CCKK_

For a moment, the visor glitched out, the radar going fuzzy. However, it quickly dissipated, and a set of numbers appeared next to the round grid. A wash of gray color had taken over the entire radar. According to the numbers beside the small HUD, the signal belonged to Hematite himself. His signature was very nearly washing everything out.

But faintly, ever so faintly, there was a dim, green-blue hue toward the top of the radar, in the direction of the districts.

–

Blue was confused for a second; the massive wave of gray seemed rather unnatural. But perhaps it was to be expected, given where they were. _Was it normal?_ She couldn't really tell. Her eyes narrowed, fixated on the only other color on the map. _That must be them._

"Alright, I think I've got something," Blue said quietly, rushing forward. "Come on, let's get going!"

–

"Lead the way, Blue!" Nodding, Puff followed after her, as quick as she could.

If she had something, Hema was telling the truth, right?

 _Everything pointed to that, at least..._

 _She just hoped they'd get out of here in time._

–

–

The signal lead the two gems up and out of the grassy fields, to the top of the cliff sides. They soon were rushing through to the line of trees that created a huge wall along the horizon. Puff had never seen so many different kinds of plants in one place.

"What even are some of these?" She asked curiously as she briskly walked alongside Blue. They had to slow down; the trees were giving off some interference, making the signal a little harder to track.

–

The Diamond grimaced, scanning the horizon of plant life before them.

"Looks like it's an assortment of trees from not only Homeworld, but maybe a buncha other planets he's visited before...Not a hundred percent sure, though." Tapping her finger on the lens of her visor, she frowned. That didn't work. Looks like she was going to have to just keep going with this. She hoped it wasn't breaking or anything.

"Rescan."

–

 _Whirrr_

The radar updated. The signals that were all mingled together in a hodgepodge of various colors suddenly sharpened, narrowing down to more condensed splashes of color. The Emerald's signal was visible again. But it looked like it'd moved. Instead of leading between the White District and the floating islands in the distance, the signal seemed to be headed directly for the Yellow District.

Emerald was on the move.

–

Blue pointed towards the direction that they needed to go in.

"Well, good news is that I've got a read on where this possible Emerald might be!" she said, turning to walk in said direction. "Bad news is, they're moving, and they're moving towards the Yellow District." She paused, making sure the Jasper was following. "If she makes it in any of those, things could get interesting," she stated, brows raising slightly.

–

Puff's brows raised, and she blinked in confusion, making sure to keep up with her superior.

"What do you mean, _interesting_?"

–

–

The signal moved again. At the top of a small rise, a copse of trees surrounded the two gems. A _tiny_ copse of trees. Not knowing that Blue's visor was changing again, Puff finally stopped and kneeled down, poking at one of the miniature trees.

"Huh. I didn't know they grew that small." _I wonder if Sphalerite would like these._ She looked up at Blue. "How's the scan going?"

 _ **Whirrrr**_

 _Click!_

This time, the Emerald signal appeared in the heart of the Yellow District, which lay not too far in the distance. A crash of thunder shook the ground, startling Puff to her feet.

–

Blue sneered, stifling a small groan.

"Weeeell... I got some bad news, Puff. You up for runnin' around in this pocket dimension Yellow District?" she asked, frowning. _Stars, of all places, why did she have to be there?_

–

"... Well I guess that depends." The Jasper chuckled nervously and walked up beside Blue, crossing her arms. "There isn't a pocket dimension Yellow Diamond running around in here, is there?"

–

Blue didn't respond. Actually, that made her a little nervous. There wasn't... _was there?_ Starting off towards the District, she looked up to the harsh, stormy sky and wondered how this place could sustain such violent weather. At least in her pocket dimension, the skies were almost always clear.

–

"... Blue. B-Blue that WASN'T AN ANSWER." Puff nervously followed after the Diamond, looking around as they made their way down the hill toward the massive district block.

Soon enough, the two found their way to the outside of the city. It was odd, really. The district seemed to starkly end at a clean-cut line with the trees that surrounded it. The entire block appeared to be just that, a _block_. Instead of the massive, outstretching city back in the real world, this was more-or-less a cookie-cut section of the Yellow District. Puff wondered if the others looked like this.

However, despite resembling the Yellow District, there was something very, very _off_ about it. The buildings and everything else were absolutely _massive_ , towering at least a few thousand feet high, for the tallest of the towers. Lightning struck the tops of the towering structures, coursing electricity down through them once in a while.

On top of all that... an overwhelming _feeling_ was coming off of the city in waves, like a terribly oppressive aura. It was hard to tell what it was from here, but it didn't feel positive.

The Jasper stood at the edge of the district, not having stepped past the border yet.

"... That doesn't look safe."

–

Looking far up to the towers, Blue felt her jaw hang ajar. What on Homeworld?...What was up with this place?... Stepping forward, she shrugged and beckoned the Jasper to follow her again.

"Is any of this safe, really? Let's go."

Taking a few more steps within the city, Blue could definitely feel the odd air that filled this place. Something was chilling to her... Something felt _wrong_. Finally, she stopped, looking around to see if she recognized any part of the city in which she was standing in.

 _Rescan._

–

"Mmn. There better at least be a cool version of my apartment in here." Puff grumbled to herself, trying to ignore her rising anxiety. The moment she stepped into the city, however, she _couldn't_ ignore it. In fact, it got _worse_.

The further the two headed into the city, the more oppressive the aura became. It started to seep through to the two gem's cores. _Anxiety. Fear. Anger._

But underneath all that... there was a faint, _hollow_ feeling. It wasn't terribly overpowering, but it was there. Puff didn't like this. She didn't like feeling like this. Confused, she tried to brush the feeling off, but it kept crawling back, making her scratch her face in frustration.

 _Was this what Hema was going through right now?_

Blue's hunting visor gave a rather strained whirring sound before it clicked. The Emerald signature was still there... but so was something else.

A wash of golden-yellow color had taken over the radar, overlaying the previous gray wash.

–

There was a twinge of horror nipping at the nape of Blue's neck. Why was it suddenly yellow? Could this visor _really_ pick up gem signatures for a gem that wasn't present in the dimension? Unless... there was something more to it. Swallowing nervously, Blue kept her pinpointed location in mind. Her focus was the Emerald; she couldn't back out now. It was probably just the district itself, anyway.

"Keep your eyes peeled, Puff. We might be closing in soon."

"Right. Right..."

 **CRASH!**

A ripping clap of thunder echoed through the Yellow District, shaking everything around the two gems as they walked. They were getting closer to the center, to the Emerald signal. It seemed to be getting more potent.

–

Blue flinched at the massive lightning bolt, but kept her wits about her.

"Easy, just... follow me." She whispered. She was strong on the green gem's trail; wherever they were, they were close. Not incredibly close, but they were definitely nearby.

The air in the district seemed to get thicker with its already-overbearing aura. Blue was beginning to worry that the weather was going to start posing a problem. Just keep focus...

–

Puff was trying to keep her breathing under control. She didn't understand this; why did she feel so terrible?! Sure, she'd been nervous about this mission, but as soon as they entered this district, she felt ten times worse.

"Blue m-maybe we should get out of here."

Her face paled, and she quickly stepped closer, looking around. Her voice was hushed. "I feel like we're being watched."

–

Blue clenched her fists tightly and grabbed onto Puff's shoulder, stopping.

"Look, we've come too far to give up now. Wherever this Emerald is, they're in here. We need to keep going... You can do it. We can both do it." She said, grinning to the warrior. She, too, was masking quite a few strong feelings of dread. She couldn't place a finger on it, but Puff was right. There was something really off with this place. She hadn't expected anything in here to have any sort of physical effect on her. Oh well, it was like she had said. Pocket dimensions were what you made them, and White had mentioned some time ago that Hematites had an odd relation to their pocket dimensions. They more honestly represented the individual, to make them closer to their skills mentally.

And she, unfortunately, had a pretty good idea of why Yellow's district was this way.

–

Of course, Puff knew Blue was right, her senses told her to listen to her. But the overpowering sense of dread in her chest made it impossible to think clearly.

"Y-you're right, it's just-"

 **S L A M!**

Puff shrieked in surprise and jumped back from Blue, staring in horror behind her.

From between two buildings, a massive, pitch-black arm was extended, a clawed hand having slammed down behind Blue Diamond, mere feet away. Because of the angle, Puff couldn't see who the arm belonged to. But she didn't have time to figure it out.

As soon as Blue turned, the arm flickered and vanished, leaving a huge crack in the cement where it'd struck.

–

Blue gasped, stumbling forward a few feet and holding up her fists. Spinning around, she had no time to see what had happened, staring down at the massive fissure now slammed into the ground.

"WHAT ON HOMEWORLD WAS THAT?!" she shouted, taking a few abrupt steps back, nearly bumping into Puff. "Was that a lightning bolt or what?!"

–

Puff stumbled backwards, shaking her head.

"BLUE, that wasn't lightning, thaaat was a hand!" she shouted.

 **Y̪͚ ̷͙̭o̼͍̟ ̬͎̪̞͎̦ͅu̗̪̟̳͔͓̖ ̖r̀ ̰̘̞̜̳f̘ ̛̼͎͇̯̰ͅa̪̩̭̼̳ͅ ̛̱̲̘̻͉̼u̘̻͇͉̹͇͠ ̷l̺ ̶̠͚̹͈̩̼̼t͎̯̖͓͖ͅ**

–

Blue's eyes shot upwards, a massive crack of lightning splitting through the sky.

"W-what... Was that..." She stepped back again, the hair on the back of her neck standing on end. That voice sounded all too familiar

–

 _ **S L A M!**_

Puff shrieked again and ran forward as a massive black fist slammed down behind her. This time, she didn't stick around. The Jasper bolted down the street, heading in the direction Blue had been heading before. Blue's eyes went wide as saucers as she stared at the massive, dark fist.

 **Jus̱͎̕t͏̰͕̳̠̲̩ ̶̼̞͓͍a҉͔̝̲͎̣ͅc̺̝c͟e̻̘̥̙p̀ṭ̞̖͈ ̼̪̭͕͖̲̹w̦͚̦h̫͘a̳̥̱̮̥̣̖͝t̜̺͓'̩̰̩̭s̞̫̟̭̜̼ ̻̙̩̻̩͈c̝͕͚͈o̟̙̳̘m͇̕in͎̟̯̪g̥̰͡.̥̳**

"NNOOO WAY!" Blue shouted out, the world going cold around her. There was no way she'd missed **that** one. "WAIT FOR ME, HEY!" The Diamond bolted after the Jasper, hardly able to breathe as her breath caught in her throat. "HEMATITE, what is this?!" she called to nobody in particular.

–

"What the hell has hema been harvesting in here?!" she orange gem shouted back, her pace never slowing. "Blue! Where's the Emerald?!"

 **H**

One of the nearby buildings, just behind Blue and Puff, suddenly crumbled to the ground, shaking the district violently.

Blue flinched, picking up the pace.

"Shake a leg, Puff! It's time to get moving!" she yelled out.

 _RESCAN!_

–

Puff let out a rather unflattering squeal as she ran faster down the street, trying not to trip or stumble.

The screen fizzled for a moment, but then returned to normal. The Emerald was on the move again, heading for the Blue District.

Slow, thundering footsteps suddenly rumbled behind Puff and Blue.

 **I̛ ̴shouļd ̸h̨av͜e d͞o̕ne t̢h͞i̢s̢ y͝e͢a̛ŗs͠ a̵g̕o..̧.̕**

–

Blue kept up a speedy pace, breathing heavily.

"They're headed for the Blue District, this way!" she said, taking a sharp left turn. _Don't look back don't look back, don't-..._ As she ran, she slowly dared to gaze behind her, swallowing anxiously.

–

Thud. Thud. **Thud**.

Slowly, rhythmically, _ominously_ , a huge, stark-black figure was making her way down the street. The only thing visible on her was a pair of piercing, narrowed eyes, which were locked directly onto Blue's retreating form. Her fists were clenched at her sides, lightning striking them every few seconds.

–

"HOLY _STARS_ , SPARKY GOT BIG!" Blue cried out, horrified. _No way was she looking back again!_ She took a sharp turn again and ran as fast as her legs could take her. "OKAY THAT'S IT! WE'RE GETTING OUT OF HERE, NOW!" The Diamond grabbed onto the Jasper completely and hoisted her over her head. Lightning struck from above, illuminating their forms for a few milliseconds.

–

Puff glanced back at one point to see what was following them, and she wished she hadn't.

"RUN FASTER, BLUE."

–

After an agonizingly long chase, Blue caught sight of the entrance to the next district.

"There, quick!" she shouted, tossing the Jasper back up on her feet.

–

As soon as she was back on her own two legs, Puff scrambled toward the exit to the next district. She didn't stop until the Yellow District was far behind them, and she felt the terror starting to ebb.

She slowed to a halt and leaned over, breathing heavily.

"... There's not going to be another version of _you_ in here, is there?"

–

Blue stopped somewhere near the Jasper, sweat dripping from her brow.

"Stars, I hope not... Does this guy have big, freaky versions of all of us or somethin?" She thought out loud, standing up straight. Thankfully, they appeared to have given the nightmarish monstrosity the slip. "Okay... where are we now..." she huffed, taking a few forcibly calm steps forward.

 _Rescan._

–

The screen quietly whirred.

Slowly, the wash of yellow faded, and was replaced by a gentle wave of blue color. Emerald's signal was a little harder to see, but it was still heading in the same direction, now moving toward the White District.

The aura from the previous city block was starting to fade away... to be replaced with a new one.

Despite the still-stormy skies, and the howling winds, this district felt... calm.

There wasn't a strong aura coming from it, but it was enough to notice.

Puff looked around and arched her brows, letting out a soft exhale. This place looked like the block of city around Morganite's bar... As the fear from the terrifying chase ebbed, Puff felt something replace it.

She felt vaguely _hopeful_.

 _Right, they were still on track. They'd catch the Emerald... Terrifying Diamonds or no terrifying Diamonds, they'd get to the bottom of this._

 **–-**

 ** _Back in the Shard Morgue..._**

 **–-**

Hematite shifted in place, sitting quietly in the corner of his cell. He'd rested the bracer over his hands to make sure that if anyone glanced into the room, nothing would look suspicious. He just hoped everyone stayed away... At least until Blue and Puff came back. The guards didn't seem to be coming back any time soon, not after Blue's orders to stay out. He was left alone in the quiet.

But he'd started to wonder... Wonder who was going to come to shatter him...

Would it be a guard? Or... Were one of the other Diamonds going to finish the job.

The service gem's eyes widened slowly, and the hair on the back of his neck prickled at the thought. _What if they came before Blue and Puff returned...?_

 **–-**

 **...**

 **–-**

Blue started pacing quickly down the street, glancing over all the buildings. She couldn't help but smile, a warm feeling flooding her core.

"Heeey I know this place!" she said, stopping in front of one of the stores. She knew it likely didn't have much in it though, so she didn't stop for very long. The Diamond muttered something under her breath curiously, placing a hand to her chin. "Man, that Emerald sure is fast..." She frowned. "I don't wanna know what will happen if we get to the White District... come on, Puff. There's no time to lose." And the Diamond was off again.

–

–

Unfortunately, they were going to find out. Emerald was far too fast, and was quickly cutting through the White District before they even reached it. Puff looked up nervously at the far bigger buildings. She stopped at the threshold.

"Blue. Wait."

–

Blue stopped, running her fingers through her hair frustratedly.

"Ergh... Yeah, what is it, Puff?" The Diamond asked, looking up at the immense buildings of the White District.

–

"... Maybe we should go around. What if there's something... some _one_ in there."

Puff's arms were tightly crossed. She stared up at the district. "Those buildings are even bigger than the Yellow District... And I don't know about you, but I'm not too keen on seeing what's in there."

–

Blue frowned, adjusting the hunting visor just slightly. She went silent.

"..."

 _Rescan._

 _Whirrrr_

A wash of white bled into the radar, just beyond where Puff and Blue stood. The grid was split half-and-half with blue and white hues. But there, toward the center of the next district, was Emerald's signal. And it wasn't moving.

–

Blue groaned loudly in exasperation and started walking towards the White District.

"Oooof cooooourse, you little..." She grumbled crossly. Motioning her hand to follow, Blue kept her eyes peeled. "Unfortunately, we have to go..."

–

Puff hesitantly followed after Blue Diamond, rapidly drumming her fingers on her upper arm.

However, she stopped about ten paces into the White District.

 _Cold._

The stale scent of tea hung in the air, making it thick and hard to breathe. Slowly, as the two continued... their field of vision grew smaller and smaller. It seemed as though a foggy blackness was closing in on them, until it stopped, restricting their vision to about twenty feet in front of them.

Everything else was black.

–

Blue stopped dead in her tracks, frozen. This is worse than the Yellow District! Trembling, Blue raised her hand up and ran her fingers through her hair again. _Rescan._

Something nagged at the back of her mind. She understood why Yellow's district could have been in such a horrific state, but White's? She'd always thought that Hematite never got into any arguments with White. Frowning, she backed up close to the Jasper.

–

Puff was frozen in her tracks as well. After a long moment, she managed to back up close to Blue.

 **Whirrrr**

The Emerald's signal was suddenly gone, completely washed out by the now-overpowering white wave of color.

"... Blue, anything?"

–

Blue's eyes widened again, her heart sinking.

"No..." she whispered, stepping boldly forward. "NO, give me SOMETHING! ARRrgh!" She called out in frustration, barreling towards the darkness.

–

"B-BLUE! WAIT DON'T LEAVE ME HERE-" Puff called out, chasing after the Diamond. The two of them rushed toward the center of the district, heading where Emerald's signal had been before.

The darkness was getting closer.

Suddenly, a soft, menacing voice cut through the darkness.

 **A͍̤f͎̦̺ͅt̮̙̤̼̖e͉r ̢͙a̡ḻ̠͈̟̘̣͡ͅl̯͚̖͎ ̬Í ̸̗d͇̬̦̭̠̕ͅi̶͔̙̤̫̬͕d̳̺̼͓̜͘ͅ ̸̬̟͙̥̜̭f̻͍̟̤̼̗̞̀o̜͍̩r̰̱͝ ͕̺̫y̖̤̹̬̭͓̺o̪̻͔̳̙͖̲u**

Puff stopped dead in her tracks, looking around.

–

Blue cringed, but forced herself to keep going.

"Argh, not this again!" Though this time, the voice was different. But she could still recognize it. She came to a halt as well, breathing in quickly. "Okaaay, Sparky is one thing..." She stopped, glancing around nervously.

 _But White is another..._

–

From behind Blue, Puff let out a sharp, horrified gasp. She backed into the Diamond, quickly righting herself.

"B-B. Blue."

–

Blue stopped, narrowing her eyes. She didn't even bother looking behind her. It was getting too quiet, and the darkness was creeping in fast. _What was going on here?_

"... I think we need to go."

Grabbing onto the Jasper's arm, Blue frowned, the sinking feeling in her gut getting worse.

She bolted.

–

 _THWICK!_

Directly in front of Blue, now buried halfway into the marble floor, was the blade of a _massive_ polearm. The two gems' forms reflected faintly off of the metallic tip. And slowly, far, far above the two, a pair of piercing, monochromatic eyes opened, staring down at them with absolute fury.

–

Blue felt herself seize up for a moment, staring right into the polearm. She let out a soft whimper, her grip on the Jasper's arm becoming tighter. The Diamond dared to look up.

She immediately regretted it.

"Puff... it's... absolutely...Time to go _NOW_!" She yanked the Jasper to the side and ran swiftly into the darkness.

 _Light! Give me a light or something!_ _Rescan_! She knew this visor could give off a bright light, so why didn't it seem to be helping her see?! Panicked, she dared not stop. Honestly, she'd have rather taken her chances with Yellow!

–

For a long moment, it seemed as though the monstrous figure wasn't in pursuit.

Puff stumbled behind Blue, whimpering quietly as she kept her eyes on the 'sky', looking for any sign that they were being followed. It was dark, sure, but as long as she didn't see anything-

 _THWICK_

 _THWICKTHWICKTHWICK_

Suddenly, a barrage of polearms shot down from the dark, burying into the ground and creating a circle around the two tiny gems. But one last weapon hovered, glinting in the darkness. Slowly, the piercing white eyes opened again, looking down upon the trapped Diamond and Jasper.

Bỳ͈̼̗̗̰ ͔ț͉̫͍͔͝h̷̙̺e̫̩͔̞ ̥͈̟͍̮̙͉o̻͟r͖̩̞̰d̩͈͉̠̹̙͞e̬͡r̹̰ ̹o̯̗͓͖͡f̘̭͎̰̳ ͍̣̀ţh̶e̜̼ ̥̹͕̜̺D͔͍͘ị̱̹̦a͝ͅm͉o̝̠n̤̱͚̦͝d̖̮͇͔̹̣ ̠̺̹͜A̲͇u͔̫̯̲̬̺t̼͠h͔̥̙͚̦o̜̠͔̬̭͢r̩̲͚i͜t̸̖y͉͓̣̮̩̞ͅ

The polearm stopped waving around, and aimed directly down at the two, the massive pair of eyes staring right through them.

–

Blue froze, unable to look away from the dreadfully-familiar eyes. No... No, they couldn't have come this far for nothing! Without thinking, Blue grabbed onto the Jasper again and backed up slowly. _This was it. They failed._

"W-White..."

–

The polearm lifted slightly, reeling back.

Eyes widening in rage, the massive form suddenly sneered, stark-white teeth standing out against the blackness surrounding them.

 **Y̠o̻̼͙̬̥u̜͎̠͚̺͈͚ ̜̖a̞̠̖̱r̛̺̖̳͓͉͍ͅḛ̘͎̙͓̕ ͕̤͎̼ͅṇ̠͉̹̹o͍̹̩̦̳ͅ ̮̼͞l̹͇͡o̖̬̤̣̖̲̹͞n̛͎g̸̝͈e͖̮̪̺̱̘r̤͙̬̱̀ ̯̺̟͜my̘̞͖ ͉̖H̳̭͙͡em̀ḁ̥t̢͖̬̬i̳͍̫̰̥͙t͈̬̰̠̻̝̰͢e͈̹.̪̣̥͖͎̝̫**

 _SHOVE!_

 **K!**

Puff, in a blind panic, had pushed Blue aside, out of the way of the polearm. But _she'd_ stayed directly in its path.

–

Before she could even comprehend what happened, Blue was on the ground. Scrambling to get her bearings, Blue coughed and quickly sat up, eyes shooting open in horror.

"OH NO- PUFF... JASPER! ARE YOU OKAY?!" she exclaimed, frantically turning around.

–

Standing in petrified horror, Puff stared ahead of her with wide eyes. She was shaking uncontrollably. Her eyes slowly drifted down, to the blade jammed into the marble floor.

The polearm's metallic blade was dug deep into the floor below the Jasper. At a slight angle, the weapon's tip had aimed straight for Puff's gem.

But she wasn't poofed.

She wasn't shattered.

She was completely intact.

In fact, she seemed to be phased straight through the massive blade. About three inches around her at any point, the weapon was glitching out, not even touching the orange gem. Almost like a hologram. Slowly, Puff dared to move.

 _I don't think anything can hurt you._

She backed up. The weapon's blade fizzled as she moved away, and the 'hole' that she'd just created in the weapon closed up. Without her standing in its way, it seemed completely solid.

Puff furrowed her brows and reached forward, trying to touch the metallic tip. Her hand phased right through it.

"... AAAAAUGH. AAUUGH MY STARS ARE YOU KIDDING ME."

Puff clutched at her gem with an exasperated, but relieved, groan falling to her knees. "HEMATITE, YOU COULDN'T HAVE BEEN A LITTLE CLEARER?"

–

Her breath caught in her throat, but after a moment, Blue breathed out a massive sigh of relief.

"Oh thank stars you're okay..." She stood up quickly, taking a step towards the Jasper. Go figure, White wasn't actually here so... "We... should get out of here...I don't wanna take any more chances with this..." she muttered.

 _Rescan..._

–

 _ **Whirrrr**_

The screen refreshed.

It was faint, but the Emerald's signal was heading away from the White District.

Puff was still reeling.

"ARE YOU TELLING ME THAT GIANT YELLOW DIAMOND WAS HARMLESS TOO, DAMN IT." She finally scrambled to her feet and glared at the circle of polearms. "Yeah, me neither, come on!" The Jasper rushed out from the intangible circle of weapons and turned as she ran. "Which way, Blue?"

–

Blue nodded and pointed to the left.

"Come on, this way!" she said, picking up her pace. This Emerald was proving to be very elusive and problematic... _Were they even going to catch up to this thing?!_ She felt her frustrations starting to rise. Brows twitching, she kept her focus on the map on the inside of the hunting visor.

 **–-**

 **...**

 **–-**

tap.

tap.

Tap.

TAP.

 _TAP._

Multiple sets of footsteps filled the silent, cold air of the Death Row hall. Someone was headed towards Hematite, and whoever they were... they weren't alone.

–

Hematite's brows shot up, and he looked out of his cell, toward the end of the large, empty hall.

 _No..._

 _No, we need more time-_

 _NO!_

–

The voice that carried through the hall was close, and monotonous.

Professional... and dangerous.

"It's time."

"Yes ma'am, Yellow Diamond, right this way..."

–

Hematite felt his body run cold.

It was Yellow.

His breathing picked up. _No, no no no Puff and Blue weren't back!_

He checked the tower.

Nothing.

 _Guys, where are you?!_

 **–-**

 **…**

Soon enough, the two escaped the White District. Puff slowed her running and looked around. It seemed this was the end of the city blocks, so where... Looking up and around, she quickly caught sight of the floating islands hovering not too far in the distance. There seemed to be some sort of structure at the top of the largest island, and-

 _Wait._

 _Wait a second._

Puff suddenly stopped and gasped. She'd spotted a flicker of movement on one of the islands leading up to the structure.

"BLUE!"

She whipped her arm up, pointing directly at the faintest glint atop one of the islands. It was moving fast, and moving up.

–

Blue's attention shot towards where the Jasper had pointed, and she was quick to act.

 _Rescan._

"Come on, come on... We gotta hurry!" Blue shouted, a determined edge to her voice. Wasting no time, she started to hop up onto some of the smaller floating rocks that drifted above the surface. Then to another, then another. Like a floating staircase almost, the smaller platform-like islands hovered higher and higher, acting as a path to the primary island.

–

The tiny figure was moving fast.

But not fast enough to avoid the radar.

The moment Blue had visual on the gem, even the slightest bit, it clicked and locked on, the insignia on the inside screen narrowing slightly.

It was tracking Emerald's every move, even from a distance.

Puff followed behind, slightly slower. She jumped and clambered her way up the rocks, occasionally protesting for Blue to slow down. But, with how far ahead Blue was, Puff was pretty sure she hadn't heard her.

Swiftly, the tiny, green gem leapt up the last rock, running toward the facility on the island. She was out of sight before Blue reached the top.

–

Grunting and cursing under her breath, Blue was actually picking up speed. Her increasing frustration was adding to her agility. Eyes darting back and forth, she kept a steady eye on the Emerald's small target. Within a few minutes, she'd reached the top, quickly righting herself. She would have looked back to check on Puff, but she was hell-bent on finding the fleeing Emerald.

–

Puff was about six or so islands away from where Blue stood, and she grunted with effort as she climbed up the next one. She looked up. Blue was already gone.

"W-wait, aagh, Blue!"

Lightning flickered across the sky, briefly illuminating a tall, ornate building that laid in the center of the island.

The door was _just_ swinging shut.

–

As Blue barreled her way into the building, she huffed quietly and stopped.

 _Rescan._

The room was filled to the brim with bookshelves covered in both books and diamond pads of all shapes and sizes. The shelves were so vast in fact that they themselves made up the walls of the gigantic room. Blue went silent, narrowing her eyes. She was close.

–

 **Rumble**

The large room had a single, massive main shelf that nearly reached the high ceiling. It was absolutely _covered_ in diamond pads, screens, books, and assorted souvenirs from Hematite's missions. In front of the shelf was a large, circular floor. The walls around the floor were also high shelves, but they tapered back down behind the main shelf, leading to two staircases that seemed to go down into the library. In the middle of the circular floor was a large, glass case. It contained what appeared to be multiple hunting visors, eyepieces, and in the center, Hematite's archival power source. The walls and floor were a warmly-colored stone, though everything currently felt cold to the touch.

The insignia on Blue's screen flickered around, looking for the Emerald's form, but it could find nothing. Still glowing brightly, however, was her signature. She was definitely in here somewhere.

 _Rescan_

The radar updated. Emerald seemed to be directly _below_ Blue now, despite there being nothing but floor there.

She'd gone to the lower levels.

–

Blue frowned, taking a few quiet steps into the room. Looking around the shelves, she wondered how many of these were real- and if they were, where did he even get this many? It seemed endless. But she had no time to admire the room. Biting the inside of her lip, she started to look around for any entranceway to the lower floor. Walking behind the main shelf, Blue was surprised to find two huge staircases leading down into the library. She furrowed her brows, setting her jaw. It was time to be silent... It was time to be quick... It was time to be efficient.

 **–-**

 **...**

 **–-**

Tap. tap...tap.

Standing in front of the doorway, there stood Yellow Diamond and two massive, armored guards with weapons drawn. The Diamond took a deep, quiet breath and stared into the cell, expressionless.

–

Hematite stared up at the Diamond, his eyes wide as saucers. He certainly didn't look like he had for the past week. He looked alert, conscious, and thoughtful.

The bracers were still 'cuffed' over his hands to make it look like his restraints were intact. He scooted further back into the corner, a soft whimper escaping him.

 _He felt the claws hovering._

–

Yellow punched in a code, entering the room quietly with both of the guards standing at the door. The holo-screen soon buzzed back up, trapping all four of them in the room.

Yellow's entire form looked as though she were cast in shadow from the poorly-lit hall. _Her eyes, however, almost seemed to glow._

–

Hematite felt his last nightmare crawling up in the back of his mind.

The world around him went dark. All he could see was Yellow and her two guards. He suddenly felt like he was being squeezed in a massive, powerful fist. The service gem's voice failed him, and his breath caught in his throat.

 _ **You can't hide from your fate.**_

 _ **You can't outrun it.**_

 _Blue, where_ _ **are**_ _you?!_

–

Yellow Diamond placed her palm to her gem and summoned her sword. A tantalizingly-bright light lit up her face from below for a moment. She clicked the sword's blade to the ground, eyeing the puny service gem.

"Hematite... It's dawn. You know what this means, I presume. White couldn't be here, so she... sent me out to... take care of you," she said, her tone unreadable, but professional nonetheless. She took a single step forward, dragging the sword along the ground slowly. She stopped, brows raising ever so slightly. She looked as though she were about to say something else.

–

Hematite pulled his knees closer to his chest. He covered his gemstone with his 'cuffed' hands, staring up at Yellow in fear. He could tell she wasn't done... He stayed silent.

–

Yellow shrugged her shoulders, glancing off to the side. She seemed almost... pained? Sighing heavily, the Diamond shut her eyes. She furrowed her brows, frowning solemnly.

"I was so proud of you, Hematite... And now... look where you are."

–

Hematite felt his heart sink. Tears suddenly pricked at his eyes, making him blink rapidly to attempt to clear them.

"... Y-you." He swallowed heavily. "You were?"

–

Yellow looked back at him, nodding once.

"I had thought... you'd made such good progress. I thought that _**we**_ had made good progress. But..." She stopped, brows lowering once more. Her eye twitched, and she took another single step towards him. "I knew you had a thing against _me_ before, and sure... I deserved that. But _White_?... What did White ever do to you? What did she ever do to anger you so badly? What did _Blue_ do to you?..." she asked, pain and anger lacing her voice. It almost didn't sound like _her_.

–

Slowly, Hematite's shoulders drooped. He still kept the bracer in front of his gem.

He checked the tower again.

He needed to buy himself some time.

"They didn't do anything... _I_ didn't do anything... Yellow, you wouldn't be talking to me right now if you didn't have some doubt in your mind that I'm guilty..."

–

Yellow sneered, raising her sword up and pointing it towards him. She didn't advance, but she continued to speak.

"I speak when I want to speak, and say whatever I want to say... with or without motive. Don't you try and _tell me_ what reasons I have for talking to you. Once a traitor, always a traitor..." she growled. The guards tensed up, clutching their weapons a little tighter. But, it wasn't their job to step in.

–

The service gem tensed up, glancing at the two guards before his eyes rested on Yellow again.

"... Do you really think I'm a traitor, Yellow?"

–

Yellow said nothing, frozen in place. She looked cold. She looked unsympathetic.

"You have nothing to prove otherwise."

–

Hematite winced slightly.

 _I would if they'd show up!_

"... That's not what I asked. Do you truly believe I'm guilty? Do you really think that I cracked White? If there's even the smallest doubt in your mind... is that really justice?"

–

Yellow snarled, taking another few steps towards Hematite. She was practically upon him now, sword held up dangerously close to him. It hovered just above his bracer.

"Justice is law. Justice is order. Justice is what is right. Justice is not formed by a singular opinion... I don't expect a traitor like you to understand that." She narrowed her eyes, hissing spitefully.

–

Hematite winced and flinched back, holding his bracer closer, directly covering his gem.

 _Alright. Time's up._

 _Talking to her isn't working._

"W-wait!"

–

Yellow narrowed her eyes again, lips curled into a snarl.

"You're delaying the inevitable, this is pointless..."

–

Slowly, Hematite looked up. When he spoke, his words were slow, measured.

"Yellow Diamond. You can't. Shatter me." As he spoke, a strange look crept into his gaze. His eyes seemed to darken, a faint look of malice tingeing his expression.

–

Yellow's eyes widened furiously, and she slowly raised her sword under his chin.

"I'm afraid you don't have a say in that."

–

Hematite did his best not to shake. He looked at her sword, shifting his gaze slowly to hers without lifting his head.

"... Yes... I do." A dark look entered his eyes. He lifted his hands, his bracer falling away with a clang. He covered his gemstone, meeting Yellow Diamond's piercing golden gaze with a grim, threatening look of his own. When he spoke again, his words were cold and slow.

"I have Blue."

 **–-**

 **…**

 **–-**

The signal was close enough to directly track through the lower levels of the library. Without being commanded to rescan, the visor was keeping its radar updated. The lights in the building flickered now and then, the halls going dim every few moments.

Down in the lower levels of the library, the staircases lead to various 'halls' of books. The walls were made almost entirely out of tall bookshelves, and if you looked up, you could see staircases crisscrossing at different levels, little paths leading around the various sections of the archives. Blue was closing in. And within a few minutes, Emerald's signal stopped moving. Blue was in her general area, but the visor couldn't pick up any visual. It seemed as though the fleeing gem were standing right beside Blue Diamond, but she was nowhere to be seen.

–

Blue's head whipped around in every direction trying to find the Emerald. _What? This doesn't make sense..._ She took a few steps towards where the signal was coming from, but alas, she found nothing. She squinted, placing her hands on her hips.

"Hmmm..." she grumbled, looking back up to one of the tall bookcases. To be fair, this looked like an easy place to get lost in.

–

Silence.

The visor continued looking for movement, any sort of flicker of motion that it could lock onto, but there was nothing.

Until something moved silently behind Blue.

Puff scrambled down into the lower levels of the library, trying her best to locate Blue. Her anxiety was rising by the second. She'd gotten a look at the Emerald. It was faint, but she'd seen her. _And she didn't want to believe it._

Carefully, slowly, Emerald poked her head from behind a book that she'd hidden with. Her eyes were wide, focused, _terrified_. Now that she could see her up-close, there was no mistaking it. _That was Blue Diamond._ The stealthy gem put down her book silently, and stood up a little, her fists clenched.

Blue was distracted.

If she could just get a single, strong hit to her back... She'd be good. She didn't want to, but it was her only option.

The tiny, green gem took a single pace forward, about to leap off the shelf.

Stopping and looking around, Puff's anxiety spiked. She couldn't find them... _Come on come on_...

The Jasper blinked. The orange gem took a deep breath, cupped her hands to her mouth, and shouted with a booming voice down the hall, the sound echoing off of the shelves loudly.

"EMMAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

The Emerald faltered with a surprised cry at the incredibly-loud shout, and she stumbled clumsily off the shelf, landing with a soft 'thud' on the floor.

Sharply, she looked up at Blue and scrambled away, trying to make some distance.

–

Blue whipped around suddenly, teeth bared. _PUFF, NO_ \- But she stopped, gasping quietly as she spotted the small, green figure dashing away. Within a second, Blue charged after her, shoving herself around corners and keeping her eyes on the fleeing gem as best as she could. She certainly wasn't as limber or graceful as the other two Diamonds, but she was powerful, and could keep up speed. But just barely. She was also much bigger than the Emerald, and couldn't make sharp turns well.

The shout knocked a couple books loose of the shelves, and without warning, a few of them fell into Emerald's path, tripping her up just enough to slow her down... And let Blue catch up.

Skidding to a halt around the corner, Blue managed to spot the Emerald just in time.

"YOU! HEY! STOP!" she shouted, quickly advancing upon her. If she could just grab her, they'd be golden!

–

The Emerald couldn't get up in time. She stared back at the quickly-approaching Diamond and suddenly took a sharp, deep breath.

–

Blue's eyes widened, and she lurched forward. Instinctively, she held out her hands, and there was a small flash of blue.

VWIP!

–

The tiny green gem gasped in surprise, pawing at the bubble she found herself in.

"H-hey!"

The sound was practically silenced behind the blue casing. Emerald grimaced and summoned her weapon, a rather odd, rounded spike that covered the entirety of her hand, and reeled back to punch at her tiny prison.

–

Gasping quietly, Blue held up her other hand and waved frantically at the Emerald. Hoisting the bubble up with her other hand, she couldn't believe how small this Emerald was. Sure, most Emeralds were tiny, but this one just looked like a _runt_.

"No, wait!" she pleaded. With no time to think, she popped the bubble and grabbed the Emerald with one hand, pulling at her weapon with the other. She was small enough to wrap her entire hand around her midsection. Sweating bullets, she was careful not to squeeze too hard. Her mind raced. She couldn't afford to lose this gem. She couldn't afford to poof her, and she couldn't afford to hurt her, either, in case she retreated into her gem. She needed her conscious, and she needed her alive.

–

The tiny green gem squeaked in surprise and struggled as well as she could, though her strength was a fraction of Blue's. She barked something out in protest as the Diamond tried to tug her weapon away. Suddenly, the tiny gem yanked Blue's hand close to her body and CHOMPED down on her fingers with painfully-sharp teeth.

–

"YAAAGH! YOWCH, STOP THAT!" Blue tensed slightly, rapidly dropping the Emerald. Waving her hand in dismay, she mouthed something under her breath. "Shhhit... WAIT, we're not gonna hurt you!" She started to panic, desperately turning back to where she'd dropped them. _No! This was their only shot!_

–

Emerald wasn't listening. The moment her feet touched the ground, she bolted. But she didn't make it far.

"GYAH!" She suddenly found herself snatched up by Puff, who had just rounded the corner. Letting out a fierce cry of frustration, the tiny green gem took another deep breath.

"MPH-" Puff used one of her hands to cover the gem's mouth.

"EMMA! Emma... it's _me_." There were tears in the Jasper's eyes. The Emerald stopped struggling, her eyes going wide.

–

Blue stared in shock at the two, lifting her visor up for a moment.

"What the..." Quickly, she put the visor back on and took a deep breath. Now that Puff had captured her and rendered her screaming useless for the moment, she decided to take advantage of it. Just in case...

 _Scan._

 _Whirrrr_

 _Click!_

The visor started recording.

 _Gem Match Found: Emerald_

 _Status: No Gem Faults Detected_

 _Mission: Collect_

Puff held the Emerald carefully, slowly moving over to Blue.

"It's alright, Em, it's alright. We're not going to hurt you, we just need to talk." Slowly, she took her hand away from the Emerald's face. The tiny green gem panted shallowly, staring in horror at the visor Blue Diamond wore.

"Wh-what's going on, why are you after me?" Sweat began to form on her brow.

–

Blue slowly took the visor off, staring at the Emerald with desperation. She walked forward, placing the visor back into her gem. She hopefully wouldn't be needing that anymore.

"Listen, Emerald, we really need to talk to you...there isn't much time, but something bad has happened and you're the only gem that can set things right!" She stated, keeping a fair distance from them.

–

Emerald stared at Blue, her chest still rising and falling at a faster rate than it should. Her eyes darted around.

"What are you talking about."

Puff looked to Blue, willing her to continue. She didn't have anything to say; she didn't know the details of what was going on.

–

Blue bit her tongue for a second, running her hands nervously through her hair.

"Look I don't have much time to explain this, just... Hematite, the big guy that chased you some few weeks ago, you guys were in some caves, right?! I need to know- was he there with you the whole time?! Was White Diamond around you? What happened?!"

–

Emerald's body went cold. She slowly shook her head, horror flashing before her eyes.

"No, no, I can't tell you anything!" She started to struggle again. Puff grimaced and tried to keep her careful grip on the tiny green gem.

"Emma, please!"

"NO!"

–

Sweat dripping from her brow, Blue realized she had to fix this quick Emerald was starting to panic, and she could easily try and escape again. _Snap her out of it, make her talk, do something! This... this is our only chance!_

"WHITE WAS CRACKED, EMERALD!"

–

Emerald stopped dead in her struggles. Her mouth hung ajar, her eyes wide as saucers. She gripped tightly at the edge of Jasper's hand, her arms trembling.

"N-no. No... Wh-White... I-I knew she was with him but-!" She started to hyperventilate. "I-I! How! Th-that wasn't it, that wasn't supposed to happen! IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE HIM! AND THE REBELS! TOPAZ SAID-"

She froze up, her face going pale.

–

Blue flinched noticeably, her entire body tensing up. Slowly, her brows furrowed in shock.

"Wait... back up... What's this about Topaz, now? What was supposed to happen? What are you not telling us?!" she demanded, clenching her fists. Her whole body began to shake, and the world around her started to go _red_.

–

Emerald slowly looked at Blue. Her eyes were filled with raw, unbridled, haunted _terror_.

"... I can't." Her gem started to glow. And then her form began to glimmer as well.

Puff's eyes widened, and she looked rapidly between Blue and the gem in her hands.

 _What is she doing?!_

–

Gasping, Blue stepped forward, holding up her hands. _She's retreating into her gem. SHE'S RETREATING. INTO HER GEM._

"WAIT, NO WAIT! Please, don't leave! We need you! No one's gonna hurt you... ghhk... BY THE DIAMOND AUTHORITY, I SWEAR IT!" she shouted, digging her nails into her scalp.

–

Emerald's voice cracked as she shouted back at the Diamond, her form still alight.

"YOU CAN'T PROMISE THAT! SHE'LL KILL ME!" she cried out, voice laced with unbridled panic.

–

"NO SHE WON'T! I'll kill her myself before she gets to you! BESIDES, IF YOU DON'T LISTEN TO US AND CALM DOWN... NONE OF THAT WILL MATTER ANYWAY, CUZ WE'LL BE STUCK HERE FOREVER!" she screamed back at the gem, tears starting to flow from her eyes. She looked up as the lights in the strange, narrow passageway dimmed and flickered.

 _Time is up._

–

"…" Emerald slowly stopped glowing, her form returning to normal. "What are you talking about? … D. Do you swear to me that sh-... She won't. Shatter me."

Puff bit her lip, looking at Blue.

–

Blue stared with disbelief at the Emerald, slowly shuddering and lowering her hands over her cheeks. She took a deep breath.

"I swear it... I'm a Diamond, and you are a Blue Diamond gem. It's my job to ensure your safety, now isn't it?" She stood up straight, a shaky smile quickly appearing back on her face. She froze... Slowly, she started to chuckle, which erupted into a fit of laughter. Dropping to her knees, the Diamond broke out into tears, grinning ear-to-ear. Quietly, in her fit of emotion, she whispered something to herself.

"Oh my stars... He _is_ innocent."

Relief flooded over her, making her feel weak. Relief, and realization weighed down on her with one, clear thought.

 _Hematite had been telling the truth all along._

 **–-**

 **…**

 **–-**

Yellow's eyes widened slowly, a stab of horror and anxiety taking her breath away at Hematite's words.

 ** _CLANG!_**

Her sword dropped to the floor, and she took a solid step back. She looked absolutely _terrified_.

"Wh... What do you mean... You have Blue..."

The guards looked at each other quickly, shifting their weight to walk forward. Yellow shot out her arms without moving any other part of her, stopping the guards dead in their tracks. She didn't want them to touch him. She stared down at him with indescribable disgust and terror.

–

The service gem stared at her with wide eyes. This was _working_.

 _C'mon guys, hurry up!_

"I mean. Just that." His tongue felt dry. In an attempt to keep his voice even, he swallowed and covered his gemstone entirely with both hands. "You can't. Shatter me. I have Blue Diamond." He paused. "If you kill _me_ , you lose _her_."

–

Yellow's terrified expression quickly twisted into one of indignant rage and offense.

"HOW DARE you use such ridiculous claims to buy yourself more time!" she hissed hatefully. Clenching her fists, the Diamond took another step back, looking frantically between the guards. Hovering her palm over her gem, she summoned her communicator. "Y-Yellow Diamond reporting! Blue Diamond, do you copy?!"

...

...

 _No answer._

She froze, slowly looking up to the service gem.

 _No._ _ **How?!**_

Turning to one of the guards, she shoved them with her palm.

"GO! Go to the Blue Diamond tower and ... and see if she's there! Go _now_ , you idiot!" she growled. The guard scrambled back and left the room, leaving only Yellow, Hematite, and one other guard.

–

Unmoving, Hematite never took his eyes off of Yellow. There was a cold, serious look about him. One that he hoped wouldn't falter.

He had to keep her convinced that Blue was being held hostage. He had to buy them more time.

"…"

–

–

Pacing frantically, the Diamond was furiously grumbling words to herself for some time now. Every now and then, she'd turn to the guard and whisper something, glance angrily at Hematite, then stop.

 _BEEP! BEEP!_

Yellow flinched, picking up her communicator again.

"Yes? What did you find?" She asked quickly.

The voice on the other end sounded mildly nervous.

"N-Nothing, ma'am! Blue is nowhere to be seen! She's not in her room, and her Pearl says that the last she heard, she was headed to the Shard Morgue to take care of something!" they said.

Heart sinking, Yellow nodded with furious disdain.

"Alright... Come back as soon as you can, then," she said breathlessly, slowly staring at the floor in shock.

 _Stars, he really did have her! Had Blue come to take him out before she or White could?... Somehow, Hematite had escaped his bonds and..._ No, she couldn't think about it. It was too horrible.

Turning to the service gem, Yellow shook with rage and sorrow. Her face was twisted into a conflicted look of both fury and hesitation. She wanted so badly to shatter this gem. So badly to get this over and done with. And now, he was in control. And she _ **hated it.**_

"GIVE HER BACK... Please..." she growled harshly, slowly summoning another sword from her gem.

"Give. Her. _BACK."_

 **–-**

 **…**

 **–-**

Emerald stopped shaking for the most part, but she quickly frowned and looked around.

"Who's innocent, why-" Puff stepped over to Blue, gently placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Blue, we gotta get her out of here. We're running out of time."

–

Blue stood up again, taking a drawn-out breath in through her teeth.

"You're right... Look, Emerald, we'll explain on the way!" The Diamond said quickly, bolting for the door. Her emotions were out of control right now, and the longer they stayed in here, the more anxious she felt. Even if they did finally find what they were looking for.

"Let's get out of here!"

–

Puff rushed after Blue, holding Emerald carefully in her fist. The tiny green gem protested, and looked between the two gems rapidly. Then her gaze drifted to the library.

Suddenly, all of her confusion, all of her frustrations, all of her absolute bafflement came to a head, and she clutched her hair in her tiny hands.

"WHERE IS 'HERE'?!"

–

–

"And so that's why we're stuck in here! Well, I mean, we aren't stuck in here! We're leaving now, but...that's why we needed to find you! Do you understand, Emerald? We need you now more than ever! Look, I promise you won't be shattered for this. You won't be cracked, and you won't have to worry about Topaz. But I need you to tell me... What did Topaz _do_?..." Blue rambled, heading out towards the fields. It wasn't too long now- they had been running for a good thirty minutes or so, and found themselves just shy of the chasm that separated them from the main tower.

 _Just hang in there, Hematite! We're coming back!_

"I-I understand, but..." She shook her head, biting her nails anxiously. "... I-I. T-Topaz-" her breath ran out as she said the General's name. It seemed she physically couldn't bring herself to confess what she was hiding.

Puff finally looked at her. Blue had explained everything that she knew about the situation at hand. Hema returning with the cracked gem, finding a cure, being accused of treason, having no evidence to back up his innocence... And how, if Hema was telling the truth, there was still a mystery attempted-killer.

But there was no way... It couldn't have been Topaz.

Puff slid down the steep, rocky slope with Blue.

"Please, Emma. Hematite is one of our best friends, **please** tell us what you know."

There was so much more that Puff needed to ask the small gem about... but now wasn't the time.

She'd get answers about where Emerald had been all these years, later.

Emerald closed her mouth on her fingers, biting them nervously.

"... Th-there. Mmn. I-I owed Topaz my life. S-So I started working for her. I told her I'd do whatever to asked me to do, even though she kept assuring me I didn't owe her. I-I couldn't just not repay her... S-so one day she came to me and said if I really still wanted to pay her back, I had one job. She said that... That... The rebels on her planet were getting more rowdy. That they were getting more dangerous. That, and... And that there was a traitor was working for White Diamond. One that attacked Yellow." She started shaking uncontrollably. She swallowed.

"S-so she gave me orders that morning. I was to lead the Hematite into the caves... and not be caught by White Diamond. S-someone was supposed to split them apart, but they naturally separated... the plan was going well. There... Th-there was a fusion that was supposed to take the harvester out, I think. B-but they never... came..." She bit down on her knuckles, her free hand clutching at her bangs. She looked horrified. "Wh-White wasn't supposed to be hurt. It was supposed to be him... Wh-why did she get attacked..."

 **–-**

 **…**

 **–-**

The service gem furrowed his brows at Yellow's demand to give back the Diamond. His eyes were filled with a steely determination, and his voice remained firm and heavy.

"... No."

–

"WHAT?!"

The Diamond furiously slashed her sword to the side, a look of horrific anger and fear plastered all over her face.

"What do you mean _NO?!_ THAT'S AN ORDER, HEMATITE! Do you have ANY idea what you're doing?!" She gripped her sword tightly, holding it unevenly in front of her.

–

Flinching ever-so-slightly, the service gem continued to glare up at his superior. He glanced at the sword, then slowly met her eyes once more. His expression remained dark. And then he narrowed his eyes.

"Yes. I do."

 **–-**

 **…**

 **–-**

All the while the group made their way down into the chasm. Blue felt sick to her stomach. Boiling with fury, she listened to and analyzed every word. Fury dug into her core like fiery needles with every detail she learned. The Diamond gnashed her teeth angrily; just the thought that Topaz was behind such a heinous act and had tricked them all was enough to infuriate her.

"But why would she do such a thing..." Blue whispered, staring off at the ground as she ran. Topaz had never made any trouble for them before... "Thank you Emerald; this information's gonna prove really valuable to us!" she called back.

 _That is, assuming we get out of this place in time..._

–

Puff looked up at the tower as they approached. She remembered Hema's instructions. The Jasper looked at Emerald.

"Alright, look. We're going back into the tower, and we're going to stand in one of the cells. We might possibly come out bubbled or retreated into our gems. There's no telling what will happen." Her face turned serious. "Em, please don't back down if that happens. We need you out there."

The Emerald started to tremble, but she frowned and nodded with nervous determination.

 _It's okay, you're okay, Blue promised you won't be hurt... You can do this..._

 _She won't get to you._

As the three neared the tower, the sky suddenly went black. No clouds, no lightning, nothing.

Puff's running faltered. Sweat started to form on her brow.

"What on Homeworld!? Oh, stars, Blue are we too late!?"

Just one more hill... they were so close!

–

Blue came crashing to a halt, staring up at the sky with dread. Eyes widening, she stared on in disheartened agony. But then she furrowed her brows, and continued to run.

"No, it can't be too late! We have to try! We have to keep going, come on!" She cried out fiercely. She started up the hill.

–

The three ran up the last hill, a mere fifty or so feet away from the tower door now.

 _Almost there!_

Puff felt a tiny, hopeful smile cross her face.

 _Come on, just a little further!_

 _ **Cold.**_

Though the temperature in the pocket dimension was already low, it suddenly seemed to _plummet_. The air the gems breathed in was now ice cold, and almost painful to take in. Emerald stopped breathing entirely.

"I-I know this... This happened before."

She looked around, eyes wide. _**Where is it?**_

Puff glanced at her as she and Blue approached the tower door. She turned her attention forward again, gritting her teeth.

"What do you-"

 **r**

The Jasper stopped dead in her tracks, a sharp yelp of terror escaping her. She blinked rapidly, staring in horror at the tower.

It was brief. It'd only been there for a split second. In fact, if you tried hard enough, you could pass it off as having blinked, and that nothing had been there.

 _But there_ _ **had**_ _been._

For only an instant, long, black, clawed hands had been clutched near the door of the tower, blocking it off from the approaching gems. They were massive. And though Puff had only seen it for an instant, she could have sworn that, in the upper corner of her vision... she'd seen the huge figure the hands belonged to, their huge arms wrapped around the tower as they crouched behind it.

But all she'd gotten a clear glimpse of was a bright-white diamond insignia... and a target.

If her eyes weren't fooling her... It'd looked like a monstrous version of Hematite had been blocking off the exit for a moment.

–

Blue took a shuddering breath, slowly looking over to the Jasper. She too had seen something, but she wasn't sure exactly what.

"What was that..." She whispered, walking up just in front of the warrior. "Alright, I've had it with this place...Hematite's niiiice and allll, but his pocket dimension's messed up. Lets..." She paused, staring nervously at the tower. She couldn't shake the image of the figure out of her head. It almost didn't seem like it was anything, but it looked vaguely humanoid. But it was gone too fast. "Let's get out of here..."

 **–-**

 **…**

 **–-**

It was hard to see her like this.

It was even harder to pretend that he'd use Blue to try and prevent his punishment.

But he had to. For Blue's sake, for Puff's... and for his own. He just hoped she wouldn't snap.

"Because I have to. Now take a step back, and I may be willing to cooperate."

–

Yellow dug her nails into the side of her face with her free hand, wanting to scream out in frustration. She held her tongue.

"HOW DARE you make such vile demands... You think you've won, Hematite? Oh this is far from over..." She snarled. Though despite her anger, she took a step back just as he'd asked. The guard, too, stepped back and stood near the wall.

 **–-**

 **…**

 **–-**

Soon enough, the three were back in the tower. Puff quickly lead Blue down a path to the lower half of the tower, where the larger cells were contained. Thankfully, it seemed all of them were currently void of prisoners. She stepped into the nearest one she could find that would hold all three of them, and looked around.

"Come on, come on!" The Jasper was still holding Emerald in her hand. The green gem nervously chewed her lip and looked around.

"... What's supposed to be happening?"

–

Blue was quick to squeeze in with the other two gems, eyes nervously darting around the room. _Come on kid... please be okay._

 **–-**

 **…**

 **–-**

Watching her step back, Hematite narrowed his eyes further, his shoulders slowly relaxing. He looked down.

 _This is it... I can't hold this up for much longer._

 _Blue... Puff, where-_

He felt something shift. His eyes widened, and his hair stood on end.

It was faint, but he detected someone entering the tower. No, not some _one_ , some three. The service gem could sense _**three**_ loose gems running around the prison, and his breathing hitched for a moment.

 _Oh... oh my stars they're back. They're back, they did it!_

Slowly looking up at his superior again, Hematite felt the smallest of satisfied smiles cross his face.

"No, it's over _now_." He sensed the three enter a prison cell. Blue Diamond. Jasper. Emerald. All accounted for. The service gem didn't take his eyes off of Yellow Diamond. "Now. You're going to lower the screen. Back out completely. And put it back up." He kept his hands over his gemstone. "Do I make myself clear."

–

Yellow's eyes widened again, as she shakily moved her sword to face him. With a shuddering, furious breath, she took another few steps back. What did he mean by that... what was he doing...

"Wh-why?..." she growled quietly, holding her hand up to the security panel. The guard, glancing over between the two, gave Yellow a nod. She acknowledged them, but never turned her head. She was quick to lock back onto Hematite. Slowly, she lowered her sword and turned off the screen, taking a single step out of the cell.

–

Hematite frowned at the guard. After they didn't move, he gave a quiet snarl, and they too backed out of the cell with Yellow Diamond.

"Now put the screen back up."

–

Yellow did as the Hematite said, but never once took her eyes off of him. Like hell she was leaving, if that's what he'd wanted. She too, returned a fierce gaze.

The screen fizzled back into place.

–

Slowly, the service gem sat down and crossed his legs. Hematite closed one eye, trying to focus. He didn't take his open eye off of Yellow.

 _Alright. This is gonna be a lot harder at this size. I don't wanna risk poofing them in the transfer, so..._

Hema was used to transferring gems at their full, unpoofed size from his pocket dimension to the real world. But only when he was big. He'd never tried to take out an unpoofed gem from his pocket dimension while at any size smaller than fifty or so feet. It just hadn't happened.

And right now, he wasn't about to try and experiment.

The service gem's hands started to glow, his gemstone glimmering beneath them. Slowly, he stopped guarding his neck. His form shimmered, and slowly, but surely, started to shift up.

I don't have much room in here, but it should be enough...

Hematite shifted up as much as he could. Since he was sitting, he had more room. The cell wasn't terribly large, about fifteen feet or so tall, so that allowed him around... maybe thirty or so feet, while seated?

He hoped it'd be enough...

The service gem's form stopped glowing, one of his hands rested over his gemstone. He was slightly hunched over, his head touching the ceiling of the cell. He glared down at Yellow with a look that told her not to try any funny business.

And then his gem glowed.

 **–-**

 **…**

 **–-**

 _Vwip!_

 _Vwip, Vwip!_

Puff gasped quietly as a shining, silvery bubble suddenly formed around her.

"Ah- There we go!"

 _This_ much she remembered. Hema had done the same thing right before she was presented to White Diamond. The door to the cell suddenly closed up, a glass screen now locking the three bubbled gems inside.

–

Blue jumped quietly at the sudden appearance of the bubble, pressing her hand gently to its surface. "Woooahh.." She cooed with momentary intrigue. So this was what it was like to be in one of these!

 **–-**

 **…**

 **–-**

Yellow took another involuntary step back, sweat dripping from her brow.

"Wh-What are you doing?!" she called out, gripping her sword tighter. The guard stood firmly behind the Diamond, readying their weapon in case Hematite tried anything. Yellow did not like the look of this. _Why on Homeworld did he want to shift up? Was he just trying to scare her?..._

–

Closing both of his eyes now, Hematite inhaled slowly. His gem flashed brightly, and he steadily drew his hand away. Three shimmering bubbles appeared from the bright light, rather small at first. But as soon as his gem stopped glowing, they popped to different sizes. One was tiny, one was rather well-sized, and one was even bigger. Hematite sighed in relief. Good, none of them had destabilized in the transfer. He stared at them, mouth slightly ajar.

Slowly, he lowered the three bubbles to the floor of his cell, directly in front of his crossed feet.

He popped Blue's first with a clawed finger, then Puff's. But he didn't pop Emerald's. He glared at her, teeth bared in a subtle snarl.

 **You.**

–

Blue opened her eyes, spinning around and staring wide eyed at the cell. _They did it. They made it...and now they were back. Hematite had pulled through after all!_ Grinning ear to ear, Blue jumped up with a loud cheer, throwing her fists in the air victoriously. Yellow gasped, quickly stepping forward and dropping her sword on the ground. She placed her hands on the sides of the door frame.

"BLUE?!" she shouted, unable to believe what she was seeing. Regardless, she was relieved to see her back and... unharmed? Her jaw hung open slightly, staring in bewildered confusion at the group suddenly formed in the room. "What is going ON here?! What's the meaning of this?! BLUE... WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"

Blue spun around to face Yellow and held her arms akimbo.

"Stars do I have news for you, Sparky." She sneered with a small hint of pride. Gesturing towards the smallest bubble, Blue narrowed her eyes and slowly frowned. "I think you're gonna want to see this."

–

Hematite folded his hands over his gem in case things got nasty. He stared at the gems in his cell, then looked at Yellow. He was quiet.

Puff turned to Yellow and nervously saluted, taking a step back from Blue. _This was allll her._

And honestly, she could tell that Yellow Diamond was not in the mood to listen to a common gem.

Emerald was staring up at Hematite fearfully, her tiny frame trembling. Slowly, she turned around.

And spotted Yellow Diamond.

Her breath caught in her throat, and she backed against the wall of her bubble.

Hematite arched a brow. Slowly, he raised his hand to his face and flicked on his hunting visor.

 _ **Whirrrrr**_

 _Click_

Before anyone could question him, he sighed and forced a reassuring smile.

"Before anyone freaks out, I just... need to document anything that's about to be said. For my own sake."

–

Yellow gasped quietly, suddenly wishing she hadn't dropped her sword. _No, remain steady. He's on the other side of this door anyway._ Slowly, she looked down at Blue, brows furrowed angrily.

"What is the meaning of this, Blue?..." she said, her voice still irritated, but far less booming. Blue reached down, picking up Emerald's bubble and shooting the small gem a fierce glance. She popped it.

Holding the gem in her hand, her fingers wrapped around her midsection.

"Don't bite me this time..." she said quietly, pursing her lips. She took a step towards Yellow and stared directly at the other Diamond with an unsettling seriousness about her. Needless to say, it raised even more suspicions from the Diamond behind the holo-screen.

Gradually, Yellow's gaze drifted from Blue to the Emerald, her eyes widening.

That was an Emerald... _just like Blue had said..._

Blue shifted her hand slightly, motioning the tiny gem slightly forward. Her grasp was firm, but not hard enough to hurt her.

" **Talk**."

–

Emerald nervously nodded and tried to shift so she was semi- '''comfortable''' in Blue's grasp, but she tensed up the moment she was faced with Yellow Diamond.

 _Thank stars for the holo-screen._

"..." The tiny green gem swallowed nervously. "... E-Emerald. Blue District Gem. C-currently employed under the order... of..."

–

Yellow crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes slightly.

"Come on, spit it out." She said with unmasked annoyance. Blue swallowed nervously, taking a single step back. Even if Yellow was on the other side of the door, she didn't want to be near it.

"It's alright Emerald." Blue spoke softly, reassuring her with a small smile. "We really need to hear what you have to say."

–

The tiny gem started to tremble. At Blue's reassurance, she glanced back and calmed slightly.

 _Right. She promised. She swore I'd be fine._

Running her hands through her hair, the gem slowly looked at Yellow again, her eyes wide.

"... L-let me start from the beginning."

She took a deep, steadying breath. Closing her eyes, she started speaking. Maybe if she couldn't see Yellow, she could keep her nerves.

"A long time ago, I'm unsure how many years it's been now, I went on a mission with my friend Rubes. We were hunting down a gem monster, but it got the best of us. It... It nearly shattered me." Eyes still closed, she rubbed her arm. "I don't know how long I was in there. I don't think I was in its pocket dimension." She grimaced. "But, one day. The monster vanished, and I was set free. I was. Set free by my current employer."

Puff's eyes were wide.

 _So_ _ **that's**_ _what happened to her...?_

Shuddering, Emerald bit one of her nails.

"I was indebted to them. I owed them my life. So I begged them to let me do jobs for them... To help fight rebels that were creating trouble for them. This went on for years. They never demanded my services, but I helped out where I could, anyways. And then... They came to me recently. And said that this would be the most important job I'd done, and the only one they ever expected from me. They said that I was to help them take down a traitor to the Diamond Authority, someone who had tried to kill you, Yellow Diamond, and who had shattered innocent gems. They said they worked for White, and that they needed to get him away from her..."

Biting her knuckle, she continued.

"It was a simple job that would take care of both him and the rebels on her planet. My orders were as follows. Follow White Diamond and Hematite, don't be seen, don't be heard. Wait for them to take out the first part of their mission, get them alone. Then I was to lead them into the cave system. They told me to avoid being caught by White at all costs... I was lucky that they split up naturally. If they both caught me, I was to disorient them and kn-knock... White out with my abilities. B-But that's it! I was given strict orders _not_ to harm her if I came across her!" The shaking returned. "N-not that I could, in the first place..." She shook her head.

"But they split up. The rest of my orders... were to wait until the Hematite caught me. And then I was told that once he started scanning me... I was to use my sonic ability until I physically couldn't anymore... That was supposed to be the signal for a fusion to come in and take out Hematite, I think. They said something important would happen when I gave that signal... They were so vague on the details... I-I didn't know if he'd be poofed or shattered, they wouldn't tell me. But the fusion never came! The Hematite came to after I knocked him out with the screech, a-and... And I don't know what happened! I didn't know if the fusion failed to hear the signal, o-or if it was all an elaborate set-up to get me killed! I didn't want to know what'd happen if I refused to do it! Th-they didn't force me, but-! I owed them my life. B-but!" She was shaking violently now, her eyes still squeezed shut.

"I-I don't know why White was cracked! That wasn't supposed to happen!" Her voice was laced with pure _anguish_. "I-I know she's better now, but-! She wasn't supposed to get hurt!"

–

Yellow's hands started trembling halfway through Emerald's story, her eyes wide with fury. As she finished, Yellow seemed stuck in a state of horrified disbelief. Sweat accumulated on her forehead, and she stared dead on ahead, right past Emerald, and to the huge service gem behind everyone else. She glared up at him, her lip twitching. Her expression was mixed and almost unreadable.

"A fusion... A fusion? What kind of fusion?..."

–

Hematite's eyes were hidden behind his visor, but his mouth hung ajar, in disbelief.

All the pieces were starting to come together.

"I-I don't know their name. All I asked was how they would take down such a huge Harvester, and they said the fusion had a large war hammer"

–

Yellow's eyes shot open further, the final word striking a nerve. _That was it._ _ **The blunt force**_ _. The crater in the floor from Hematite's video... It... it all made sense now... She almost couldn't believe it._ She looked slowly between Hematite and the Emerald with conflicted emotions.

–

Hematite leaned back slightly, hand still covering his gemstone.

He didn't understand this...

 _Okay, so someone had set up a plan to kill, poof... whatever. Someone planned to lead him into a trap and do something to him. But it went wrong? The fusion just didn't show up?_

 _No, worse... They did show up... and._

A war hammer. The fusion attacked _White_ instead.

So if it didn't go after him like it was supposed to... Did the fusion go rogue? Did it have something against White? _Emerald_ was ordered not to harm the Diamond, so then what was he missing?

That had to be it. The fusion was supposed to attack him when Emerald disoriented him, but for some reason, they went after White and attacked _her_. Which resulted in her being cracked.

Hematite felt his stomach boil with indignant fury.

 _No wonder they never showed on his radar!_ He was so busy tracking Emerald, even if they had been following him, he was too distracted to notice. Worse than that, they probably had some ability that let them get in and out of the cave system quickly. He still had no idea how long he had blacked out, it could have been a solid minute, for all he knew. That'd give a fusion plenty of time to get in, attack White, and then get out.

So then...

 _Why did they attack White and leave her?_

Why go through the trouble and the risk of going against a plan, attacking an ultra-powerful gem, just to leave her cracked gemstone behind? Had they left it on purpose? Did they forget it? Did something happen to the fusion? What on Homeworld would make them go after White, hit her hard enough to crack her, and then leave her gem?

Of course... he was beyond grateful that they _had_ , it allowed him to bring her back to safety before anything worse happened, but it didn't sit right with him. If the fusion were aiming to shatter White, they would have done it. She was defenseless. There'd be nothing stopping them.

For a little while, there... He'd thought maybe he corrupted, blacked out in rage... did something that he wasn't aware of that resulted in White being cracked. But no, this Emerald proved that he had indeed been knocked unconscious, and didn't move from where he was.

Hematite frowned. All he could think about was the fusion. They were still out there, and they could have been anywhere by now... Would they ever catch them? Or would justice never really be served?

–

Yellow stood for a good, long moment. Then, slowly, she lifted her hand to the security panel.

 _BZZT!_

The door fizzled away, and Yellow took a bold step into the room. The guard stepped forward to follow, but Yellow held up her hand and stopped them. The guard was confused, but the door remained open. The Diamond stood in front of the group, now within the same room... But she didn't look as violent or bloodthirsty as she had been. No, she looked eerily calm. A deadpan wave swept over her, giving her very presence an ominous feel. Blue looked between the Emerald and Yellow, unsure what to think. Slowly, Yellow looked at the Emerald, staring hollowly into her eyes.

"Who was responsible for this, then?..."

–

The tiny green gem opened her eyes when she heard the holo-screen drop, and she looked up at Yellow in fear.

She wished she hadn't.

Hema caught Yellow's question and narrowed his eyes.

 _Yes._ _ **Who**_ _._

Glaring down at the Emerald, the giant service gem lowered his hands from his neck, and reached down to limply grip at his ankles. He leaned forward slightly, looming over the group.

Emerald felt a bead of sweat roll down her face. Slowly, she shook her head.

"... I-I." She trembled. Her voice dropped to a terrified hush, and she gripped at her head, shutting her eyes tight. "I-I can't, I CAN'T! They'll kill me if I tell, I know they will! They'll hunt me down, they never give up on a target, I-I don't want to be their next one!"

–

Yellow curled her lip up into a sneer, eyes narrowing.

"Oh, don't worry. We'll all make sure that you have somewhere to go so whoever did this will **never** find you."

–  
The tiny gem shrunk back best she could, her eyes widening. She gripped onto Blue's hand, her entire form shaking.

"... G." She swallowed hard. When she spoke, her voice was clear, albeit wavering a tad.

"General Topaz."

–

Yellow's eyes widened with unmasked fury. Slowly, she looked up at Hematite, wordless.

 _General Topaz._

 _ **General... Topaz?...**_

Blue took another step back, away from Yellow. Slowly, she held the Emerald closer to her body and wrapped her other arm around her, as if protecting her. Blue's expression fell, and she stayed quiet.

Yellow's lip twitched, her breathing slow and steady.

She started _sparking_.

"She... That..." Her brows furrowed. She had to force herself to stifle a wicked snarl... then, she fell grimly stone-cold yet again as a boiling mix of betrayal, disbelief, and confusion rose within her.

Why? Why Topaz? Why her?! She couldn't believe this! Her general... her most trusted general- That traitor... that horrible TRAITOR! And to think she'd gone with everything she said! Why had she done it? What was her motive?! What could they have possibly done to warrant such a heinous act? Thousands of years of service, of never causing trouble once... she almost couldn't believe it. But with how she'd been acting, her sudden involvement... the fact that she'd been so determined to get Hematite pinned as the culprit in this case...

There was just as much against Topaz as there had been against Hematite not hours ago.

Fury. Pure, unrelenting fury flowed through the yellow gem and made her form boil.

But on the outside, shockingly, it didn't show quite as dramatically as it normally would have. No, she remained still. Standing stationary, hands clenched tight. She stared right into the eyes of Hematite, a passionate hatred stinging within her glowing yellow irises.

But this time, it wasn't aimed at _him_.

–

 _ **General Topaz.**_

 _Of all the gems._

"..."

Hematite's mouth hung ajar, his lips slightly parted. With his eyes covered, it was impossible to see his expression.

But then his shoulders started to rise, tensing.

 _She'd set up someone to attack him. The plan went wrong. White was cracked._

 _ **t.**_

 _Why, WHY?!_ What had he ever done to her?! Sure, there was the incident with Yellow, yes! He'd attacked her leader, okay, so she'd be bitter about that! But the DIAMONDS had taken care of his punishment, she had no right! She called him a traitor?! Tried to get him KILLED because of a mistake he made almost two years ago? Was she _that_ convinced that he was dangerous? That he'd strike the Diamonds again?

 _Wait, it didn't matter! Her plan almost got White killed!_ Fusion or no fusion, SHE was behind it! He'd worry about the fused gems later. He could bring them to justice at another time.

 _For now..._

Hematite's eyes met Yellow's, despite her not being able to see them. However, as he tilted his chin up just slightly, the shine on his visor shifted, and his eyes were faintly visible.

He looked furious. But not at Yellow.

No, there was something else there. Understanding, realization, a mutual desire to right what was wrong.

For the first time in their lives, they were both on the same page.

Without breaking eye contact with Yellow, Hematite bared his teeth in a subtle snarl.

 _"Is that all."_

The Emerald flinched and pulled herself closer to Blue.

"... Yes."

–

Blue stepped back with the Emerald, just off to the side. She could tell Hematite was _livid_ , and rightfully so.

Yellow, matching Hematite's fierce gaze with a steely cold stare, gave him a slow nod. She knew what she had to do.

What Hema had to do.

Without breaking eye contact, Yellow stepped to the side and narrowed her eyes darkly, leaving the door wide open.

 **"Get her."**

 _[Heya! Like the story? If you have a minute, please let us know your thoughts so far in a review! It only takes a few minutes, and it means the world to us. We've been working on this story for years, and it's super encouraging to see what people think about it, and to see that they enjoy it! After all, nobody wants to post a story to an empty audience, that's no fun! Thank you, and see you soon for the last few chapters of 'Season 1's' Arc 4!]_


	58. Hunted

_Summary: Two harvesters are given a hunt with a new challenge._

* * *

 _If something goes wrong, I may need you for backup. If you would, please stay in the vicinity of the morgue. Thank you, General. We couldn't have done this without your help._

Tap

 _Tap_

 _ **Tap tap**_

A sizable, golden-yellow claymore glinted in the faint-pink dawn light as it was effortlessly tossed up into the air. General Topaz was atop a building near the massive Shard Morgue, having a rather casual 'sparring' session, which mostly consisted of her performing moves and techniques, with a small, imaginary partner. Taking a few smooth steps to the side, she caught her sword's hilt and spun it around effortlessly. Topaz wore a relaxed, prideful smirk on her face as she lunged forward at an unseen enemy, quickly flicking her sword back to stand straight again. She spun around to swing behind her, her long, golden hair trailing behind her movements and shining subtly in the milky light of the rising sun.

From the sound of things...

She was humming.

 _Hmhmhm.~ Nothing more satisfying than a plan gone perfectly._

The general turned about and rested the tip of her claymore to the roof. Her pleased smile faltered as the image of White's cracked gemstone flashed through her mind.

 _...Well, almost perfectly._

 _But that doesn't matter now._

 _She's fixed up; things worked out._

The general smirked again and closed her eyes, dragging the tip of her large weapon across the rooftop with a loud scraping sound. The sword left a long score mark in the stone roof of the building, sending up bright-yellow sparks as it made contact. She flicked it up into the air again, turned around, and caught it perfectly behind her back.

 _No sign of Hematite. Good._

While she wished she could have gone in with Yellow to see him shattered in person... the Diamond didn't seem too keen on anyone but her guards coming with her. She respected Yellow's wishes, and resisted the urge to follow her into the Shard Morgue behind her guards. Topaz frowned subtly. Speaking of her guards... She'd sent one of them out of the morgue not too long ago. Must have gone quicker than she thought.

Surely if Yellow was sending them out, her job was done and the warriors were merely excused from duty. But, then again, wouldn't she have sent out all of them, if that was the case? It was quite a few minutes ago, and Topaz couldn't help but feel something was off. If something was going wrong in there... she needed to be ready. Little did she know that all her plans had just come crashing down. _All thanks to one little Emerald._

The hunting visor on Hema's face gave an aggressive chirp before vanishing in a show of sparks. Lunging forward out of the cell, Hematite skidded to a halt, on all fours. He was _bristling_. He sharply looked at Yellow, eyes narrowed.

 **"Where did you see her last?" he growled, teeth bared.**

–

Yellow turned on her heel, facing the service gem with a fierce glare. But, for a moment, something in her expression faltered.

"Hematite, I'm not against you going after her; I know you're a perfectly capable harvester, but… are you sure you're in any condition to face her? Perhaps we should do this a bit more tactfully, now that I'm thinking about it-"

"And give her a chance to get away? Yellow, with all due respect, if she catches wind that we're onto her, I don't think we'll get another chance. Besides," he hissed between his teeth, glaring out at the door at the end of the hall. "…I need to face her."

Yellow frowned faintly, but looked off to the side, her eyes narrowed. She was quiet for a long moment.

"…She should be in close proximity to the Shard Morgue. I told her to come with me, should anything go wrong, and stand by outside. She's close, but probably not in plain sight. Good luck," she said, face still covered with unmistakable coldness.

–

The giant gem grit his teeth, gave his superior a curt nod, and looked to Blue, Puff, and Emerald. The tiny, green gem and the Jasper were staring at him with wide, fearful eyes. Puff was masking it a bit better, but still looked visibly nervous. Hematite relaxed slightly, and his expression softened for a moment. Looking at each of the gems, he sighed through his nose and slowly, but surely, a smile crossed his face. For the first time since his rather unfortunate last 'meeting' with White... _he was smiling._

"I'll be back soon. Okay?"

With that, he turned toward the end of the hall and rushed for the door. His form shifted back down to about ten feet tall as he ran so that he could make his way out of the hall.

–

Blue gave Hematite a respectful nod as he started down the hall. Slowly, she looked down to the Emerald and loosened her grip.

"Now, uh... as for you... I think you need a little bit of a break, eh? Your own involvement won't go unpunished, but not to worry; you won't be cracked or shattered for your actions. I'll give you until tomorrow to calm down and let everything sink in. Puff?" she said, turning to the Jasper. She handed Em over to her, shooting Puff a stern look. "It's your job to look after her until tomorrow. Make sure she doesn't leave, make sure no one hurts her, and bring her back to me safely. We've got other pressing matters right now... I'm trusting you with this."

Yellow stared down the hall, unmoving. She was still boiling from everything she had heard. _Topaz...one of her best generals, turning on them like this?... Creating such calamity and disarray?_ She had no idea... she. She had no reason to believe Topaz would do such a thing, she'd never caused trouble before. Clenching her fists tighter, she bared her teeth at seemingly nothing. Despite Hema being out of the room, and Topaz on her way to being apprehended, she wasn't getting any calmer about the whole ordeal. Topaz had made a fool out of them all and had them wrapped around her finger. She was going to regret this, and Yellow would make sure of it.

–

Carefully taking Emerald from Blue, the orange gem nodded. Instead of holding her in her hands like she had previously, she gently placed the green gem on her shoulder. After shooting her a 'you have a lot of explaining to do' sort of look, she turned her attention back to Blue.

"Don't worry, Blue Diamond. I'll keep a close eye on her. She's not going anywhere, and I'll make sure she's unharmed."

Emerald put one hand behind Puff's head to steady herself, her other hand clutching at the Jasper's suit. She sighed deeply.

 _Right, right. Okay. Not gonna be shattered or cracked. Stars, I got lucky with all this..._ Quietly, the tiny green gem rubbed her face in relief.

The closer Hema drew to the exit, the darker his expression grew.

 _This was all Topaz's fault._

 _She caused all this._

 _ **She hurt White.**_

 _ **She hurt everyone.**_

 _And it was time she gave him answers as to why._

SLAM!

Hematite practically broke down the door to the Shard Morgue as he bolted out, and he skidded to a heaving halt, looking around rapidly. _**Where. Are. You.**_ The service gem looked up and around, trying to find any sign of the general.

Hair standing up slightly on the back of her neck, the warrior gem stopped swinging her sword and quickly whipped her gaze to the building in the distance. She took a few measured paces to the edge of her perch. But the moment she spotted the entrance to the Morgue, her eyes widened, and the tip of her claymore hit the ground with a loud 'CHINK!'

 _No... NO!_

 _He escaped?!_

 _ **...Yellow.**_

 _Where is Yellow Diamond?!_

Topaz's eyes widened in horror. Her body went cold as the service gem looked up, _directly_ at the rooftop she was standing on. Hema bared his teeth upon seeing her, stiffening.

"YOU!"

Topaz inhaled sharply through her teeth and growled, holding up her weapon and pointing it down at the gem. He was a good distance from her... But not _too_ far for...

 _FLASH!_

In an instant, the general's bright-gold helmet appeared on her head, a vibrant, glass-like yellow screen covering the hole in the front. Her entire face was no longer visible.

 _ **Whirrrrr!**_

 _CLICK-CHK_

 _Gem Located: Hematite_

 _Current Core Status: No Gem Faults Detected_

 _Mission Objective: Harvest-Shatter if Violent_

Down below, Hematite snarled and took a running start toward the building. He flicked his hunting visor on.

 _Scan._

 _ **Whirrrr!**_

 _CLICK_

 _Gem found: General Topaz_

 _Aliases: Topaz, the Golden General_

 _Status: No Gem Faults Detected_

 _Mission Objective: Harvest_

His body began to glow. In an instant, the service gem shifted up, now at his full height. He charged towards the tower Topaz stood upon, teeth bared.

"TOPAAAAAAZ!"

–

–

The warm-colored Diamond slowly clenched and unclenched her fists. Her being was still prickling with fury, and it only seemed to worsen the longer she stood there. Sparing Blue Diamond a glance, Yellow turned for the door and started quickly for it. This didn't go unnoticed. Frantically, Blue turned with a startled gasp and rushed out of the cell, charging after her.

"Wait, Yellow! Where are you going?!" she called out, quickly catching up to the taller Diamond. Yellow whipped around rapidly and glared right into Blue's eyes, making her take a half-step back.

"I'm following them."

Blue's eyes widened, and she grabbed onto Yellow's shoulders.

"WHAT?! Are you CRAZY?! You can't get in the middle of that! What if you get hu-"

"I'm not getting in the middle of it. I'm following them. And you can't stop me."

Yellow's eyes narrowed, cold and unwavering. Blue was slightly unsettled by the Diamond's intensity, but she was more concerned about Yellow's own wellbeing than she was afraid of her. She knew it took a lot for her to be around Hematite while he was big. And Blue also had a strong feeling that Yellow might not like what she witnessed if she chased after the livid harvester. But what _she_ didn't know was that Yellow was fully prepared for what she may see. And she was so angry with Topaz that she honestly didn't care. Her fear had all but disappeared, only leaving her with rage and spite.

Yellow yanked herself away from Blue and turned her head sharply.

"I want to make sure the general is caught. I won't get involved... Unless I absolutely have to." She looked back at Blue and gave her a nod. "Topaz is a damn powerful gem. I know Hematite is too, but... I want to make sure Topaz is brought to justice, if she really _is_ behind all this. I still... have my doubts, but I will not act on them until they're proved otherwise, this time. I'm sure you understand."

Blue sighed and backed up, giving her a forewarning glance.

"Alright, but... just be safe in case anything gets nasty! And keep an eye out for him!"

Without another word, Yellow turned and made a break for the door.

–

He was closing in quickly. Topaz bared her teeth in fury and quickly backed up a few paces. She glared down at the rapidly-approaching service gem, suddenly standing her ground. Her eyes, and the glowing target on her helmet's visor, were trained on Hematite's gemstone. The general's visor bore a grid radar over the right eye.

 _Focus._

 _ **Whirrrr**_

The target narrowed. Suddenly, any and all other gem signatures on her visor's radar faded.

 _Lock._

The screen gave a sharp clicking sound. The only visible signature on her screen now was Hematite. And it would stay like that until she commanded it to unlock.

Hematite's eyes were wide, furious. He was closing in on the building across the way. Topaz wasn't moving.

 _Focus._

 _ **Whirrrr**_

 _Lock._

The service gem's radar dimmed, the only visible signature a bright-golden color. Until he chose otherwise, hers would be the only one he could see.

 _And it was all he_ _ **needed**_ _to see._

Within another few moments, Hematite was upon the building. It stood a good few heads taller than him, but he could still reach the rooftop. Careful not to damage the facility, the giant gem growled and reached up to the rooftop, grabbing at Topaz with his huge, clawed hands.

 _She was ready for that._

Hematite yowled and withdrew his hand, looking at the rather impressive cut it now bore. Snarling, he looked back up to the roof. Dammit! He couldn't even see her up there! He backed up a quick pace.

And his eyes widened.

Topaz had leapt off the building, her claymore readied, pointing down to strike him directly in the head. She now bore her half-suit of armor, protecting her gemstone.

Unluckily for her, his visor was able to track her movement to a pinpoint, and he snatched her out of the air, earning a surprised grunt as the wind was knocked out of her.

Topaz adjusted quickly. The instant Hematite brought her closer to his face, she turned the hilt of her claymore around to face him, the blade now in the opposite direction it should have been. The end of the hilt bore a large, yellow gemstone, similar to her own- though it was a circular shape instead of a triangular one.

"Topaz, in the name-"

 _ **H!**_

Hematite let out a cry of pain and surprise as a bright, golden light blinded him and made his eyes ache. He hissed sharply through his teeth, covering his face with one hand. However, he shouted again when Topaz swiped her sword at his wrist, cutting right through the fabric of his suit. He dropped her.

Hematite heard a heavy 'thud' on the ground below him, followed by rapid, solid footfall. _She was making a break for it._ Angrily, Hematite rubbed at his eyes and lifted his face toward the sound of the footsteps. He opened his eyes.

 **Black.**

The service gem's body went cold. He touched his face, his fingers pressing to his visor. _**He couldn't see anything.**_ His eyes were wide open, but his entire world had gone **dark**.

Letting out a horrified gasp, the gem 'looked' around, trying to pinpoint Topaz's location. He could still hear her faint footsteps retreating away from him, and he followed after her, hoping against hope that his sensitive hearing would serve him well. _But now, his visor was useless._

–  
Yellow Diamond barreled out of the doors of the morgue, frantically looking around. To her satisfaction and relief, she spotted Hematite. Narrowing her eyes, she bolted after him and made sure to keep her distance. Seeing a far-off glint of gold, Yellow spotted Topaz briefly, but from the looks of it, she was getting away, fast. Hissing through her teeth, she held herself back and kept far behind Hematite. She had half a mind to bolt after her herself, but she wasn't going to. _No, this was Hematite's job this time._

–

–

 _To his dismay, and slight horror, Hematite lost his target._

He was lurking through the open facility that surrounded the morgue, careful as he could be not to damage anything. It was slow going, however, and he couldn't ignore the rising anxiety in his chest. He was almost completely vulnerable right now. If it weren't for his sheer size, Topaz could ambush him at any moment. _Though, honestly, she still_ _ **could**_ _._

As far as he could feel, he found himself in a rather open, paved 'clearing'. Some sort of lot? The service gem frowned and closed his eyes. They weren't doing him any good open. He inhaled deeply and held in the breath, concentrating.

...

...

.

..

Nothing...

Hematite stifled a low growl in his chest, and he lowered himself closer to the ground ever-so-slightly, putting a hand over his gemstone. **Where are you.** The service gem was poised to pounce, his entire body tensed. He stayed like that for over ten minutes. His patience was starting to wear thin, when suddenly-

 _CHINK!_

Hematite's eyes flew open, despite him knowing he wouldn't see anything, and his head flew up to look in the direction of the sound. About a hundred-or-so feet off, he'd heard some sort of weapon make contact with something solid. He lunged for it as quickly as he could without causing damage to anything in his way, and he felt around where he'd heard the sound. There was a faint, odd noise, almost like a 'shimmer'. Hematite frowned and placed his hand down where he'd heard the sound. His fingers brushed over a small score in the ground, but he found nothing else.

Unfortunately for him, his head was lowered close to an unseen building, and he suddenly cried out, reeling back. His hands flew up to his hair, clutching at his scalp tightly.

 _Topaz had made a direct slash to the top of his head._

The giant gem inhaled sharply through his teeth and lunged toward the building, accidentally putting a long crack in the ceiling. The sound of the damaged stone made Hematite grimace, but he couldn't pay that any mind right now. He could hear Topaz retreating again.

She seemed to go off the roof of the building and run into a rather cramped alleyway. Hematite snarled in frustration and chased after her best he could. At least now he could hear her!

–

Yellow made sure to stay hot on their trail, quietly hiding behind a few buildings. She had caught onto what had happened, given that Hematite was moving about aimlessly. Topaz must have used a nasty light trick on him... She was careful not to make much noise, staying within a reasonable distance. Grimacing at the harvester's snarl, she eyed the fleeing warrior not too far off. Growling, she started after them again.

–

–

This chase went on for another twenty-or-so minutes. Topaz was dodging him at every twist and turn. She could track his every move with her visor, and even when he did catch up with her, a quick swipe of her sword kept him in place long enough to get ahead again. Hematite was getting increasingly frustrated.

 _And, to anyone watching... he seemed to be slowly getting smaller._

The last few weeks had taken it out of him. This last one in particular. He wasn't rested, he wasn't relaxed, and he wasn't mentally prepared for a hunt. His energy was already starting to wane on him, and it was worrying him. He couldn't be blinded AND shrunken down around Topaz.

 _That was a one-way ticket to being shattered._

Hematite rounded a corner, crouching down on all fours. He peered around, tilting his head in different directions, listening. Topaz's footsteps stopped. The giant gem's eyes widened in surprise.

 _No, no, why did she stop._ She was still nearby, and now he couldn't tell where she was.

The general stood silently, her weapon readied, her target focused directly on the gem before her. He was barely a hundred feet away.

Her fingers drummed and shifted on the hilt of her claymore. She almost seemed _nervous_.

 _He isn't wearing down as fast as I thought he would._

The stand-down lasted a few minutes. Hematite had slowly, but surely, taken to moving down the street that Topaz stood in the middle of. Her eyes widened ever-so-slightly. _Wait for your chance._

One pace at a time, the service gem crawled closer, cocking his head in different directions to listen. _C'mon._ _ **Move**_ _._ Slowing his pace, he blinked rapidly, his head starting to ache.

"Nng..."

The service gem reached up to his face, rubbing at his eyes underneath his visor. He inhaled sharply through his teeth. A sudden, severe headache was making his eyes sore, and he stopped in his tracks, growling to himself.

He was directly in front of Topaz, but she still didn't move. She knew what was about to happen.

After a moment, the giant gem moved his hand away from his eyes, blinking in the warm dawn light.

 _Wait._

 _ **Light**_ _._

Gasping softly, Hematite realized that his vision was slowly coming back. It was foggy and dark, but the blackness was starting to fade. He immediately squinted at his radar, checking for Topaz's signal. It was right under him. Eyes widening, the giant gem looked down to see Topaz aiming the hilt of her sword at him again.

In a split second, his hand was upon her, pinning her arm and her sword to the ground.

The general snarled indignantly and struggled to get her arm free. She inhaled sharply, seeing Hematite's other hand reaching to pick her up. Gemstone glowing suddenly, she summoned a second claymore and swiped it at his hand, keeping it away just long enough for her to point the tip of it down the street.

 _FLASH!_

There was another bright flash of golden light, though this time Hematite looked away in time to avoid being blinded.

Little did he know that was not the intent of the light this time.

He gasped quietly as his pinning hand suddenly met the pavement. He stared at it. Topaz was gone. He looked up just in time to see her retreating form sprinting down the street. She pointed her sword up at the rooftop of a nearby building, sending a bright flash of light from the end of her weapon. A little ball of golden energy shot forward, stopping at the rooftop. Topaz's form shimmered brightly before vanishing and appearing on the building where the ball of light had been not moments ago.

 _Wh-what?! Teleportation?!_

The giant gem snarled and chased after the general, making sure to be careful not to cause any more property damage. His vision wasn't 100% yet, and it was still hard to see everything in front of him.

–

Yellow cursed under her breath from afar, dashing between buildings. _Dammit, tricky as ever. Keep your wits about you, Hematite. You're going to need them._ With a quick movement, Yellow made sure to stay low to the ground to avoid being spotted.

–

–

Hematite's vision soon fully recovered, although because of her teleporting, he'd lost Topaz. _But her signal was still on his radar._

 _Rescan._

Hematite frowned as the map updated. Alright, Topaz wasn't too far ahead. She seemed to be heading for the Coliseum?

The giant gem was now moving much quicker. With his vision restored, he was stalking directly toward his target instead of wandering around based on sound. Crawling carefully over a small building, the service gem narrowed his eyes and looked around.

 _Rescan._

 _Her signal hadn't moved._

Hematite felt a satisfied grin cross his face. _**Should have kept moving, Topaz. You can't hide now.**_ It only took him a few minutes to reach her signal on the radar.

 _Rescan._

Suddenly, as he rounded a tall building, it vanished. The radar refreshed, and now showed Topaz's signal a good couple miles away. _What the hell? She couldn't teleport that far in one go, could she?!_

Hematite grit his teeth and headed for the new signal location. He started picking up speed.

The same thing happened again. He closed in on a stationary signal, and as he approached, it vanished. He picked up speed again.

 _ **GET BACK HERE!**_

 _Again._

 _Again._

One of the signals, he even prevented rescanning as he looked around. There was no sign of anything. He heard a faint 'shimmer', and the signal vanished, but other than that, he didn't see anything. She couldn't teleport without using that ball of light, could she?! Hematite was slowly getting further from the morgue and closer to the Coliseum. He was still a good distance from it, however, and it was at least another half an hour away. He didn't know if he could even make it that far.

The harvester had, at this point, shrunken down involuntarily to his half size. He could feel his powers starting to slip out of his grasp.

 _But he couldn't stop._

 _Not now._

He couldn't stop until he had answers, nor until she was brought to justice.

After being outmaneuvered a countless number of times, Hematite found himself exiting the small block of the Blue District. The buildings thinned out, and Hema found himself faced with a vast, flat expanse with sparse, browned grass. He stood up straight, next to a rather tall building. Topaz's signal was out in the middle of the large field. The training grounds stretched out beyond it, and far on the horizon, he could see the Coliseum. Slowly, he stepped out of the 'security' of the city buildings, and made his way toward Topaz's signal.

 _Don't vanish again._

He picked up speed. It wasn't moving again, just like the others.

 _But she couldn't teleport away out here without him seeing!_

The giant gem soon came to a skidding halt in a large field of short, dry grass. There was a dirt 'lot' nearby that was used for training. But that's not what got his attention. He saw something glint in the grass. Rushing over to it, he was suddenly upon Topaz's signal.

"AHA!"

He dove for the glint in the grass, but he quickly heard a shimmer, and he was left with nothing but a handful of dirt and plants.

Arching a brow in confusion, he dropped the clumps of dirt and looked where he'd seen the signal. _Nothing..._ In a fit of frustration, the giant gem pounded the ground with his fist and looked around, his teeth bared. And then he caught sight of something. Far, far in the distance, Topaz was rushing away from the fields, toward the arena.

"Ah-!"

 _Yes, FINALLY! A visual on her!_

The gem scrambled to his feet and sprinted toward the retreating gem. She was a good few miles in front of him, and it looked like she was using her teleportation method to skip ahead at a rapid rate. Hematite growled and willed himself on faster.

 _C'mon, hold out a little longer! Corner her in the Coliseum if you can!_

 _This is almost over!_

He could feel it.

–

Yellow kept steady. Admittedly, she had begun to get frustrated, herself. Topaz was crafty, and Hematite was seeming to lose energy. Topaz was wearing him down... But she couldn't get close enough to her, either, so she primarily tracked Hematite. She was growing tired of the constant running around, and wondered why Hematite had kept getting confused.

Between Hematite's size and Topaz's teleporting, Yellow was finding it a little harder to keep up than most times. While she was fast, she couldn't risk using her lightning dash and being seen. Hematite specialized in hunting gems, and she knew if she was in the picture, he might get distracted or falter. She didn't want to add any more pressure on him than he already had, so she was forced to stay back. Even if part of her did want to take Topaz out herself.

–

–

It only took him about another ten or so minutes to reach the arena.

Topaz's signal was strong. She was in there. The giant gem stopped at the huge, carbonite gate and looked around in frustration. At his current state, he couldn't make the jump over the walls, but he didn't want to break the bars, either. And if Topaz was waiting inside, he didn't want to risk shifting down to get inside, either. He couldn't make out what was at the end of the large entrance tunnel, but he could have sworn he saw something glinting behind a piece of rubble, probably left behind by a fusion fight event.

 _He couldn't stand around; time was running out!_

 _ **Clang**_

Hematite leapt up, grabbing onto the top of the drop-down carbonite gates. With a mighty heave, he pulled down as hard as he could. The gate budged.

Brows raising, the giant gem grunted and pulled harder. It started to slide down into the floor, like it would on command, should someone be there to open it manually. However, it put up far more of a fight than it would under normal circumstances. His form started to glow, and, to his dismay, he shrank down just a little further.

Soon enough, however, Hematite had lowered the gate enough to leap through the now-open top half, and he sprinted down the long corridor Seemed the arena was completely closed down today. Probably for repairs.

 _They were all alone._

 _ **I've got you now.**_

Soon enough, Hematite burst out from the end of the dark, stone tunnel, but he skidded to a halt. Just beyond the piece of rubble, the service gem could see the hilt of one of Topaz's swords.

But Topaz was nowhere to be seen.

Hematite's eyes widened. The signature on his visor was coming directly from the lone sword.

"What-"

The giant gem gasped loudly in agony, his head shooting back as a sharp pain stabbed through the bottom of his neck. He cried out and gripped at the back of his neck, his fingers brushing against a retreating form. He suddenly heard a booming, furious voice close to his head.

 _"Diaspore should have killed you when she had the chance!"_

Hematite's eyes widened, and he gripped at the gem on his back, but she was too quick. She summoned another sword and slashed at his hands, quickly leaping down and making a cut into the back of his leg. The giant gem shouted in pain and managed to kick Topaz away, some distance down the arena floor. He painfully pulled the claymore out of his neck, noting its location. Seemed she hadn't gone for a killing blow. The gem glared at his target and bared his teeth.

"So you were behind THAT attack too?! Did you steal those Hearthfall flowers from where I said they were?! How did you even know how to bubble them; how did you get so far ahead of us?! What did I ever do to you, Topaz?! What did I do to deserve any of this?!"

The general was quick on her feet. She pointed her sword at the service gem with grim determination, though her eyes were still hidden behind her helmet's visor. As she spoke, her voice carried well. It was clear, powerful, and angry.

"You attacked Yellow Diamond. You're an unsafe and mentally-unstable gem! There's no telling what kind of death and destruction you could cause if you turned on everyone!" She grit her teeth. "And of course I took those flowers; where else would I have gotten them?! I already knew how to handle them; I just needed their location, which you so _conveniently_ provided!"

Hematite snarled angrily at the general and launched forward, letting out a fierce battle cry. His knuckledusters appeared on his fists, coursing with electricity.

–

Unbeknownst to the other two dueling it out in the arena, Yellow Diamond had skidded to a halt just behind the bars. She narrowed her eyes, grunting with curious frustration. What now? She couldn't just take the standard entrance in. Eyeing the enormous wall, she walked over away from the main gate.

With a flash, her body lit up with glowing sparks and she accelerated up the vertical wall-face. The lightning pulsated around her, and, as if she were defying gravity, she advanced upwards.

 _ **Quickly.**_

Soon, as she'd neared the top, the electricity was gone in an electrifying wave. Fizzling out completely, she managed to reach the top edge, grabbing it with her hands and hoisting herself over the top. Easy. Brushing her hand through her hair quickly, she took a deep breath and stepped forward. A few hundred feet or so away was the other edge of the wall, where she could look down and see almost everything in the arena.

She peered over the edge, squinting down. They weren't hard to spot at all, and weren't very far away from where she was, either. Perfect.

–

The two were soon locked in a heated battle. Despite Hematite's size advantage, Topaz was easily keeping up with him, even more so than Morgan or Blue had when he was at this size.

And it was starting to unnerve him.

"That wasn't your job! That was almost two years ago! The Diamonds were the ones to make the final judgment! You had no right to take matters into your own hands!"

Topaz deflected a huge hit from the giant gem, his fist glancing off of her claymore.

"The Diamonds made a mistake in letting you live! You should have been shattered for your crimes!" She dodged a few of his attacks deftly. "You attacked Yellow before; you'd do it again! You did back in the morgue!"

"WHAT?! I didn't attack anyone in the morgue!"

Hematite winced as Topaz tried to blind him with another flash, but he was ready for it that time. However, in the moment that he had his eyes shut, Topaz had gotten behind him. She slashed at his ankles, earning a pained yowl.

"Then where is Yellow Diamond?! How did you escape?!"

Hematite snarled and whirled around, stabbing his pronged knuckledusters into the ground, sending out a violent web of electricity through the arena floor.

"Yellow let me go! She's back at the morgue!"

Topaz managed to dodge the attack by leaping up onto a piece of rubble, but she stopped, her eyes widening.

"What?!"

Hematite panted heavily, his gemstone glimmering faintly as he glared down at the warrior gem. _No, not now!_

"She knows all about your plan, Topaz! All about your lies, your manipulation! You went through all that trouble to frame me, to blame me for something I didn't do!"

He lunged forward with a fierce battle cry, going in for a direct hit. Topaz dodged out of the way, and Hematite smashed the piece of rubble she'd been standing on.

"I did what I had to! You needed to be brought to justice! And the Diamonds certainly weren't going to do it."

Hematite bared his teeth and glared at his opponent, lunging for her again. He grabbed at her, but was constantly warded off by the quick swings of her claymore. But she was on the defensive now.

"Brought to justice for what?! For 'attacking' Yellow Diamond, for doing something that wouldn't even physically harm her?! Something that I've been punished for already, that I regret almost every day of my life?! Is that what I should be killed for, Topaz?!" Hema was outright _shrieking_ at this point.

–

Yellow listened in carefully from atop the walls. Good thing they were shouting- it made it easier for her to understand what they were saying. Clutching at the wall, something was burning deep inside her. She kept her calm, steadily peering between the two.

He was right...she shouldn't have taken that into her own hands. She felt her lip twitch, a subtle snarl raising up for a few seconds, soon fading back into a neutral frown.

–

Lightning flashed overhead.

Topaz rolled back and glared at the giant gem. She held her sword at the ready, much in the same pose Yellow would during her old 'spars' with Hematite.

The familiar sight made him falter.

"Like you regret ANYTHING! HA! That's a real LAUGH!"

The general's claymore suddenly flashed a bright-golden color, now surrounded by a powerful aura. She slashed out the weapon in a sweeping motion, sending out a cutting slice of light energy that shot toward Hematite's chest. The attack caught him off guard and he stumbled back, quickly trying to regain his footing.

"You don't know me! How DARE you act like you know a _thing_ about me?!"

Topaz sneered in disgust and contempt.

"I know you're a monster! A monster that can't be trusted!"

She launched forward and sent out another blade of light energy, making Hematite flinch back again. That one nicked his shoulder, putting a deep cut in the fabric.

"That's real funny, coming from you! You say that you were trying to bring ME to justice, and then you have a fusion attack White Diamond!"

Topaz growled loudly at the giant gem before her, her attacks unrelenting now.

"Don't you _dare_ question me!"

Hematite barely managed to block her attacks. But he was being sent backwards. His gemstone glimmered brighter.

"I'm going to! Who was the fusion, why did you have them-"

"You don't have to worry about that fusion! They've been dealt with already! They went against their mission, and they paid the price!"

Hematite's eyes went wide.

"So you admit it! You admit you had that fusion try to shatter White! And then you pinned it on me- GCK"

Hematite stumbled back, stopping mid-sentence He clutched at his abdomen, Topaz's claymore now buried into his stomach.

"WHITE WASN'T SUPPOSED TO GET CRACKED!"

–

Yellow stifled a small gasp, nails digging into the sturdy building. _Oh stars, please... Don't get poofed-_ Yellow's expression twisted into a pained worry for a moment, as she was unable to tell which way this fight was going. He seemed to still be standing, so that was a little relieving. Even though she felt the smallest bit of anxiety prickling up within her, she kept watching. _Come on, Hematite. You took on me... You can take on her too._ Her brows lowered, and she glared daggers down at the General.

–

Rather painfully, the giant gem crushed the sword in his hand, poofing it away. He inhaled sharply and gripped at the wound to his abdomen. But the moment distracted him. Topaz leapt at him with another sword readied, and made a direct slash for his gemstone, just barely missing. Her feet met his shoulder, and she leapt away just in time to dodge his hands.

"If you must know, that fusion went rogue! One of the gems had a personal grudge against White, and they took over long enough to crack her! I miscalculated, and White paid the price for it!" Topaz's voice was laced with guilt and anguish. "It was supposed to be _you_! In the end, YOU were supposed to take the fall! They were to capture White, poof her, that's it! They wanted to bring you down, they knew they'd suffer White's wrath when she was released from her bubble later, but they were ready for that!"

She growled loudly and made another slash for Hema, though he was able to knock her away this time.

"We would have kept her hidden, you would have gone back empty-handed! EVERYONE would have seen you for the monster you are! But no, she got cracked and everything went wrong! But then you started to slip up. Made yourself look guilty. And to top it off, you helped us find a cure to fix my plan's mistake." She grinned cruelly, though it was impossible to see. "Despite everything going wrong, it worked out! You were being brought to justice, FINALLY!"

She lunged for him, nicking him heavily in the side. He was focusing all his attention on not shifting down, that it was getting harder to get out of the way. He was fully on the defensive.

"And now you're telling me they just let you go?! WHY? I bet that damn Emerald squealed, didn't she?!"

Hematite frowned and started to say something, but was cut off as Topaz chucked another sword at his abdomen. He barely got out of the way. She summoned another weapon.

"It isn't fair! I just wanted to see you pay for what you did! For what you took from me!"

–

Yellow's eyes widened slowly. _So it was true...She really was behind it all. But no, it was worse than she'd thought..._ She took a few heavy, livid breaths. The more Topaz spoke, the more it fueled the raging fire of fury and betrayal burning within her.

 _Yes, Topaz. Tell me everything. Tell me how guilty you are. Tell me how you messed up. Tell me your plans; why you did this to Hematite. Tell me why you did this to all of us. How is it that you, a once well-respected General, threw everything away for the purpose of getting revenge on one little service gem._

 _What happened to you?..._

–

 **Monster**

 **Traitor**

 **Pay for what you did**

 **For what you took from me**

Hematite's eyes slowly widened, and he bared his teeth in a vicious snarl... That quickly turned into a roar. Topaz stepped back quickly, off-put by the sudden outburst, but she didn't have long to stare.

The giant service gem launched after her on all fours, a feral battle cry ripping through the arena. A crash of thunder quickly followed, and lightning struck the ground near the charging service gem.

Topaz was frozen in place. And suddenly, she found herself pinned underneath the giant gem's hand, from the waist down. Her sword had been knocked away, and fizzled out some distance away from her. She stared up at the livid gem.

He was absolutely _seething_. His chest rose and fell in ragged, uneven breaths. But suddenly, when he opened his mouth and spoke, he sounded clearer than he had in a long, _long_ time. His voice was powerful, ringing, and had a force behind it that he'd never used before.

" **NOTHING** YOU DID WAS JUSTIFIED! Nothing I took from you could be worth this! You cracked my leader, you put her through hell! Your mistake nearly killed **my** White Diamond!" He reeled his fist back and SLAMMED it down on the ground beside Topaz's head, purposely missing her. The general looked terrified, but a fury was starting to build. Hematite wasn't finished. "You hurt White, you hurt Yellow, you hurt Blue! You hurt **everyone** to get to me! You turned them all against me, just when things were starting to get better!" He snarled down at her, though his voice never lost the powerful, well-carrying tone it had. "You put the entire Diamond Authority at risk! You put all of homeworld at risk for some petty, misplaced revenge! But i can tell you this! So long as i stand, so long as my gem is intact, nobody like you will harm those three again! NOT ON MY WATCH! You've made your **last** mistake, General Topaz! Whatever you think I took away from you, it damn well wasn't worth everything you've done!"

Slowly, the golden-haired gem's expression twisted into utter disgust and appalled fury. Topaz started to absolutely _**seethe**_. Her entire form began to tremble violently.

Hematite raised his head proudly, a serious, furious frown on his face.

"Gem Captured: Topaz. Status: Undamaged. Mission Objective: Harvest!" He bared his teeth. "Topaz, you have been found guilty of conspiring against the will of the Diamond Authority. Your gem will be undamaged, should you cooperate." He leaned down ever-so-slightly. "AND YOU **WILL** BE BROUGHT TO JUSTICE!"

–

The Diamond froze.

Eyes widening slowly, her expression gradually softened into something new. Something other than her cold, blank glare and furious snarl. Her brows gradually raised, and her lips parted. Something welled up inside of her core, a mix of emotions she'd _never_ felt before while looking upon the service gem. And, in fact, she hadn't felt for a long time in general.

 _Pride._

 _Satisfaction._

 _Admiration_.

 _Acceptance._

 _ **Warmth**_ _._

As if a new door had opened up within her very core, a thousand thoughts and emotions flooded through her. With a shuddering breath, Yellow stared down fiercely at the service gem... and she smiled.

This whole time, he'd been innocent.

This whole time, he'd been loyal. Far more loyal than she ever seemed to truly believe he could be. All the doubts she still clung onto, all the mistrust and old walls from past betrayals that she held against the ivory-haired gem...

Everything he said shattered them in an instant.

He was furious... passionate... truthful.

He was good.

He was justified.

He was _Hematite_.

 _And she finally,_ _ **truly**_ _felt proud to realize that._

–

Topaz didn't say a word. The service gem above her narrowed his eyes and and growled lowly at the warrior gem. Hematite raised up his fist high above Topaz, ready to poof her. He wouldn't shatter her. He'd let Yellow, White or Blue take care of that. He wasn't about to stoop to her level.

 _FLASH!_

The giant gem gasped and winced, covering his face with his hand. He quickly removed it and snapped his attention down to the gem under his hand, his face dangerously close to her.

A big mistake.

 **K!**

An ear-splitting sound echoed through the arena, quickly followed by a crash of thunder. Hematite reeled back, his form suddenly alight. A crystalline form fell away from him, split in two.

 _It was his visor._ A clean crack had been snapped through it by Topaz's sword, and she now stood on her feet, shaking violently, her eyes wide. She launched at the glowing giant gem and slashed at him mercilessly. Every strike made him reel back, his form rapidly shrinking down from both the shock and his exhaustion. Topaz's voice echoed around the empty arena.

"How DARE you say it wasn't worth it?!"

 _SLASH!_

 _shrink_

"That was all I had!"

 _SLASH!_

 _shrink_

The general's voice wavered, cracking with emotion.

"SHE WAS ALL THAT MATTERED!"

 _SLASH!_

 _shrink_

 **"AND YOU. TOOK. HER.** _ **AWAY FROM ME!"**_

 **K!**

Topaz slapped away the now Pearl-sized Hematite with her claymore. He smacked heavily against a large piece of rubble, his form no longer glowing. However, his gemstone continued to glimmer, even as he slumped down onto the floor, gasping for breath. He grasped his hand over his gem, panting. Slowly, he lifted his head, staring at the livid general.

Topaz chucked her helmet away, standing her ground as she stared a the floor. She was about twenty feet or so away from the service gem. Her armor vanished in a show of golden sparks, her face toward the ground. When she lifted her head to turn to him, the sight froze Hematite where he lay.

The general was _**weeping.**_

"She didn't deserve it! She made a mistake! A mistake in self-defense! She never wanted to be part of the war... It was my fault, I pushed her to stay. A-and then to be sent into hiding because she cracked some power-hungry general, out of self defense-?!" The golden-haired gem looked away in anguish, gripping at her bangs in one hand. She took a hissing breath through her teeth, but the sound came out as a _sob_ when she exhaled. "We were happy! Despite her having to hide from the Diamonds, we could still be together! Our lives were just fine! I had my city to manage, and she could live in peace... I never would have had to lose her if I just kept her a secret..."

She shook her head and glared down at the service gem, her hair falling over her right eye.

"And then YOU came along! White made you MONSTROCITIES to hunt down gems! And you did! You tracked her down and tried to harvest her-" her voice was a shriek at this point, and cracked with grief. "-AND YOU _**SHATTERED**_ HER!"

–

Yellow's body went numb.

 _Beryl?! So that's where she had gone... she was SHATTERED?! So that's why she was out for him... She had wondered about where the warrior had gone off to after she'd escaped from prison… Topaz was..._ _ **protecting**_ _her, all these years?_

–

Hematite felt his entire body go cold. Slowly, he felt a familiar phantom pain in his mouth start to creep up on him. It felt as though little needles were stabbing into his front teeth and tongue. He shivered and stared up at the livid gem before him, the very act of swallowing a painful venture. Topaz heaved and shook her head faintly.

"She didn't deserve it... She didn't. She just wanted to keep living... To be free. She cared so deeply for gemkind." Topaz took a single step forward, dragging her claymore along the floor. Another step. And then another. And another. Hematite was frozen in place. Soon, Topaz stood mere feet in front of him, her fist tightly clenching the hilt of her sword. She lifted her chin, her chest heaving. Her expression was one of pure agony and _grief_.

"Her name was Beryl. She was _**my**_ Beryl. And she didn't deserve to die."

Beryl.

 _Beryl._

 _ **Beryl**_ _._

–

 _Twelve years ago…_

–

 _"HELP, PLEASE! Stop! I'm innocent I swear, please don't bring me back there!"_

 _"N-no, what are you doing?! Spit me out! Please! I'll cooperate, just don't tell the Diamonds I'm here, they'll shatter me!"_

 _Lightning flickered overhead, and freezing rain stung at Hematite's back. Thunder rolled over the landscape. Hema was hunched over on his knees, blocking off a tiny, dead-end alcove in some tall stone walls. His long, ivory hair laid flat against his form, soaked from the rain._

 _"You're making my job very difficult. Hold still."_

 _"NO, LET ME GO! Stars, someone get me out of here!_ _ **STOP!"**_

 _!_

 _GC-CK!_

 _ **K**_

 _A stabbing pain shot through the giant gem's back, and he bit down_ _ **violently**_ _out of reflex. Hematite gagged in pain and horror, leaning over, his hands planted firmly on the ground. A puff of light-yellow smoke cleared around his mouth, drifting past his eyes. He stared down at the ground in absolute aghast horror._

 _He felt three tiny, crystalline pieces on his tongue, pricking into his mouth unpleasantly. Letting out an inhuman cry, the ivory-haired gem spat out the three pale-yellow pieces onto the ground, covering his mouth. His entire world went dark as he stared down at the shattered gem._

 _ **Whirrrr**_

 _Click_

 _Gem Found: Beryl_

 _Status: SHATTERED_

 _Mission Objective: Harvest – Shatter if Violent_

 _ **... No.**_

 _His entire mouth tingled, as if_ _ **filled**_ _with gem shards. It stung and pricked like a thousand shards of glass were stabbing into his tongue, his mouth, his teeth. The dull pieces of gem laid pitifully on the dirt floor, stinging drops of rain rolling down their lifeless facets._

 _The service gem covered his entire face, retching quietly as he leaned down, his eyes shutting tightly._

 _NO!_

 _ **NO, NO NO NO!**_

 _ **...**_

 _Glimmer_

 _Flash!_

Hematite suddenly laid on the floor of the arena, only a few inches tall. Topaz towered before him. She glared down upon his pitiful form, taking another step forward.

 _His time was up._

 _He couldn't hold out long enough._

 _ **He'd failed.**_

"If the Diamond Authority won't bring you to justice..." She slowly lifted her claymore, glaring down at him. "Then I will."

–

Yellow went cold at the sight of Hematite's now-tiny form on the arena floor. Eyes widening, the Diamond stiffened, teeth gritting. She'd heard all she needed to. She had little time to react now; _Hematite was vulnerable... and if she didn't move, he'd be dead. There was no time for thinking._

 **ACT.**

Placing her palm to her gemstone, she summoned her sword.

 _Sorry Blue, looks like I'm not staying out of this one._

–

Hematite stared up at Topaz's sword as she stepped closer.

… _I'm sorry. Guys..._

He weakly covered his gem, bracing himself as the ice-cold claws he'd become so familiar with lately closed in on his pitiful, weakened body. He closed his eyes, a tiny whimper escaping him.

 _ **I won't be back soon.**_

 _._

 _.._

…

 _Chirp!_

Hematite sharply opened his eyes and looked at his eyepiece. A new signature had appeared, and its signal was familiar.

 _Yel-_

 _SHINK._

Buried deep into the ground right between the tiny service gem and the general was Yellow's sword, fizzling with sparks that quickly faded away. Hematite felt an icy chill shoot up his spine at the sight of the sword. But, an even colder shudder ran up his form as the ground directly behind him gave a subtle tremble.

 **THUMP**

Landing right behind Hematite, Yellow Diamond hunched over as she landed, slowly raising her body to stand up straight.

With a cold, unreadable gaze she stared right at General Topaz. Never averting her piercing, yellow eyes from the other gem, she slowly grabbed the hilt of her sword and shifted it, pulling it only an inch or so out of the ground. Quietly, she tapped it onto the floor in front of the Hematite, the sword's tip inches from his trembling body, shielding him.

–

The tiny service gem whimpered quietly, glancing up at Yellow Diamond for a long, fearful moment.

 _This had been a trap. She'd followed him. They were working together to get him killed!_

 _SHE-_

 _..._

 _She was protecting him._

Hematite let out a soft exhale of disbelief, his form trembling. He slowly averted his gaze past the shining sword, to the bereaved general standing before her Diamond.

Topaz stood up straight, taking a few paces back. She stared down at Yellow in appalled disbelief, and swept her sword to the side aggressively.

"YELLOW! With all due respect, _step aside!"_

–

Yellow didn't move an inch. She didn't so much as flinch.

"No," she said, the word dry and bone-chillingly cold. Slowly, she narrowed her eyes, glaring hot daggers into the general. She lifted her sword and pointed it right at her triangular gemstone, tapping the tip of the blade gently to the surface of the smooth, golden stone. "You will not harm this gem."

–

The general's eyes widened, and she glanced down at her gemstone a moment before the sword made contact. The instant the metallic tip touched the faceted stone, she felt a sharp, piercing chill shoot through her. She stepped back, dropping her claymore. It vanished in a flash, and she clenched her fists, teeth bared.

"..."

–

Yellow's own lips twisted into a dark sneer.

"Did you think I wouldn't find out?..." She stepped closer, just over Hematite. "Did you think you'd get away with this?" Another step. "How _**dare**_ you play me for a fool, Topaz. I trusted you. We all trusted you..." She hissed quietly. Despite her cool demeanor, Topaz could see everything in Yellow's eyes, clear as day. She was furious, fearless, and held an unspoken, deep _disappointment_.

–

The general frowned deeply, and, after a moment, her sneer faded... And she looked away in shame.

"… How can you defend such a monster?" she scoffed weakly.

"I'm not defending _you,_ " she growled menacingly.

"Tsss." Topaz visibly grimaced and hissed through her teeth, her hands clenching and unclenching. Slowly, her expression shifted into one of grief. She couldn't meet Yellow's eyes. "… Nobody was supposed to get hurt aside from him."

–

Yellow took another step forward. Her sword never left the general's gemstone, but she was careful not to harm it.

"It wasn't your place to take the life of a service gem like Hematite. It wasn't your place to put anyone at risk, regardless of your intentions or your _reason_. Your actions nearly cost White her life. You're lucky you aren't already dead where you stand," she growled, words laced with venom. She slowly shifted another step closer, eyes narrowing.

–

The general grimaced and met Yellow's gaze.

She looked _afraid_.

 _Guilty._

 _Grieved._

But there was still unspent anger there. A light still burned in her eyes, and she spared Hematite a glance every few moments.

 _She was still up for a fight. And Yellow knew it._

Yellow pressed the sword up against Topaz's gemstone again, her brows slowly furrowing. Her expression finally shifted into one of undisguised fury. The taller gem felt her body run cold as Yellow's expression changed to one of unrestrained fury, and she went stiff as she closed the distance between them, her sword still on her gemstone. Yellow sneered faintly.

"Topaz; formerly of the Yellow District. In the name of the Diamond Authority, you are charged with treason against your kind and with responsibility for White's cracked gemstone..."

She tilted her arm so that her sword wouldn't move from its spot; but she stepped even closer, now only a few inches away from the taller gem. Their eyes locked, and she glared up at the war veteran. They shared a long, pained, but meaningful look. Years of trust, comraderie, loyalty, _friendship_ , even. It all laid within each gem's gaze... but was quickly, and tragically vanishing like mist in a hot sunrise. The golden sun gradually peered over the Coliseum wall, casting the gems below in a cold, milky-blue light. A chill wind swept through the arena, disturbing Yellow's hair as she drew her lips into a tight line.

"You are hereby stripped of all of your titles. You are banished from the Homeworld capital. Consider this a merciful punishment... it's far better than you _deserve,_ directly responsible for White's cracked gem or not. For your millennia of service, good works, and loyalty, I grant you this _**one**_ favor. Do not make me regret it."

Narrowing her eyes again, Yellow took a single step back and gracefully swung the sword into the ground in front of her, holding its hilt valiantly. She stood tall, professional, and fierce, her feet planted firmly at either of Hematite's sides.

–

Topaz made sure to listen quietly to her punishment, then slowly took a single step back as Yellow removed her sword's tip from her gemstone.

"… Hmph." The ex-general narrowed her eyes and took another step back. Slowly, she closed her eyes and held her hands out slightly to her sides. "Very well, Yellow Diamond. You'll never see me again." She bowed respectfully, opening her eyes as she stood straight. She turned and started to walk away. Once she was a fair distance from Yellow, she broke into a full-on sprint, quickly making her way up the stands of the arena.

She reached the top and stopped, looking back. The sun illuminated her regal, powerful form with a bright, golden glow. Another chill wind whispered through the Blue District Coliseum, blowing her hair out beside her. It shimmered in the early morning light, settling into slightly mussed, thick locks around her shoulders and sides. Drawing a hand over the front of her suit, Topaz covered the diamond insignia below her gemstone, and her suit glimmered. She lifted her hand. The once pale-yellow diamond insignia was gone, replaced with the same dark red as the rest of the band of her suit. She lowered her hand, fist clenching as she stared down at Yellow and Hematite.

...

 **This isn't** _ **over**_ **.**

The war veteran turned slowly, taking a long, deep breath. She glared out over the district, her teeth grit into a pained grimace. Slowly, she inhaled through her nose and closed her eyes, tilting her head up slightly, brows furrowed in resignation. She leapt down the side of the Coliseum, landing heavily on the other side.

And just like that, Topaz was gone.

–

Yellow didn't move from her spot, watching the Topaz sprint off. Once she was sure that the ex-general was gone, Yellow gripped the hilt of her sword tightly, silently staring off at the sky just above where she'd watched her former warrior gem vanish. She already almost regretted not shattering her... Any other time, any other place, she would have without a second thought... But Topaz had served her well... and she'd never known her to cause such grief. This was a merciful punishment for that reason alone, but there was something else. Something important, something... no, _someone_ that she had to protect. Someone who she couldn't have risked getting caught in the crossfire, should she have tried to shatter the ex-general. She knew Topaz's fighting like the back of her hand, and vice versa. She would have been a serious threat, should she have struck back at Yellow and made a go for Hematite... but now. Topaz was gone, even if she _wasn't_ shattered. That was all that mattered.

Turning quickly, Yellow immediately placed her sword back into her gemstone with a soft shimmer. Her furious expression softened into one of concern.

"Hematite." She faced him entirely now, starting to walk towards him.

–

The tiny, ivory-haired gem was staring up at the spot that Topaz had vanished behind. He had a strange feeling in the pit of his stomach... Something that told him this would come back to haunt them later. But, it was quickly brushed aside by the towering gem approaching him.

For a split second, he thought maybe she was angry... But then he looked at her face.

Hematite stared up at Yellow, still-fresh tears staining his cheeks. His trembling had calmed, but it hadn't stopped entirely.

–

Carefully, Yellow knelt down onto one of her knees, placing a palm to the ground. She turned her hand over, offering it to him.

"You did well, Hematite..." she said, brows raised. To Hematite's utter surprise... Yellow's face bore not a look of spite or malice, or even faint anger from having to exile Topaz. No... she was smiling proudly, and _warmly_. Hematite felt his chest tighten up. _But not in pain._

He felt something. For the first time since this whole ordeal with White started... he felt _something_ other than fear, anxiety, dread, when he looked upon Yellow.

 _He felt hopeful..._

 _He felt warm._

 _He felt_ _ **safe**_ _._

Whimpering quietly, the tiny gem struggled to his feet and ran forward, scrambling onto Yellow's palm. He clung to her thumb, half-burying his face in it. His entire body trembled faintly, and he went limp from exhaustion, sniffling softly.

–

Yellow inhaled sharply, a little surprised that he had run to her open hand so willingly... so _quickly_. Slowly, carefully, she lifted her hand and stood up, awkwardly cupping her fingers at his side to keep him from rolling off.

"Everything is alright," she said, holding him close to her. She started to walk towards the entrance of the Coliseum, but kept her pace even and steady, sure to hold her hand as still as she could. She glanced down at the tiny gem in her palm, lips parting slightly. For a moment, it looked as though she were searching for the right words to say... but then she smiled, eyes half-lidding. "… I'm proud of you, Hematite. We all are."

–

The tiny service gem gazed up at his superior as she held him closer. He drew his knees close to his chest, staring ahead after a moment.

"...Thank you."

He sniffled quietly. It wasn't that he didn't feel warm, safe... like everything was going to be okay. Because, part of him did feel like that. He wanted to believe that this was all over now, that everything was alright. In Yellow's surprisingly careful hold, he did feel safer and warmer than he had in weeks, but as relieved as he felt, as much as his very core swelled at hearing that Yellow was proud of him... that they were all proud of him... he couldn't help but think of White. No matter how well things had turned out, no matter how much he wanted to believe White would be proud of what he'd done... _he wasn't sure if she'd ever be proud of him again._

After all...

 _He was no longer her Hematite._

The tiny gem huddled closer to Yellow's thumb and closed his eyes, resting his forehead on the soft fabric of her glove. Yellow Diamond's footsteps overtook his senses, and he felt the world around him slowly fade into muffled darkness. His body felt heavy with exhaustion, and, finally... he let it overtake him. Within mere minutes, Hematite relaxed entirely, falling into a deep, dreamless sleep.


	59. Home

Summary: Hematite talks about his time on Earth.

* * *

The air in the White District was cold and still. It was a calm morning, not a cloud in the sky. Warm sunbeams peered in over the sky bridge. Yellow Diamond walked in and out of the light rays, occasionally cast in shadow by the pillars that blocked the light. Carefully holding him close to her chest, Yellow had her palms cupped around Hematite's worn out, tiny form. She stared straight on ahead, mentally preparing herself for what was coming.

White had to know... and she had to be the one to tell her.

She steeled herself, keeping a steady and professional pace. Occasionally, she'd glance down at the small gem she held gently in her hands. He seemed to have nodded off between the time she left the Coliseum an hour or two ago and now. She couldn't put a finger on what strange new feeling seated itself in her core when she looked upon the tiny service gem. It was a warm feeling, something she hadn't felt before, or, at least, not for some time. She tried not to concern herself with it too much, but she couldn't help but be curious about it. Perhaps it was merely a new found respect for the Hematite. After all, he had performed valiantly, and through his actions, exposed a rather well-hidden scheme. Perhaps, Yellow thought, this foreign emotion was merely her mind trying to push aside the last fragments of doubt she'd held onto until a mere few hours ago.

–

Not too long after Yellow began walking back to the towers, Hematite had passed out.

He was completely and utterly exhausted.

The past month as a whole had taxed him. And while he normally would have woken up rather quickly...

He stayed asleep.

Loosely clinging to Yellow Diamond's thumb, the tiny service gem rested, his chest rising and falling subtly. His mouth was slightly open, as it normally was when he slept.

But this time, as he rested...

He wasn't plagued by nightmares.

He found himself in his pocket dimension, warm rays of sunset bathing the landscape once again. The Blue and Yellow Districts had shrunken down to a normal size on the horizon. Harsh wind no longer blew. Lightning no longer riddled the skies. Now, all that was out of the ordinary was the White District, still standing tall and dark. But, Hematite tried to ignore that. He sat on the steps of his tower, his hair being blown by a gentle breeze. He stayed like that for the entire walk to the White Tower. The service gem, in his dream, had closed his eyes contentedly.

 _He'd done it._

 _He proved his innocence._

And in the process, he unveiled a dangerous, traitorous gem.

Blue was proud of him.

Yellow was proud of him.

He'd done well.

He'd done so much good.

But there was still a part of his heart that ached. A part that knew something was wrong, something was missing.

 _ **White.**_

–

It didn't take too long to get to White's tower. About another thirty minutes of steady walking or so, and Yellow found herself behind the sturdy, carbonite doors. She stood up straight, making herself look as presentable as possible. Fortunately, she hadn't been involved in any sort of direct conflict, so her projection was spared from damages. Hematite, however, wasn't so fortunate. If White saw him, it'd be painfully clear he'd been in some sort of fight. That wouldn't matter though; she'd make sure White didn't see him, if she could help it.

 **KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK.**

With a hiss, the door peered open, and Yellow was greeted with White's Pearl. The Pearl's eyes widened in confusion, but she gave Yellow a respectful salute and let her in. Subtly, Yellow held her hands over Hematite in a way that hid him from sight. From afar, it would seem as though she were just holding her hands over one another, nothing too out of the ordinary.

–

The familiar sound of an office door hissing open snapped Hematite's attention back to the real world. He opened his eyes, both in his dream, and then in reality.

He was met with the dark fabric of Yellow's gloves. The tiny service gem looked around in mild panic for a moment. He was closed in Yellow Diamond's palms.

But he calmed after a moment. Right, right. Yellow was carrying him to safety. Stars, he needed a rest. Maybe she'd let him nap on that cushion she'd taken from White's office...

–

From her desk, White glanced up momentarily, her brows furrowed darkly.

"Yellow Diamond."

"White Diamond..."

"Is the job done?"

"... About that."

Yellow cleared her throat and gazed away from White. The door closed behind her, leaving her locked in the same room with the rather unpredictable Diamond. White's eyes narrowed with _quickly_ rising suspicion.

" _What._ "

Yellow flinched, holding her hands close. Hematite tensed as well. His groggy mind was starting to wake up, and he shifted ever so slightly. Was Yellow keeping him hidden? Quietly, he closed his eyes, listening. _Seemed Yellow was about to drop the news..._

"Listen, White. There's something you need to know..." She stepped closer, boldly looking back into the other Diamond's eyes. She almost wished she hadn't. There was a deep-seated fury and pain there, as if it still wasn't spent from finding out about Hematite's 'treachery.' Yellow swallowed quietly, trying to keep steady. White's anger was infamous. Yellow Diamond knew not to test her. But this time, she had no choice.

"Spit it out, then, what happened?!" White hissed, her patience already wearing thin. Yellow closed her eyes for a moment, but soon opened them again, keeping them calm and half-lidded.

"Hematite was not the one responsible for the crimes against you and the Diamond Authority... it was General Topaz."

The room was quiet for a moment, but the peace didn't last too long. Baffled, White stood behind her desk, glaring right through the other Diamond.

 _"What...?_ " she hissed, confused and still bristling with rising indignance. Yellow quickly continued.

"I went to Hematite's cell today to do as you requested, but when I got there...well, Blue was with him... and so was the scout from your mission. They explained everything. Topaz was behind it all, in the end... I sent Hematite to capture her, but... I was worried that because of his current state, he might have some trouble apprehending her. I wanted to make sure he caught her, so I followed after them both and stayed out of sight. And, for a moment once I had caught up to them, it looked like he was _going_ to apprehend her..." She paused, looking away. "But she got the best of him. She confessed everything. Admittedly, there was a small part of me that had wondered if this was another elaborate trick... but Topaz proved it. Hematite was innocent the whole time, White... I heard it from the general herself-"

"WHAAAT?!" She was quickly cut off by an enraged yell. Yellow flinched, backing up a few steps. "White! Are you alr-"

"TOPAZ? TOPAZ?! THAT... HORRIBLE... VILE EXCUSE FOR A GEM DID ALL OF THIS?!" She snarled, the pressure in the air steadily rising. Yellow started to sweat. _Keep calm._

"She won't be a problem any longer," she said quickly.

 **"Tell me you shattered her..."** Her tone was laced with hatred. Yellow swallowed nervously, glancing back at White.

"..." White started to tremble in her fury. Gripping her nails into the surface of her desk, she tensed, lips curled into a vicious display of fangs. Yellow's eyes widened, and she took another step back. "She's gone. That's all that matter-"

"THAT'S NOT GOOD ENOUGH. She will PAY for what she did... I..." White's voice cracked towards the end of her sentence, and she slowly lifted her hand to her face. She covered her eye with her palm, soon running her hand up through her hair. She took a deep breath... and she glanced down at Yellow's hands. The seething gem suddenly went quiet. "… And. What of Hematite?"

Yellow blinked, stifling a twitch. She'd caught where White's eyes had drifted... had she figured it out?

"He's safe." Yellow's hands cupped a little tighter, but not enough to completely smother the small gem that she protected.

–

Hematite listened silently to what was going on in the office, occasionally flinching at White's furious outburst. He huddled closer to Yellow's thumb, though he still remained hidden. Without a word, Hematite reassuringly squeezed Yellow's thumb with his hands. He gently pressed the side of his face against her finger, looking up at the hand covering him.

–

The taller Diamond blinked and slowly looked down, her hand falling from her face. Her lips parted faintly, as if she was muttering to herself, but nothing came out. With a trembling hand, she supported herself on her desk, the room around her going dark for a brief moment. Suddenly, everything she'd said and done to Hematite came rushing back to her in a painful, guilty torrent. She lifted a hand to her chin, covering her mouth. White hunched over her desk, staring down in disbelief and horror.

 _Oh_ _ **stars**_ _, what have I done..._

The tall Diamond remained silent for a tense moment, her eyes closing. Then, after a slow inhale, she finally broke the silence.

"Yellow Diamond," she spoke, her voice now dark, pained, and monotonous.

Yellow felt a chill run up her spine.

"Ah... yes, White?..."

Slowly, White lifted her head, stark-white irises piercing through Yellow's very core.

"Take him somewhere safe, for now... I will speak with him later... I need some time to process this and calm down. Please come speak with me later. I will call you."

Yellow's eyes widened. _So she did know! Hm, not that she was terribly surprised. She never_ _ **was**_ _easy to fool or hide things from._ She glanced down between her hands and White's face nervously.

"I... Alright," she said, offering White a nod of understanding.

Turning, the shorter Diamond started out the door without a word. She'd done her job, and she wasn't sticking around here much longer, lest she and Hematite suffer more of her wrath.

The door hissed shut behind them.

–

The tiny service gem finally stirred when he heard the door shut behind himself and Yellow. Slowly, he peeked out from the side of her cupped hands, looking up at her curiously, but with a twinge of worry.

"… Is she going to be okay?"

–

Yellow opened her palms up, finally giving the tiny gem some room to move around more freely. "… She will be. But for now, I think this all has come as quite a shock to her...When White gets upset, she doesn't like to be around other gems. She tends to deal with her frustrations and grief alone if she can help it." Yellow stopped, turning and starting to walk down the spiral halls leading down into the tower. She wasn't sure where she was headed, but it didn't matter as long as it wasn't here. "I don't think she wanted you to be around her while she was angry again. Quite frankly, I'm glad... I didn't want to be in there, either. Even _I_ don't like messing with White when she's livid..." Yellow bit her lip, staring distantly ahead of her.

–

Biting his lip for a moment, Hematite sat up straight and crossed his legs. He folded his arms over his chest and looked up at the Diamond.

"...Yeah." Recollection flashed over the tiny gem's face for a moment, but he hid it quickly. "...Yellow? Could you take me to my room? It's just down a few halls. I can point it out."

–

Yellow blinked, glancing down briefly at the tiny gem.

"Ah, of course..." She started walking a little faster, peering at the doors on the side of the walls. She'd never been to Hematite's room before; she'd almost forgotten he even had a room here.

–

The tiny service gem went quiet but, after a few minutes, he perked up and pointed at a tall door.

"There." He looked up at her. "I can punch in the code if you hold me up to the pad," he stated simply with a small smile.

–

Yellow nodded, stopping just shy of the door. She turned to the security pad and held Hematite up to it. Curiously, she stared down at him. _You know I could have put it in myself if you'd asked..._

–

Smiling, the tiny gem stood up and walked closer to the pad, flipping up a small screen to uncover the number pad. Sticking his tongue out just slightly, Hematite put a fair bit of weight into pressing in the buttons, giving little noises of effort.

"Mmm, and- okay."

He pressed a secondary button to turn the lights on before the door opened.

 _Hsssk_

 _ **It wasn't a pretty sight.**_

The normally pristine and tidy room was absolutely riddled with papers, books, diamond pads, diagrams, gem tech that he'd gotten a hold of, cushions for him to sit on... It was an absolute mess. Shelves were disorganized and the cabinets even laid noticeably crooked here and there, research was strewn about. One of the cushions to his couch was across the room. And, the curtains to his window were pulled shut. Though, considering how gossamer they were, that didn't account for much.

The tiny gem's smile faded as he gazed upon the room.

–

Yellow half-reluctantly walked into the room, peering around. This room was huge...a lot bigger than she'd expected. And a lot messier, too...But perhaps she couldn't blame him. Stepping inside, Yellow looked around and spotted the couch. Making her way over to it, she sat down and held her hand out, letting the smaller gem step off.

"… Nice place you have here."

–

Hematite grimaced as he looked around the disheveled bedroom. Right... he hadn't been in here since that day that White asked him for help, and he went to the bar.

He sighed quietly, his heart sinking.

Stepping off of Yellow's palm, he stood on the couch cushion and crossed his arms, gazing around.

"It's usually much tidier. I didn't care much for organization while I was trying to." He paused. "...Never mind." The tiny gem's expression fell, and he clutched at the fabric of his sleeve. "It doesn't matter anymore. After today, I'll probably be moved to the Kindergarten with Mago."

–

Yellow raised a brow, looking down at the service gem. Folding her arms in her lap, she seemed more concerned with the tiny gem than she was with the room.

"What makes you say that?..."

–

Flinching, Hematite pulled at his sleeve.

"...Right. You weren't there."

Hesitantly, the tiny service gem explained, to the best of his ability, what had happened after Yellow had left the room, over a week ago; what he could remember White saying, or doing.

His voice wavered once or twice toward the end.

"… _'From this day forth, you are no longer my Hematite.'_ Her exact words."

–

Yellow looked away solemnly.

"I see..." _Stars, that must have been hard to take in_. "I'm sorry, Hematite," she continued, raising her brows. She looked down at him with a sympathetic look, but was unsure of what to say. Slowly, she lifted her hand up and brushed a finger over his hair. _He seemed to like this before, at least. Maybe it'd provide some sort of comfort now?_

"I'm sure things will work out, regardless... Just stay optimistic, alright? White's...well, as hard as this is to believe right now, I'm sure, she's pretty understanding. There is a chance you won't have to go back to the Kindergarten. After all, now that she knows you're innocent... I'm sure there's a lot she'll want to say to you. Hopefully good things... But." She paused, faltering near the end. She glanced away once more. "Just be prepared for anything..."

–

Blinking in surprise, the tiny gem leaned into the light touch to his hair. His eyes closed contently for a long moment, humming quietly. As Yellow spoke, Hematite opened one eye, gazing up at her silently.

 _Be prepared for anything..._

After seeing what happened last time he faced White, he wasn't sure he could be.

"I'll try."

–

A few hours had since passed, and Yellow eventually took her leave, leaving Hematite alone to his room. Time ticked by, the afternoon soon drifting over into dusk. Warm light rays gently peered through the curtains, giving the room a soft, almost orange, hue. For a while, it was quiet. Until...

 _Knock. knock._

 _No reply._

For a moment, there was a calm silence; a stillness to the air that seemed almost unnatural.

 _knock_

The door hissed open, not waiting for a reply this time. There, in the doorway, stood White Diamond. Her hands were clasped together, fingers entwined. She took a step in.

She seemed sad. Concerned. Pained. She didn't speak, glancing around the room slowly, looking for any sign of the tiny gem.

"Hematite?..."

The room was in the same disheveled state as before. It seemed, perhaps, that Yellow Diamond had helped Hematite pick up a few things, but not much had changed.

Hematite was nowhere to be found.

White looked solemnly around the room, sighing heavily. Shrugging her shoulders low, she started for the shelf. Kneeling down a foot or two away from one of the cubbies, she eyed the back panel. Slowly, she lifted her hand and tapped on the panel with her knuckle.

"Hematite?" she repeated.

The panel seemed to be shut tight. There was no reply.

Biting her lip quietly, White stood up and headed back for the door. But she wasn't leaving. Tapping a code into the pad near the door, she heard the faintest _shhk_. She turned again, looking at the section of wall directly to the right of the door. A thin panel of the wall receded in and slid to the side, revealing a clear screen that looked into the tiny room.

Her heart sank, eyes widening faintly.

–

Soon after Yellow had left, Hematite had retired to his hidden room. He cleaned up a _little_ bit and reformed his clothes so they wouldn't be as torn up, but he still looked like a mess. His face was scratched up, his hair was in messy tufts, and he was covered in dust and dirt from his fight.

Well... at least he looked relaxed.

The tiny gem was laying on his stomach on the cushion in his teacup bed. His arms were folded in front of him, his head resting in the space between them. He seemed to be asleep.

 _Ping, ping!_

A soft, dinging 'alarm' sounded in the small room, unheard from the outside as the wall panel slid open. It took a moment, but the sleeping service gem soon stirred. His relaxed expression faded, his brows furrowing in confusion.

 _What was that sound? He'd never heard it before._

Hematite shifted and propped himself up on his elbows, stretching out one leg at a time behind him.

He opened his eyes groggily, staring at the huge gem taking up most of the view outside his room's see-through wall.

 _Oh, White._

… _**White.**_

Hematite's eyes widened, and he shrunk back slightly, laying on his front in a submissive gesture. He didn't look happy to see her. No, he looked utterly _terrified_.

–

White stared through the panel, lips parted slightly like she was breathing softly. She looked faintly _horrified_ for a few moments, but her expression softened, and she shook her head subtly, as if trying to get a hold of herself.

"Hematite... I'd like to speak with you," she said quietly, calmer than the service gem had heard in a long while.

–

White's words reached him through a small speaker that lay near the clear panel. Without responding, the tiny gem relaxed. She didn't seem angry... That was a good sign, right?

Slowly, Hematite looked around his room and started to climb out of the teacup. Glancing out of the panel, the tiny service gem slowly made his way to the narrow hall that lead to the shelf. He was soon out of White's view.

...

 _A long pause followed._

...

..

.

 _Csssh_

The tiny entrance panel slid aside. A moment later, a soft glimmer lit up the cubby, and Hematite's glowing form leapt down. Before he hit the ground, he'd shifted up to his usual height.

He adjusted his sleeves before slowly turning to stare up at his leader.

An unmistakable look of apprehension was written across his face.

–

White had stepped back, away from Hematite. Her fingers pressed against one another anxiously. She seemed mildly distraught. As if searching for the right thing to say, White looked away, lifting a hand to her face. She placed her fingers over her mouth, turning away from the service gem completely. She was at a loss for words. She started to pace, muttering something quietly every now and then, too quietly to hear. Admittedly, White's behavior wasn't helping to soothe Hematite's anxiety. At first, she'd seemed agitated, frustrated. And that was the last thing he wanted. After a solid minute or two of unintelligible grumbling, White looked back up. Her back was turned to Hematite, shoulders tensed. But, they relaxed, and she spoke.

"I... have a lot to say. A lot that I regret not saying sooner." She sounded noticeably upset. It carried audibly in her tone, every word she spoke laced with pained remorse.

She walked over to Hematite's couch and sat down, burying her face in her palms.

–

Hematite's brows raised in concern. She sounded upset. Really upset.

And as she walked over to the couch and sat down, burying her face in her hands, Hema felt his chest tighten up. After a pause, he stepped closer. The service gem slowly made his way to her side, sitting beside her. He folded his hands in his lap neatly, looking up at her with sad, expectant eyes.

–

White lifted her head, staring hollowly at the room in front of her. She hadn't really seemed to acknowledge that Hematite was right next to her, but she knew he was there. She took a shuddering breath, hesitating.

"I'm... sorry, Hematite... I'm so sorry..." she started, tears forming in her eyes almost immediately. She ran her palms down the sides of her face, clasping them together as they left her face.

"For everything... Everything I've done. That I've put you through... everything that I've caused. This is all my fault..."

–

The service gem blinked, his shoulders raising in distress as White teared up. _No, no, please don't cry!_ He bit his lip, glancing to the side.

"…" Slowly, he lifted his hand to his face, removed his eyepiece, and set it aside. Turning back to White, he frowned sadly. "...It wasn't your fault. Topaz caused all of this." Swallowing, he continued. "I don't blame _you_."

–

White sat up straighter, her form shivering.

"No... You don't understand, Hematite..." She closed her eyes again, face riddled with agony. Tears started flowing, dripping heavily down her cheeks.

"I created you. I trusted you. I taught you so much... I was so proud. I was so happy for you every time I saw your smiling face... because I knew that despite everything you went through, everything you knew, you stayed optimistic, and that was so incredible to me..." She forced a small, warm smile.

"And then I..." She paused, the anguish coming back tenfold. "I turned on you in an instant. I didn't believe you. I didn't trust you anymore... I was so hurt, I had... wondered why you could have possibly hated me enough to do what you did... or, rather, what I had been _convinced_ that you did." She paused, raising her hand to her face again and rubbing her hand over it with exasperation.

"I almost killed you for something you never did..."

–

Hematite swallowed hard. _It was starting to get to him, seeing her like this. And in the pit of his stomach, he felt it was only about to get worse._ And in his chest, he felt something tightening up, making it harder to breathe. He swallowed again, barely keeping back tears that pricked at the corners of his eyes.

"..."

–

At this point, White already looked awful.

"Everything I said to you... back when SHE spilled out those horrible accusations...!" Her tone suddenly hissed into a violent anger for a moment, tears still flowing freely. "I was so angry... so distressed... so confused, hurt, and betrayed... _Stars_ I get so irrational when I get upset... My judgment was so clouded." She inhaled sharply through her teeth, running her fingers through her hair.

"I was scared... So scared, Hematite... I had only heard thousands of horror stories about becoming cracked, but... Being a Diamond, I had never even fathomed what it could be like." Her eyes widened with a thousand-yard, horrified stare. "I'm so sorry, for everything I said... My anger cannot excuse my words or actions." She slouched over, crossing her hands over one another. She stared down into her palms, eyes half-lidded. Tears softly dripped between and onto her fingers.

"I was wrong. I thought I'd known you better than that... But I knew how people could turn out. I knew that, no matter how much you trusted or thought you knew someone, they could change within the blink of an eye...I was worried that you might have done the same." She faltered, looking completely away. "Especially knowing that you _must_ harbor some sort of spite against me... how could you _not_?"

–

Hematite ached to his very core. He thought about all the horrible things White had said to him. All the hurt, hateful looks. He remembered the raw terror he'd felt when he thought she was going to shatter him.

And he remembered that horrifying empty feeling that had taken over him in an instant.

How everything seemed to shatter around him, leaving him with nothing.

Nothing but a broken heart and a thick, black abyss that took over his entire being.

 _And she regretted causing all of that._

He'd had a lot of time to think in his cell. He'd already figured that Pink Diamond had a lot to do with how the Diamonds could turn on him so quickly. It didn't lessen the pain, but it at least helped to explain it.

But what he didn't understand was what White meant by her last statement. He arched his brows in concerned confusion.

"Spite...? White, what are you talking about?"

–

White didn't respond for a few moments. Slowly, she finally looked over to him, making some kind of eye contact, albeit pained. She looked away swiftly. She couldn't bear to look at him.

She started to sob. Burying her face in her hands again, she buckled over. Hot, sopping-wet tears flooded down her face, dripping from her hands. She couldn't speak.

–

The service gem physically flinched at White's sudden breakdown. His hands unfolded from his lap, and he nervously hovered them over her arm and shoulder. Slowly, the tightness in his chest worsened, and he felt hot tears prickling at his eyes.

"Wh-White, please..."

...

Fingers twitching for a moment, Hematite hesitated. He knew he shouldn't do what he was about to... but he couldn't bear to see White so distressed. Slowly, nervously, Hema gently placed a hand on his leader's arm.

–

Gasping softly, she lifted her head slightly at the sudden contact. She felt numb. But she had more to say.

"I... cannot forgive myself. For what I've done..." She muttered, forcing the words past more quiet sobs. "Your existence, your coding, your eventual corruption... It's all my fault... I created a doomed species, and I cannot fix them... What sort of monster am I." She shuddered, covering her face with her palms. "I've always felt horrible ever since the day I found out that your generation of Hematites, too, was doomed." She grimaced, wiping the tears from her eyes again. "I've put you through so much, and for what?... I've provided you false hope, that perhaps everything would be okay. I did everything I could to make you happy, to try and make up for the fact that I'd created you simply to one day become corrupted. And every time I saw you happy, it filled me with some kind of hope... It may have been empty hope, but if you were happy, even for a moment... I was happy. But it never made up for anything I'd done. It never will."

–

The service gem stared up at his leader in pained disbelief.

 _She still thought he was mad. She still thought he was bitter. She was tormented by his fatal flaw, far more than he ever could have imagined._

 _She cared so much. So much that it was still tearing her apart, to this day._

Hematite's expression slowly changed from concern to pained distress.

At first... it seemed he was upset. Upset about her reminding him of his condition. It seemed that he was about to say something in retaliation.

But instead...

He wrapped his arms around her and pressed the side of his face against her shirt. He was trembling.

Tears began to stream down his face, his eyes staring ahead at a point on the wall. When he spoke, his voice was strained, laced with a deep-seated pain.

"It wasn't empty."

–

White flinched again, staring wide-eyed ahead in shock. She shook subtly with each inhale, face wet with tears. It seemed like she'd never stop crying. Subtly, slowly, she lifted her hand and grabbed onto Hematite's fingers, gently holding his hand.

"Ha..." She blinked, frozen in place. Shuddering again, a new wave of tears dripped down onto her legs. "Hematite... Please. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry for everything..."

–

The service gem's gaze dropped.

He took a deep, steadying breath.

For a few moments... it seemed he wasn't going to respond. He was silent, still, only sniffling once in a while. Tears dripped down his chin, onto White's shirt.

"… I've had a lot of time to think. Back when I was stranded on Earth, I had a lot of time to myself." He paused. "I guess you never got anything from my communicator, but. I sent you guys a bunch of messages. I... Suppose it wouldn't have mattered anyways, but I thought you might have been getting them, so for the _most_ part, I kept my thoughts to myself. And then when my power supply ran out, I didn't even have my logs to distract me."

–

White had paused completely, letting the service gem speak. She was concerned, but interested in whatever it was he had to say. _What were you thinking about?..._

–

"Ten years is a long time to be alone with your thoughts."

Hema went quiet for a long, poignant moment as he gathered his thoughts.

"There was a period of time when I couldn't come to terms with what you told me. I was angry. I was scared. I dreaded every single day, because I never knew when my gem would fail, and I'd corrupt."

A soft breeze disturbed the curtains hanging at Hematite's window. "But it didn't last long. I started thinking about what you told me. About how I needed to cherish the time I had..." He paused. His voice lowered. " _Every single gem_ has the potential to corrupt. It's not just me."

He painfully remembered Celestite.

"Nobody's safe from that. It's a fact of life. You can usually avoid it if you're careful, if you stay safe, stay comfortable. But it can still happen to anyone. That being said, it's not something a lot of gems worry about. With the war over, I guess not many gems are at risk. There aren't many situations that'd make you reform over and over, or reform too quickly."

Hematite shrugged a little.

"So, a lot of gems just kinda. Go about their lives. Do whatever they feel like, between their jobs. A lot of them just look out for themselves, or don't care too much about others. Many are suspicious, selfish, arrogant. They can do whatever they want, live as long as they want, as long as they're careful."

The service gem sniffled.

"… _I_ can't do that, but. It... made me start doing something else. I was already ready and willing to serve you, to serve the Diamond Authority, despite my past troubles with Yellow. But then when I found out... about what would happen to me one day, and I realized that it was going to happen, whether I was bitter or not..."

He closed his eyes, nuzzling his face just slightly into White's shirt.

"I started trying to value each day. Every good thing seemed that much better. I strive to make the most out of every hour. Even through the toughest situations... I just wanted. I wanted to be remembered, to have gems know who I was, not who I _could_ have been if given more time. I didn't think about my corruption nearly as much. Instead, I started taking life a day at a time. I tried harder to get along with people, to see the good in even the worst of times, or in the worst of gems. I wanted to make gems happy. I wanted to make _you_ happy."

He looked up at her, his eyes wide, brimming with tears.

"I wanted you to know that, despite my flaw, despite whatever you may blame yourself for, I was still finding happiness in my life. I wanted you to know that even with the knowledge that one day I would corrupt... That I was still your Hematite."

A warm, pained smile crossed his face.

"You say you're sorry... that you can't forgive yourself. But, White." He buried his face in her chest, hugging her as tight as he could. "There's nothing to forgive."

–

White stared wide-eyed at the service gem, unable to move. Unable to believe what she'd heard... But it soon sank in. She sat there with Hematite's arms around her for a good few moments, staring off at the wall behind him.

Without warning, she turned slightly and wrapped her arms around Hematite, embracing him. Another choked sob escaped her, hunched over his smaller form. She was filled with grief, that much was true- but she finally felt something else.

Relief. Peace of mind. Happiness.

All this time, she thought he may have resented her for what she'd done. For his own existence. For the fact that he was one day going to corrupt. But no...

He was hopeful. Optimistic. It filled her with an unspeakable warmth to see that despite all that was working against him, he'd taken on such an admirable outlook on life.

Wordlessly, she lifted her hand, though didn't let go of the rest of him. She gently stroked the back of his hair, gently running her fingers over the soft, white locks.

"Hematite..."

–

The service gem exhaled contentedly as White returned his embrace, and he trembled happily, squeezing her tighter for a moment. A soft hum of comfort escaped him as White ran her fingers through his hair, and he relaxed in her embrace, sniffling quietly.

"Life goes on. Things continue, despite what we do. We can't worry about the future... The best we can do is focus on each day and make the most of it."

–

White stared on ahead with an expression of solace.

"Cherish the time that you have today..."

–

Hematite gave a tiny nod and closed his eyes, sighing with content. Another breeze disturbed the curtains, gently blowing them into the room, in front of the couch. The ivory-haired gem was quiet.

–

Gradually, White pulled herself away from the small service gem. Sitting up straighter, she took a deep breath, wiping the remaining tears from her eyes. She still had one more important question to ask.

"Hematite... If I may..." She spoke softly, glancing off to the side. She felt a twinge of nervous worry rise up within her. She didn't expect this to go positively, but she needed to ask anyway. "I... understand if you wish to decline... I wouldn't blame you at all. But..." She looked to him again, frowning, and almost sorrowful. "Would you... wish to be my Hematite again?"

–

Hematite had cocked a brow in curious confusion, but soon enough, both his brows arched in surprise, and he blinked silently. Staring at White for a moment, he slowly folded his hands in his lap. His gaze fell slightly.

He thought back to the first time he'd answered this question.

Granted... it had been phrased differently.

' _This chosen gem will be given a special opportunity to work directly under me, White Diamond, as my bodyguard, among other higher ranked jobs. This gem will be given a new life under special protection and order under the direct Diamond Authority, if they so choose.'_

That 'special opportunity' led to so many things...

His first traumatizing night with Yellow Diamond.

The mistrust and anxiety he'd felt for years because of said night.

Being spited and disliked by almost all of his fellow Hematites.

Beryl's accidental shattering...

His first mission with Blue, which led to them discovering his batch's fatal flaw.

It led to him finding out that one day, he'd corrupt, and he wouldn't see it coming.

It led to him being stranded on a gem-forsaken planet for ten celestial rotations.

Which led to him making- and losing- a close friend.

It led to his return home, and Yellow's less-than-enthusiastic response to him being alive and well.

His utter breakdown and loss of purpose.

The incident with Yellow at the Sky Arena...

His choice led to him nearly being killed by Diaspore.

It led to Yellow having terrible nightmares and anxiety for so long that her district was plunged into utter chaos.

It led to him being framed for the near-murder of his own leader, his role model, the person he cared about the most.

It nearly led to him being shattered for a crime he didn't, and wouldn't ever, commit.

...

..

.

But it had opened other doors as well.

That special opportunity led him to become a stronger gem, a better fighter, a more adept hunter, a more effective recon gem.

But it had done even more than that.

It led him to meet some amazing gems.

The warm and awe-inspiring White.

The ever-confident and encouraging Blue.

The powerful and loyal Yellow.

The intimidating- yet compassionate- Morganite.

The quiet and thoughtful Rubes.

The energetic and optimistic Puff.

The enthusiastic and inquisitive Frecks.

The understanding and open-hearted Celestite.

He thought back to all the arena matches... the calls from the adoring crowds, the cheers, the smiles. He thought about the two gems back in the bar that had seemed delighted at the mere sight of him.

His choice led to him fusing with not one, but _two_ Diamonds.

It led to the joy, confidence, self-assurance, and glory of being Dioptase.

It led to the cunning, strategy, fierceness, and peace of mind of being Howlite.

He thought about the talks he'd had with these gems. All the meaningful conversations, the heart-to-hearts. He now felt like he could discuss most anything with at least one person in his life; things he wouldn't dare bring up to anyone, years and years ago.

He thought about his morning tea times with White.

His spars with Blue, or evenings spent stargazing.

His now-fixed relationship with Yellow, and the possibilities that held...

 _Surely... If he could do it all again..._

 _He wouldn't take anything back._

Hematite slowly returned his gaze to White's face again, staring into her eyes with an unreadable expression.

And then he smiled.

"If you would have me back... then..." The ivory-haired gem closed his eyes happily, tears forming at the corners. He gave her a wide, joyous grin.

 _"I accept, White Diamond."_


	60. Where No-One Goes

**Summary: Hematite makes a promise to one of his close friends.**

* * *

Thick, rolling clouds filled the brisk, morning air of the White District. A cool breeze brought upon more chilly weather, though not uncomfortably so. It was a peaceful morning; perfect for tea.

"Ahh, hmmm... let's see... this one? No, it's certainly three more doors down..."

A soft voice mumbled quietly, making its way around the main tower. Staring down at a tea tray held carefully in her hands, White's Pearl was making her way around the hall in search of a room. More specifically, Hematite's room. She'd never visited his room before, so she had to go by word of mouth to find out where it was. White had given her the room number, but she had gotten confused and backtracked a few times.

"Ah, here we are!" The Pearl smiled quietly and stared up at the door. Moving the tray to one hand, she gave a quick knock.

–

A soft breeze blew back the long, gossamer curtains of Hematite's room's window. Soft, morning light was filtering in through the open pane, giving the large living quarters a warm hue. Unlike the previous day, the room looked rather tidy. Hematite was currently busying himself with putting things away, throwing away old papers and such he no longer needed, and reorganizing his archives he'd used for research. Only one corner of the room was still terribly messy, but the rest was as nice and clean as it usually was.

At the soft knock, Hema lifted his head and put down what he was holding- some sort of old gem tech, it seemed. It looked to be no longer functional. The service gem stood and fixed his sleeves as he walked over to the door, and he put on a casual, professional smile as he entered the keypad's code.

The door hissed open, and Hematite's brows raised in surprise to see White's Pearl standing at the door. And with a tray of tea, no less!

"O-oh! Good morning, Pearl." He smiled politely.

–

The Pearl bowed her head respectively in greeting.

"Hello, Hematite. White sent me to see how you were doing and assist you in the cleaning of your room. She sends her regards!" Pearl said softly, beaming politely at the service gem. As soon as she took a step inside, the fragrant smell of peppermint began to fill the air.

–

Hematite stepped aside to let the Pearl enter the room, and he blinked in delighted surprise at the scent of peppermint.

"Ah, right! Thanks. I've almost finished, though, so there shouldn't be too much left to pick up." He shut the door and followed after the service gem.

–

Pearl made her way into the room, curiously peering around it. _Stars, this place is huge!_ She stopped beside the table and placed the tea tray down.

"She thought you would like some tea as well, and said that we may have some if we so wished. It's your favorite!" She said with a warm smile. Turning back to Hematite, the Pearl clasped her hands together and waited.

–

The service gem smiled warmly and nodded.

"That actually does sound nice. It's been too long since I've had any, honestly." Hematite looked over at the messier corner of the room and motioned for the Pearl to follow. "You'll have to excuse the mess. It was pretty bad in here from the past few weeks." Stopping next to a large pile of papers, Hematite started shuffling them together, trying to create some kind of order. "There are some archives over there, if you could just put them on the shelves over there-" he nodded toward a half-empty cubby in the main bookshelf in the center of his room. "- in alphabetical order, I'd appreciate it!"

–

Pearl saluted promptly and immediately got to work.

"So is your room always like this?..." She asked, picking up some of the papers and starting to shift them around, taking note of the gemscript that was written at the top. He must have been researching a lot. She'd seen White's room in shambles a few times here and there whenever she had a problem she was trying to solve. It was awful; White was always one to keep as neat and tidy as possible. She wondered if Hematite was similar to her in that respect.

–

Hematite nodded and gave Pearl a quick glance.

"Well, it's usually pretty tidy, yes! I find it easier to relax and think straight if it's clean in here." He tapped the top of a pile of papers to straighten it. "That and it makes it a lot more comfortable to nap in." He shrugged. "That's usually why I come in here, so, you know." The service gem picked up the large stack of papers and walked over to a sort of filing cabinet. Pulling it open, he started putting away the different sections of stacked papers.

"So, how was White this morning?" he asked gently, a tinge of concern in his voice.

–

"Ah, that is good!" Pearl walked over and, having quickly sorted through all of the papers, placed them neatly on the shelf that he'd directed her to. "White is far better this morning, fortunately! She took a few hours to think last night, so I think that really helped her." She said, walking back over to a couple of strewn-about diamond pads. Picking a few of them up, she carefully stacked them on top of one another. "I think something you said to her hit home. She seemed lost in thought for the rest of the night, but she seems to be doing very well again today!"

–

Turning, Hematite gave a bright, warm smile and finished filing the last papers.

"I'm glad to hear it... I was hoping she'd be better today." The service gem stood straight and looked up to the top of his largest bookshelf. He frowned for a moment. "Tch, so that's where those ones ended up." Hematite walked past the Pearl and stepped to the other side of the shelving system, to the half of the room that had the high ceiling. Without so much as a word, the service gem began to glow and shifted up, to about 15-or-so feet tall. He now stood a little taller than the bookshelf. With a satisfied smile, Hematite began arranging a few things that were on the uppermost shelves and top of the case. "Sometimes I forget where I put these things in the midst of all my studying, hah." He chuckled quietly and knelt down to place a few diamond pads on a small, nearby table.

–

Pearl's eyes went wide, taking a few steps back. She had only heard about the Hematite's sizeshifting abilities, but to see it firsthand was something incredible all on its own. At least that explained why the room was so big! Though, despite his size usually bothering smaller gems like herself, she didn't seem to mind all that much. In fact, she seemed awestruck more than anything. Walking casually up to the much larger service gem, she glanced up at him and lifted the diamond pads in her hands.

"Do you perhaps know where to put these?" She asked.

–

Hematite looked at her and smiled with a nod.

"Yeah, actually! They go right up here." The service gem reached down and carefully picked up the diamond pads with practiced ease. Seemed he was used to handling things delicately, even at this size. He turned and started to place the devices into currently-empty slots on the shelves, carefully adjusting them so they were all lined up properly. "Let's see... That should be everything." Hematite stood up straight again and finessed with a few trinkets at the top of the shelf. "Aaand done!"

Putting his hands on his hips, Hematite looked around, a satisfied smile on his face. He let out a contented sigh before looking down at the service gem. "Thanks, Pearl. Why don't we have that tea now that we're done?"

–

The smaller service gem peered up at the shelves, taking note of how tidy and organized the cubbies were. It brought a warm feeling to her core. Pearl clasped her hands together and offered him a pleasant grin.

"That would be lovely, Hematite!" She said, turning back to the table. "If there's anything else you need, just let me know!"

–

The service gem chuckled good-naturedly and shrugged.

"I shouldn't need anything else, but I'll keep that in mind."

Hematite's form glowed for a moment, and he returned promptly to his normal size. Following after the Pearl, he smiled a bit awkwardly. He wanted to say 'sorry you had to see all that mess from the past few weeks', but figured it wouldn't be appropriate tea time chat. Instead, he sat down and motioned for her to take a seat across from him. Surprisingly, he turned the teapot's handle toward himself and picked up the kettle, pouring the Pearl a cup first.

He seemed like he had something on his mind.

–

Pearl blinked in minor surprise, a faint, pastel blush flushed against her cheeks.

"Oh, are you sure I... shouldn't...well...a-alright!" She said, the color fading quickly again as she took a seat. No one had ever poured her tea first like that before. Did he not know it was her job to do that? "So, Hematite, are you enjoying your morning?" She asked politely.

–

The service gem smiled and carefully pushed the teacup and saucer to her before starting to pour his own tea.

"Yeah. It's uh." An unreadable expression crossed his face. "It's been nice to be home." There was a warm, yet oddly distracted, tone to his voice.

–

Pearl looked down at the glass, her fingers idly entwined. Gently taking the cup from its saucer, she closed her eyes and blew on the hot liquid, cooling it off.

"Is something on your mind?" She asked, having noticed his strangely off demeanor. Then again, perhaps it was just recent events still running through his head. She couldn't really blame him, having witnessed White's wrath against him firsthand. Surely he must still be shaken.

–

Hematite glanced up at her with a soft, sad smile. He quickly shrugged and picked up his teacup, idly chose one of the small spoons on the tray, and stirred his drink. A pause.

"I wanted to thank you, Pearl."

–

Pearl's eyes shot open suddenly. Well, if she wasn't confused before, she certainly was now.

"I... pardon?..."

–

The service gem glanced at the Pearl across from him and gave an almost amused smile. But it was kind-hearted enough.

"Sorry, it's just." He looked down at his drink, furrowing his brows slightly. "You're always so welcoming and kind to me, and you're always there for White, even in her most dire times. I mean... I know it's your job and all, but." Giving a small shrug, he tilted his head slightly and lifted his tea closer to his face. "You're the only Pearl in the towers I actually _look forward_ to seeing open the door." He gave her a quick, friendly glance.

–

Pearl felt something well up inside her. She couldn't exactly pinpoint what it was, but it was... nice. Looking back down to her cup, she seemed tranquil.

"Thank you, Hematite..." She said kindly. "That...means so much to me. It's always nice to see you too." She smiled.

–

Hematite smiled brightly at her thanks and gave a tiny nod. He sipped his tea, closing his eyes contentedly.

"You and White make the best peppermint tea," he said softly, almost to himself. The service gem idly, quietly swung his feet under his chair, his toes not quite reaching the ground.

Glancing up, he gave her a quick, friendly grin.

"Hey, if you ever need a ride around the district for any reason... call my communicator. If I'm not on a mission, I'd be more than happy to give you a lift."

–

Pearl placed her fingertips to her mouth, her cheeks becoming warm once more.

"Why, thank you... I'd appreciate it, if White would allow it, of course!" She said, taking a sip of her tea. Before Pearl could say much else, there was a steady knock at the door. Turning her head, she leaned forward to stand up, but didn't get a chance as the door had already hissed open.

"Hello, you two. I trust you are both behaving?"

A tall figure walked through the entranceway, arms folded neatly behind her back. White made her way into the room, raising a brow in bemusement.

–

The service gem blinked in surprise and turned to the door, his teacup still at his lips. As soon as he realized who was in the doorway, he sat up a bit straighter and finished his sip, putting the cup down quickly.

"White! Yes, we're uh. We were just having a chat." He looked up at her and smiled respectfully. "I had already cleaned most everything up in here, so we had time to talk. I was just telling Pearl here that if she ever... well. Needed a lift around the city that I'd be willing to help. If you'd be alright with that, that is."

–

White looked between Hematite and Pearl while he spoke, smiling softly. Pearl looked away nervously, unsure if she'd be upset with Hematite's suggestion or not.

"I think that's nice of you to offer, Hematite. Of course, only if she'd be comfortable with it. So long as you take care not to drop her or anything." White stated, only half-joking. Pearl glanced up, somewhat surprised.

"Really?" She said, looking back to Hematite with a gleam in her eyes.

White shrugged and brought her arms out to her sides.

"I don't see why not."

"Oh thank you, White Diamond! It would be lovely!" Pearl said with a twinge of excitement, holding her teacup close. White stifled a small, amused chuckle, almost too quiet to notice. "And how are you this morning, Hematite? I would have simply let Pearl take care of things here but I decided soon after she left that I should pay you a visit as well. I see you've cleaned up your room a fair bit. It looks a lot nicer now!"

–

A bright, excited smile found its way to Hematite's face, and he nodded enthusiastically.

"I'll be careful, of course! I thought she might like a lift to make her work a bit faster. Eeeeven if it was just for one afternoon or something." The service gem shot Pearl a friendly, bright smile and picked up his tea again. "Yeah, it didn't take long once I actually got around to it. I couldn't stand it being such a mess in here." He took a quiet sip of his tea. "And Pearl here helped me clean up the last bit even quicker! Hah, maybe I should borrow her more often, huh?" He gave both of them a look that said he was clearly joking before he drew his attention back to his tea.

–

White glanced down to the teapot and continued smiling. "Well it's good that she was able to help. Maybe I should have her check up on you every now and then!" She grinned. There was a brief pause, and White felt her expression fall. _Ah, that's right. I came here for a reason._

"Hematite, I almost forgot to mention. Blue would like to see you for something important, when you are done with your tea. She's out near the main central station. You remember the place." She stated formally.

–

Putting his cup down, the service gem looked up at White and nodded.

He figured he had some idea what Blue might need him for... but he'd wait and see.

"Right, well... I just finished, actually." He offered her a small smile before standing and giving Pearl a polite little 'bow'. "Thank you again for the help. I'll see you around." Looking up at White, the service gem folded his arms behind him and headed for the door.

White turned to watch Hematite leave. Pearl raised her hand quickly to wave politely at the other service gem as he made his way out of his living quarters. The Diamond looked down at Pearl curiously and raised a brow, smirking to herself. Some unspoken, deeper thought glittered in her eyes, but she said not a word. Hematite left promptly and made his way to his meeting with Blue.

–

–

Soon enough, Hematite found himself approaching the central station tower that laid somewhere near the central ground between the Diamond Towers. It was the same place White had presented him to Blue and Yellow all those years ago, and the place she usually sent him to present rebels or criminals to her. If Blue wanted to meet him there... he had a pretty good guess as to why.

Puff stood near Blue- but not too close- and had her arms crossed. She tapped her foot quietly, occasionally sparing a glance to the tiny gem beside her.

Emerald was standing near Puff's legs, idly chewing on her nails. Sparing a glance at Blue every once in a while, she felt her anxiety rising. It was true that Blue Diamond promised she wouldn't be shattered or cracked for her involvement in Topaz's plans, but she could think of plenty of terrible punishments that didn't involve those two things. But, her leader was fair, right? She hadn't known Blue to be terribly cruel with sentences before, so there was still hope that perhaps she'd get community service.

But then again... if that were the case, she couldn't help but worry that Topaz would be out there, watching her, waiting for her to be alone so she could get revenge.

Nobody could keep her safe from that hunter. Topaz had a reputation for never letting a target get away... aside from Hematite. Emerald couldn't help but feel that the ex-general wasn't planning on breaking that record again any time soon.

No matter what her punishment was... she'd be left vulnerable. Open to Topaz's revenge, whatever that may be.

She wondered if she'd be sent to a high-security prison.

Soon enough, the three gems on the rooftop heard loud, approaching footsteps. Emerald's eyes widened, and she hid behind Puff's leg, clinging nervously to it.

–

Blue tapped her foot idly on the rooftop, arms crossed in front of her. Raising a brow, she looked up to see Hematite approaching.

"Ah, finally! Took him long enough! I wonder if White took her sweet time." She said jokingly. Though, despite her sarcastic comment, she actually presented herself pretty seriously. She wasn't really smiling like she normally did. No, at least when Blue had a job to do, she did it as best as she could.

"Hey Hematite." Blue raised a hand quickly to greet him but soon receded her arm. She turned her head to look at Emerald.

–

Hematite had taken a height between his full and half to approach the tower, as it usually reached at least his shoulders when he was at half size. He glanced at Puff and Emerald as he stopped beside the tower and gave Blue a professional nod.

"Morning, Blue."

The giant service gem quietly folded his arms behind his back, turning to Puff and Emerald.

Giving a soft noise of apprehension, the tiny green gem hid further behind Puff, trembling slightly. She nervously looked at Blue.

–

Blue turned herself completely to Emerald, glancing over her.

"Emerald, please step forward, if you will." She said, her voice well-presented, loud, and clear.

–

Swallowing nervously, Emerald took a deep breath and forced herself to let go of Puff's leg. She stepped forward and looked up at Blue, nearly having to tilt her head all the way back. Her fingers drummed nervously at her sides.

–

Blue's expression softened very slightly, sighing quietly.

"Emerald, now that everything has relatively calmed down...I'm afraid there still needs to be a punishment for your involvement with Topaz's plans..." She stated, straightening herself up. "Mistake or not, we cannot let this go unpunished. You've done well with your cooperation so far, and as I promised, you won't be harmed... Should you continue to cooperate."

–

The tiny green gem stifled a soft whimper and nodded quietly.

Hematite arched a brow in silence. Those words were terribly familiar to him, and the gears in his head started to turn. _What was Blue getting at, here?_

–

"So I'm gonna give you an option... unfortunately, community service is a bit too... ah, shall I say... tame of a punishment for you. And even if it wasn't, we've got one big... big problem, don't we?" She stepped forward, her tone darkening. "You're afraid _she's_ gonna find you, aren't you?"

–

Emerald admittedly cringed slightly at the sight of Blue getting closer. The green gem fidgeted nervously with her gloves before giving her leader a shaken nod. The giant service gem frowned without a word. He took a slow, quiet breath in through his nose, glancing away for a moment.

Puff seemed visibly nervous. She hoped that whatever Blue was planning, Emerald wouldn't make it difficult, and that she'd be okay. She counted her lucky stars that Yellow wasn't the one doling out the punishment. Blue continued.

"Well, you have two options, Emerald. 'Fraid there's not much more. You've got a sentence of 250 years in prison, whichever way you take. However... Would you like to spend that in my prison? Or would you rather spend it somewhere she will never find you? I would like to remind you that she is exiled from the capital."

–

Eyes widening, the tiny gem dropped her gaze for a moment, brows furrowing. Her eyes flicked to and fro for a moment, as if she were confused. She opened her mouth to say something, but then closed it, looking up with an expression of pure cluelessness.

"I-I would like to stay wherever she can't find me... but no such place exists... does it?"

–

Blue turned her head and gave Hematite a nod.

"Oh, but it does exist...and you've already been there before, in fact."

Emerald's eyes went wide, her face paling for a moment.

 _Oh. Oh stars no, not back in there._ She looked quickly between Hematite and Blue Diamond, silently taking a step back. Puff stifled a shudder at Blue's words and quietly looked away, scratching her cheek. _Well, at least she wouldn't get hurt in there._

Emerald didn't look as if she knew _what_ to do. On one hand, she had no surefire way of knowing if Topaz would hurt her if she found her in prison somehow. On the other, every instinct was telling her that staying where the ex-general COULD find her was a huge mistake. But... Being in someone's pocket dimension came with risks. She knew that.

"... But, if something were to happen to him, wouldn't that mean I-"

"Get caught in there for good? Unfortunately, yes," Blue agreed with a subtle, sympathetic grimace. The tiny teal-green gem looked down at her hands, lacing them and unlacing them together over and over as she thought hard.

She knew nothing in there could physically hurt her. She knew that Topaz could never find or reach her in there, and that it logically was the safer answer. That, and... as terrifying as that place was, she couldn't genuinely say she preferred being in a jail cell for over two centuries over being in Hematite's pocket dimension. She could always escape her cell in there again, after all.

But was she really willing to go back in there with _that_ _**thing?**_

… Well, it was still less intimidating than General Topaz when she was angry.

The tiny gem, despite being suddenly overcome with a case of the shivers, looked up at Blue Diamond and swallowed quietly, nodding.

"I-I'll take the pocket dimension."

Puff slowly grimaced and looked away, a barely-disguised look of pain on her face. She lifted a hand to her mouth and covered it, forcing herself to keep her composure. She knew that if something happened to Hema in his admittedly dangerous line of work, she'd lose Emerald forever. She ran the risk of never seeing her again. She knew that the years would fly by as quickly as any others, as they always did, but would Hema stay intact for that long? He was the bodyguard to a Diamond, surely that'd get him into gem-shattering-trouble one day?

No, she couldn't think about that. For Emerald AND Hema's sake. She'd just have to hold out hope that Hematite kept his gem in one piece before Emerald's sentence was over.

Blue Diamond nodded solemnly. She turned back to face Emerald and placed her hands on her hips.

"Then it's settled. By the order of the Diamond Authority, Emerald, you're sentenced to 250 years in Hematite's pocket dimension. But, don't worry; it shouldn't be as bad in there as it was before. Just don't get yourself lost, alright?"

–

Hematite turned to the tiny gem and frowned solemnly, slowly reaching a hand towards her. The tiny green gem whimpered, shaking in place, before she suddenly turned and took a quick pace toward Puff. Giving a soft, frustrated hum, Hematite quickly pinched Emerald between his thumb and index finger, careful not to hold her too tight. Em was absolutely _tiny_ in comparison to him at the moment, and it wouldn't take much to poof her by accident. Emerald's breathing hitched, and she fruitlessly grabbed for Puff as she was lifted away from the rooftop.

Slowly, Hematite turned his hand around so that Emerald would face him. He took a slow breath, letting it out through his nose.

He was still angry at her for what she did. The fact of the matter was, she was working with Topaz to try and get him framed. Sure there were extenuating circumstances, but that didn't change things much in his mind.

 _It's your fault White got cracked..._

His calm expression faltered for a moment. The tiny green gem was shaking uncontrollably, staring up at Hematite in fear. She couldn't help but glance at his mouth every few moments.

… _But I guess I would have been scared of Topaz, too. You did your best with what you had. Sorry, Emerald._

 _Vwip!_

With a soft gasp, Emerald found herself inside a tiny, silvery bubble, hovering above Hematite's fingers. She placed her hands to the surface, looking around in confusion for a moment. One of her hands gripped at the front of her shirt, clenching it tightly.

 _Wait... wait, he'd done this the last time._

She grit her teeth, suddenly pawing at the bubble to try and pop it. _No, no I don't want to go back in there, not like this!_

"Hey," a calm, low voice spoke up. The tiny gem stopped, eyes widening. She slowly turned her attention back to Hema's face. To her surprise, he was gazing at her almost _sympathetically_. "It's not as bad as you think. Now, will you stay still? This could be easy..."

Emerald was whimpering quietly, still trembling. Glancing at the giant gem's mouth, she gave a slow, shaken nod.

To her surprise... he suddenly lowered her past his chin, toward his gemstone.

"… What?"

The giant service gem moved Emerald's bubble closer to his gemstone as it began to shimmer.

"Take care in there."

 _ **Flash!**_

Hematite tapped a claw on his gem after the bubble disappeared, and he lowered his chin slightly to look down at Puff and Blue. The Jasper looked surprised, but quickly enough, she gave Hematite a small, thankful smile.

–

Blue stepped towards Hematite and, as soon as Emerald was out of sight, sighed.

"Thank you for your help, Hematite. At least in there Topaz won't be able to get to her!" She looked up at the massive service gem, her usual, peppy attitude seeming to return with a wide, genuine grin. Turning to Puff, she gave her a curt nod. "And thank you, Puff, for watching out for her until we figured something out." Leaning back on the side rail, she idly tapped her fingers against the bars and glanced back up at Hematite. "On that note... I believe we can officially consider this whole ordeal taken care of annnnd behind us."

–

The giant gem blinked with a nod before carefully leaning on the tower, making sure not to put too much weight into it.

"Thank the cosmos. If I never have to see Topaz again, it'll be too soon." He snorted quietly and looked at Puff before returning his gaze to Blue. "… I never got to thank you both for what you did. It uh... Well. I owe you two my life."

Puff's eyes widened in surprise, and she looked away bashfully, scratching her cheek.

"Aaa, I'm afraid you owe all your thanks to Blue." She shrugged, and her voice lowered slightly. "She did all the work. I just seemed to tag along and get in the way."

–

Blue pursed her lip, crossing her arms and carefully leaning against the bars.

"Ey, what do ya mean I did all the work? Puff, you do realize that..." She faltered for a moment, looking away- almost haunted. "If what we found in the White District had been real... I would have been dead if it weren't for you." Looking back at the Jasper with furrowed brows, Blue pushed herself off the bars and took a few steps towards her. "And you helped me catch Emerald! I'm thanking the stars that you were there, otherwise that little rascal coulda gotten away and none of us would be standing here right now."

–

Hematite arched a brow at the bit about the White District.

He knew exactly what they'd run into in there. And he pitied both of them for having to see that part of his mind.

The Jasper crossed her arms and shrugged quietly, looking to the side.

"Yeah, well... it _wasn't_ real. And I'm sure you could have handled Em by yourself. Hell, you probably would have caught her sooner if I hadn't been slowing you down."

–

Blue took another few steps forward, placing her hands indignantly on her hips. She looked fierce, glaring at the warrior with an almost offended expression.

"There's a lot that could have gone wrong, Puff... You're missing my point. You're a lot stronger than ya might think you are. Besides..." She stopped, and she spared her a much softer smile than before. "Ironically enough, despite me being a Diamond, Emerald seemed far more willing to listen to you than she was to me."

–

At first Puff had been a bit worried that she'd offended Blue, and she grimaced quietly as Blue 'reprimanded' her.

 _You're a lot stronger than ya might think you are._

The Jasper raised her brows, quietly looking up at her superior. She did have a point about Emerald. Though, Puff just chalked that up to their shared history. For a moment, she wondered how things could have gone if _Rubes_ had gone in with Blue.

She internally shuddered. _Best not to think about that._

"...Thanks, Blue. Uh, well. And you, Hema." She wanted to get the subject off her as soon as she could. Looking up at the service gem, she offered him a small smile. "Good job buying us enough time to get out of there. How did you keep Yellow from...? Well."

Hematite's brows raised, and he looked away awkwardly.

"Let's just. Say that I had to do a bit of acting to convince her not to do what she came there for."

–

Blue glanced back up at Hematite and chuckled.

"I bet ya had Sparky shakin' in her fancy-shmancy boots didn't ya? Regardless of whatever ya did... you must have had to put on a really brave face." She said. She couldn't imagine how bad it might have been for Hema, but she knew that, with Yellow in the picture, it couldn't have simply gone smoothly.

–

"...You could say that." The giant gem shuddered for a moment. "She didn't make it easy. I was scared you guys wouldn't come back. You arrived at the tower just in time, honestly." He sighed quietly. "I'm just. Glad it's over. And at least Yellow seems to trust me a little bit." Shrugging, he tilted his head, pursing his lips for a moment. "Maybe things will get better now."

–

Blue raised a brow and paced around the edge of the building, chuckling quietly to herself.

"OH, wow, Yellow actually trusts you now? Stars, finally! Only took her, what... half a century? Everyone else seemed to get along with ya just fine, I still can't really fathom why she wouldn't just give you a chance from the get-go," she grumbled, crossing her arms. "Then again I guess I'd know some of that if she actually ever talked to me. But, I digress. That's a step in the right direction for you two, I'd say!" The Diamond beamed up at Hematite, grinning ear to ear. "And now that everything is behind us, we can move forward and relax. Work hard to better yourselves every day, both of you. But for tonight, take the day off." She said, standing proudly. "By stars, you've earned it."

–

Quietly, Hematite watched and listened to Blue, fidgeting with his sleeve every once in a while.

Well, he didn't know how far that 'trust' went. At the very least, she was being civil around him, so that was something, at least.

"Yeah..." He gave her a weak smile, nodding. "Well, we'll certainly try to work on it." _Well, I will, at least._ "But, enough about Yellow. Yeah, we should all take-" He blinked and stopped himself, looking away awkwardly. "Er, actually... Tch. I should report back to White. I'm sure she has some work for me to do."

Puff looked a little disappointed, but she nodded her head to the side in agreement, raising her brows.

–

Blue shrugged heavily and lightened up.

"Alright, alriiight. You're both dismissed then. Just remember what I said today." As Blue started to walk off on her own, she stopped a few inches from Puff and placed a hand on her shoulder as she passed, giving her a soft nod. "And don't you ever discredit yourself again, alright fuzzball?" she whispered with a grin, balling up her fist and playfully nudging the Jasper in the arm as she left.

–

Hematite watched Blue head down the stairs of the tower, and he looked at Puff, who was distractedly watching after Blue, too.

"..."

The Jasper softly rubbed her arm where Blue had nudged her, and she gave the quietest sigh through her nose. Soon enough, though, she noticed that Hematite was staring at her, and she jumped slightly, crossing her arms and giving him an awkward grin.

"What, I got something on my face, Scrap?"

Hematite stifled a small chuckle and shook his head.

"It's nothing. I was just wondering if…" He frowned slightly, raising a brow. "… Are you alright? You seem distracted."

Puff frowned faintly and looked away.

"… Look, scrap. I'm gonna make this quick. About Emerald… You're aware she mentioned that she and Rubes used to be friends, yeah?"

"…Yeah."

"… Don't. Tell Rubes about her, okay? Just keep Emerald between you and I, please. You'd be doin' us all a favor…"

"Can I ask why?"

"I'd rather not talk about it. At least, not right now. Maybe some other time."

Though he gave the warrior a confused frown, he nodded uncertainly and sighed.

"Alright, Puff. Whatever you say. I won't say a word to her."

"Thanks, buddy." She spared him a warm, thankful smile. The giant gem returned it and cleared his throat, standing straight.

"So, anyways. I was wondering if you'd like a lift back to the Yellow District," he stated simply. He lifted his hand to his eyepiece and tapped it once, pulling up his communicator. Puff blinked up at the giant gem in surprise, uncrossing her arms.

"Wait, don't you have to report to White?"

"Welll, yeah, but I can multitask." He grinned down at the Jasper in a friendly manner before reaching down, offering his open palm to her. "C'mon, at least let me show my thanks for helping Blue."

Puff scratched her chin before glancing away. After a pause, she stifled a soft chuckle and shook her head.

"Alright, Scrap. Deal."

Looking up at the giant gem, Puff walked over to his hand and climbed on up, holding onto one of his fingers to balance herself.

Smiling, Hematite carefully lifted Puff closer to his chest and looked at his eyepiece.

"White Diamond, this is Hematite. Do you copy?"

–

 _chhk!_

"This is White Diamond; loud and clear, Hematite. What is it you wish to report? Did everything go smoothly?..." White responded on the other side of the communicator. Her visual appeared out in front of Hema's screen. She appeared to be at her desk.

–

Hematite gave a small smile.

"It went smoothly as it could have, yes. Emerald is put away in my pocket dimension." He took a short breath before sighing through his nose. "What would you like me to do today? I'll be free in about an hour or so."

–

White was quiet on the other end for a moment, but sat back in her chair, smiling tiredly.

"Ah, yes, that's wonderful news. Hopefully that will keep her out of trouble, then, and that Blue disclosed the... risks of that choice." She paused, but quickly continued, disregarding her last comment. "Take the rest of the night off, Hematite, and report to me again tomorrow. I should have something for you then."

–

Hematite tilted his head for a moment before giving his superior a bright smile.

"Ah, alright! Thank you! I'll report first thing tomorrow morning!" He nodded and saluted with his free hand. "See you then."

After waiting for her response, he hung up and looked at Puff. "Looks like we can take our time! Let's head out, though. Maybe I can get a little stroll around the Yellow District in."

"Hollld on there Scrap." The Jasper grinned and chuckled, crossing her arms. "I think there're a few gems that'd like to see you. You've been gone for way too long! So you can go take your little walk, but make sure you come pick me up tonight, okay?"

–

–

Thud

 _Thud_

 _ **Thud.**_

Night had fallen on the Blue District, and, outside of Morganite's club, heavy, even footfall could be heard. And it was getting closer.

A few gems scurried out of the way of a giant pair of feet that came into view in front of the bar windows. The gem stopped and turned, soon lowering Puff to the ground.

From within the club, a few gems certainly noticed the change of scenery outside, curiously peering from across the room and muttering among themselves. Morganite turned just in time to see it himself, eyes widening slightly.

 _Was that?..._

–

In a flash, the giant gem was quickly replaced by the much smaller, less intimidating service gem that some of the bar patrons had come to recognize. Hematite smiled at Puff and walked into the club with her, giving Morgan a fairly excited wave as he made his way past a few club-goers. Puff waved as well, and quickly sat down at her usual spot.

"Heya Mor'! How's the night been~?"

–

Morgan relaxed a little, absolutely enthralled to see the familiar service gem again... especially since he looked so happy.

"Heeey you two! Night's been going well! Not too busy, but not too dull either! Good to see ya again Hema, where ya been?" He said with his natural charm, never taking his eyes off them as he prepared a drink.

–

Hematite hopped up into the seat and crossed his arms on the bar, looking around with a warm smile.

 _Good to see this place again..._

The service gem turned to look at Morgan with a relaxed smile, tilting his head to the side a bit.

"Oh, nothing much. Fixed that little problem I came to you about, spent some time away, learned something new about some people rather 'close' to me." He chuckled and waved a hand. "Nothing big. Sorry for being away so long. It's nice to see this place again without having some pressing mission on my mind."

Puff leaned back in her chair and watched Hematite curiously. She couldn't blame him for not sharing anything about his ordeal... it must have been hard, though, to not be able to talk about it and let people know what he'd been through. She wouldn't give him away, though. Smiling at the bartender, she snubbed her nose and nodded.

"Yep, he even helped me connect with a friend I thought was gone."

–

Morgan grinned charmingly and slid Hematite his usual colorful drink.

"Well, that's wonderful! I'm so glad to hear that you got it sorted out! And that you reconnected with your friend, Fuzzy." Morgan snapped a finger, leaning on the lower part of the counter coyly. "Not much has changed over here, really. Blue's come in rather stressed every now and then, but I never asked why. That's about it, though. I haven't seen her in two weeks; that's not really like her, honestly." He shrugged. "She must be pretty busy with those rebels she's been talking about."

–

With a delighted gasp, Hematite caught the drink as it was slid over to him, and he sipped it happily, sighing for a moment. At the mention of Blue's behavior, his body went stiff, but he quickly shrugged it off.

 _No, Morgan. It wasn't because of the 'rebels'... But Hema knew Morgan wasn't ready to hear about that, if at all. Perhaps it was best to keep this whole ordeal to himself._

"Ahh, well. She should start showing back up! Things have calmed down."

Puff seemed a bit off-put by the mention as well, but she hid it well. If Hema wasn't going to mention it, neither was she.

"Yeahh, she's been stressed lately." The Jasper nudged Hematite with a smile. "But maybe you and she can get back to your usual routine! I'm sure the arena-goers miss seeing you two duke it out!"

Hematite blinked in surprise, suddenly putting his drink down.

"Oh! The arena, that reminds me. Isn't there a fusion event coming up soon? In all the madness I kinda... lost track of the days. My memory's a bit... shot at the moment."

–

Morgan shrugged again and brushed his hair out of his face.

"Indeed there is, in a few weeks! I'm really interested in fighting some, myself!" he grinned. "I don't really fuse unless absolutely necessary, but I do enjoy the fights they can put up! There's never a dull moment! Are you going to be participating? I'd love to fight you again! Any fusion to a harvester must be quite the thrill to duel." he said, winking at the service gem with a smug sneer.

–

Hematite arched a brow and sipped his drink before giving Morgan his own little smirk.

"Well, while I'd love to give you a more... put-together fight." He shrugged and looked at his glass. "I'm afraid I'll probably be on a mission by then. And besides, I don't have any partners I can think to fuse with. My last possibility, well. I kinda flaked-out on her because of some other business so I'm pretty sure she doesn't want to join me during that, anymore. I can't think of anyone else... Maaaybe Blue, but. She might be busy, too." The service gem looked back up at Morgan. "And my track record fighting fusions on my own is pretty mixed, so. If I can't find someone besides my previous possible partner, I think I'll pass this time." This time, he shot the bartender a much brighter smile. "But! If I'm free and I don't plan on fighting, I'll make sure to show up and cheer you on! I'd love to watch you duke it out this time since I won't be in a match."

Puff chuckled quietly and watched the two talk. It was nice to see Hema so upbeat just a day after his ordeal. It must have been the relief of having everything work out.

–

Morgan smiled and crossed his arms, tapping his fingers against his sleeves.

"Sounds like a plan, then! And what about you, Puff? You got any plans this time around? Will IIIIII get to fight Citrine this time?" He said, his bangs falling between his eyes as he spoke.

–

"Hm?" Puff looked directly at Morgan now, drumming her fingers on her arm. Slowly, she smiled. "I dunno, Morgan, have I ever missed a fusion event thus far? You gem enough to fight fire with fire against her?"

Hematite's brows raised, and he glanced between the two with interest, sipping his drink.

Morgan grinned slowly, holding up a single finger. He snapped it, a tiny flame flickering above his fingertip as he twirled it around in a circle.

"You know it, darling." Flicking his finger again, the dark look he held on his face quickly dissipated with the flame. "Only one way to find out, anyway! I've been simply dying to fight you two." he hummed.

–

Hematite felt a small shudder go down his spine.

 _Well, good luck with that, Puff. Sure glad I'm not fighting him._

The Jasper chuckled, albeit a tad nervously, and shook her head.

"Well, that makes two of you. Rubes has wanted to challenge you for a while now, just never got the chance to bring it up."

–

Morgan tapped his finger to his chin, interest piqued.

"Oh really? Well, you can let her know that her wait is over. I'll see you two at the event!" he chuckled, grabbing a drink mix behind the counter. "I'm sure it'll be quite the show."

–

Hematite leaned back in his chair and sipped at his drink, closing his eyes. He listened to the music coming from the other room, and as the night continued, he idly watched gems going about their routines. Talking, smiling, being rowdy, dancing. He made small-talk with Puff and Morgan throughout the night, merely content to be back in the presence of friendly faces and well-known places.

 _Stars... it's good to be back._


	61. This Could Have Been Easy

**Summary: Yellow Diamond repairs some damage.**

* * *

 **Notes: This chapter marks the end of Arc 4, and the end of the first season of "The Harvester."**

* * *

Tap.

Tap.

 _Tap._

 _Tap._

Quiet, measured steps echoed down one of the sky bridges that led to White Diamond's office. Soft, tuneless humming drifted through the crisp morning air. A familiar ivory-haired gem was making his way down the open hall, his arms folded behind him, shoulders relaxed. His eyes were half-lidded, staring ahead, but not focusing on anything in particular. A soft smile graced his lips.

After a rather relaxing evening at Morganite's bar, and even a little spot of dancing with Puff, Hematite had retired to his room for a couple hours and was now on his way to report to his superior for work. Now that everything was all squared away, he was ready to finally put the last of this nonsense behind him. A job would help him clear his mind; it always did.

 _Knock knock knock!_

 _Cshhhhk_

Hematite stepped inside the office, saluted respectfully, and cleared his throat. A bright, warm smile spread across his face as he recited his old, familiar greeting to his leader.

"Hematite reporting, White Diamond."

White was sitting at her desk with her Pearl standing close behind her at attention. The Pearl saluted, offering Hematite a welcoming smile. White glanced up from her work.

"Hello Hematite, good to see you're still prompt and ready as usual. Did you have a good evening?" the Diamond asked formally, taking a sip of the tea that she had prepared a little while ago. The room was welcoming and warm, just as it had been many times before. The lights had been fixed already, but they were turned off for the morning. From the looks of things, one could never tell what drama had unfolded in the Diamond's office as of late.

–

Hematite was glad to see the office in its usual state. It only strengthened his gut feeling that maybe they really could put all this in the past, and go back to how things were. After giving the Pearl a polite smile and nod back, Hematite neared White's desk, stopping a little distance from it so she could properly see him.

"I did, White. I appreciated the night off. Reconnected with Morganite, relaxed..." He smiled warmly. "But! I'm ready to get back to work. Any missions for me?"

–

White smiled warmly and tapped her nails on the desk's surface.

"Hmhmhm. I like your enthusiasm, Hema. Actually yes, just one; Yellow Diamond and a squadron of Peridots were sent out to the Blue District today to fix the damages to the gate on the Coliseum. It's a bit of a large task, however, and your help would be useful. You'll probably need to shift up and knock some of the bars back in place while Yellow reestablishes energy connection," she stated, sitting up straight as she delivered his mission briefing.

–

The service gem's eyepiece chirped to life as White explained his objectives, taking notes of each thing. Nodding curtly, Hematite stood a bit straighter. _A job with Yellow, huh? Well. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad! They needed to fix the gate? Guess he must have done more damage than he thought._

"Right. Anything else?"

–

White placed her palms together, her shoulders relaxing.

"Actually, yes." Pausing, she lifted her teacup and took another sip, finishing her drink. Clinking the glass back onto the plate, White smiled a little brighter. "The other Diamonds and I had a talk last night while you were out, and, well... we've come to the conclusion that, after the emotional and physical stress you've just been through, you deserve a break." The Diamond placed a finger gently to her chin, closing her eyes as if to think. "Does a month sound fair to you?"

–

Hematite blinked in undisguised surprise, opening his mouth for a moment before closing it.

"A... A month?! W-well, that's. That's more than fair, I'd think." He looked almost guilty for a moment. "Are you sure that's alright? That's an awful long time for me to not offer my services."

–

White flashed another grin, taking note of Hematite's change in presentation.

"Not to worry, Hematite!" the Diamond said, her tone insisting. "A month is such a small amount of time to a gem, but perhaps you of all gems could make the most of it. So, once you are through with today's work, report back to me when you can and you may do with the rest of the month as you see fit. Diamond's orders," she said, almost humming the last part.

–

The service gem stood a bit straighter, a bemused, but thankful, smile on his face.

"W-well. Thank you, White! I appreciate it." He saluted her and squared his feet. "I'll be sure to keep an eye on things if I'm around in the districts, though! Can't hurt to multitask."

–

The Diamond nodded with understanding and crossed her arms.

"Very well, then! Make me proud, Hema." She said, waving her hand slightly to dismiss the service gem.

–

–

"No, not that one! Move it to the left-! AUUGH. COME ON, YOUR LEFT IS _THAT_ WAY!"

A rather perturbed Peridot was standing atop a part of the Coliseum wall, giving out orders to a few others that were trying to move one of the gate's bars into place.

 _Thud_

 _Thud_

"What the- awww no. Not one of _these_ clods. YELLOW DIAMONNND," she called up, tapping her foot a tad nervously.

Hematite was nearing the arena, at a little over his half height. It allowed him to get through the district quicker, and this way, he wouldn't have to shift up in front of Yellow. He didn't expect her to be okay with that, just yet. She still seemed nervous the last time he had done it... So he'd spared her seeing that this time.

The ivory-haired gem gave a small wave to the group of Peridots, still some distance from the arena.

–

 **"What."**

A loud, demanding voice resounded from the very top of the Coliseum. Stepping into view, a tall, shadowed figure stepped up to the edge of the upper wall, peering over. _Oh, that's what._ Lowering her head slightly, she looked at the approaching harvester. Well, maybe he was here to help. White did say she'd try to send some backup, but she didn't quite expect Hematite. Stepping up onto the ledge, the figure jumped down.

 **CLUNK.**

Landing onto the ground with grace, Yellow stood up straight, a good two feet taller than she normally stood. The Peridot she landed next to scrambled back nervously, gazed up at their leader, startled by her sudden appearance. On her arms and legs, there were black and gold metallic limb enhancers with floating, lithe claws around the ends of her 'hands'. Around her neck, falling gracefully behind her back, was a long, silky, black cape. Not only that, her face bore a black visor similar to the kinds that the Peridots wore. "Did you send for him or did he just show up?" Yellow asked, tapping her floating fingers against her hips. From the Peridot's perspective, she could just barely see Yellow Diamond's eyes glaring at her from under the screen. With a chilling shudder, the Peridot shook her head no.

"Well, not that it matters. We can use his help, regardless." Yellow said, shrugging.

–

What on Homeworld...? Was.

 _Was that Yellow?_

Hematite blinked in surprised confusion as he approached the gate, and he stopped about fifty or so feet away, a comfortable distance for the Peridots. The giant gem saluted politely and stood straight, though he continued to look down at who he was pretty sure was Yellow Diamond.

"Hematite reporting, Yellow Diamond. White sent me to help you fix the gate."

–

Yellow looked up, her expression impossible to read.

"Greetings, Hematite. Good to see you here... and ready, it seems," she said, raising a brow under her visor. "If you will..." She stepped forward, and the ground beneath Yellow's metal boots started to glow slightly.

 _KSSH!_

With a sharp hiss, energy exploded out from under her feet, propelling her upwards into the air, higher and higher until her form floated a few feet from Hematite's face. She remained hovering in the air, energy spinning around under her boots. Bringing her hands out in front of her, the sharp fingers motioned together in the form of a large screen, where a hologram presented itself so that he could see it well. A diagram of the Coliseum's gate had popped up, zooming in with certain bars highlighted.

"This is the Coliseum's gateway. And these are the bars that were broken..." she started to recite. She was strangely calm, despite being so close to him.

–

Admittedly, Hematite had flinched in surprise at seeing Yellow so close to his face.

 _And floating, for that matter._

The service gem stared in awed disbelief at his superior, and he honestly only heard about half of what she said. Once he finally tuned in, she was in the middle of giving him his instructions. He nervously smiled and held up his index finger.

"U-uh. Yellow Diamond, can you. Repeat that, please?"

–

Yellow froze for a moment, sighing through her nose. _Juuuust be patient with him._

"Okay, it's very simple, Hematite. The bars here, here, and here need to be held up slightly while I reconnect the flow of electricity through them. Once that's done, you can hoist them back into place. Then, we'll turn the gate on and off again and see if that fixed everything." She said, tapping a single floating finger onto the diagram as she spoke. "Do you understand now?"

–

The service gem listened intently this time, and gave his superior a curt nod at the end of her explanation.

"I do, apologies." Carefully walking around Yellow, Hematite stepped closer to the door, much to the dismay of a few of the Peridots, and looked it over.

 _Alright, looks like these are the bars here._

The giant gem furrowed his brows and grabbed the two designated carbonite bars. _Stars, he'd really done a number on this thing in his rush to get to Topaz._

–

Yellow hovered over, stopping just shy of one of the bars that Hematite held. Holding out her leg, her feet clanged against the bars as if 'magnetizing' to them. Running up to the top of the bar, she glanced around it, her own visor clicking and pulling up a few diagrams on the inside. However, from an outside view, it was impossible to see anything on her screen.

"Alright, hold that steady for a moment." She stood up horizontally against the bar and took a few steps higher. Stopping, she knelt over and placed her fingers against the bar, revealing a small panel on one of them. Lifting it away with one set of fingers, the others floated towards a heavily-wired circuit board that was hidden by the panel. Electricity coursed through her fingers, zapping at the board. "Careful, the weight of these might fluctuate during this. They each have their own small, self-contained hover-modules at their tops and bases, and they'll become incredibly heavy when those switch off. But if you don't handle them carefully, or you overestimate their weight, you'll lift them too high and break them. Be careful, and be aware of what the bars are doing!" she called out, not taking her eyes off of what was in front of her.

–

Hematite couldn't help but stare in awe for a moment. _Why hadn't he seen these limb enhancers sooner?! They were incredible!_ Regardless of his amazement at the gem tech, the service gem forced himself to focus this time, and he gave a small nod, bracing himself for a change in weight.

"Got it."

–

After a minute or so of fidgeting with the circuits and wires inside of the bar, the weight of the massive bars suddenly increased, making them lurch in Hema's grasp. Bracing herself, Yellow lifted her hand away quickly so that she wouldn't risk destroying the mechanisms completely if she shifted too much. Despite being prepared for the shift, Hematite had still flinched just slightly, but quickly righted himself, brows furrowed with effort as he held the incredibly heavy bar in place. His grip was tight, and despite the momentary falter, he didn't seem too strained. He'd handled heavier stuff than this before. Yellow glanced over at him.

"Hang on, I've almost got it." Once steady, she brought her fingers back and clipped two wires together, reestablishing proper connection. The weight of the bar quickly returned to normal, and the giant metal pole seemed to be floating properly in place in its designated position. Placing the panel back onto the bar with a soft hiss, she stood up straight again and floated over to the next bar.

–

As Yellow floated over to the other gate bar, Hematite couldn't help but arch a brow curiously. _How was she even doing that?_ He stayed quiet for now, not wanting to distract her from her work.

–

Yellow followed a similar pattern as she had done before, lifting the panel away and letting electricity flow freely from her hands to the circuit board. Suddenly, the weight to the bar shifted again, and she felt her legs slip slightly. Grunting, she quickly righted herself and took a solid step back up, returning to her position. She started to mutter something crossly. The service gem's eyes widened, and he'd quickly lifted a hand away from the bar to hold it under the Diamond for a moment. But as soon as she righted herself, he glanced away and quickly lowered his hand to the bar again, as if nothing had happened.

"Lousy magnetic fields..." she grumbled, listing some technical something or other under her breath.

 _Z-zzck!_

The bar returned to normal once more, and Yellow topped off the panel again.

"Alright, Hematite, one more bar. Do you remember which one?" She stood up, turning her head up to face him.

–

Once the gate bar returned to normal, the gem rubbed his neck and nodded.

"I do." He looked away and moved over to the last one quietly.

–

Yellow hovered over to the last bar and did the same as before with the panel. Another massive weight shift, and she was almost done. But then...

 _GZZZCCKKT!_

The circuit board started to scream with electricity and technological whirring. Gasping quietly, Yellow placed her fingers directly to it, her entire arm now flowing with sparks and currents.

"Blast, this one's picky," she growled, the weight of the bar shifting rapidly between heavy and light. "Hang on, this one got a little overloaded!" she called out, placing the panel between her teeth and moving her other hand in to absorb more of the electricity.

–

Grimacing, Hematite held the bar in place as best as he could, his arms shaking every once in a while. Oddly enough, however, despite the rapid weight changes, the service gem felt himself able to keep up with it and hold it in place relatively well.

–

A long two minutes passed before the bar's weight finally started to even out. Sweat dripped from the Diamond's brow and she sighed heavily through her teeth. _Finally, stars... that could have gotten ugly._ Grabbing the panel she held in her mouth, she placed it carefully over the board. Standing up and hoisting herself off the bar, she hovered a good foot or so from the bar.

"Alright, that last one was tricky but I think we got it!" she said, shaking her hands slightly.

–

As soon as the bar evened out, the giant gem sighed heavily and let go, wiping his brow. Even though he'd kept it under control rather well, the effort had already worn him out. Not too terribly, but enough for him to notice.

"Is that all of them?"

–

The Diamond slowly lowered herself to the ground, her fingers floating back into their normal places.

"Yes, that should be it." She said, walking over to the closest side of the wall. Lifting her fingers again, she punched in a code onto one of the security panels. The bars rattled and hissed, lowering into the ground without much trouble. Narrowing her eyes under the visor, she turned back to the panel and lifted them after a few seconds of being sunken into the ground. The bars rattled back up, hissing into place smoothly, as they were supposed to.

"Looks like they're all fixed, then! You, Peridot, run a thorough maintenance check just to make sure all the circuits are in order. If there's a weak link, I need to know about it." She said, pointing at the nearest green service gem. The Peridot saluted and nervously began running a checkup on her screen.

–

Hematite stood back and watched the gate open and close without too much trouble, much to his relief. As soon as the Peridot began running diagnostics, Hema looked down at Yellow and blinked curiously. Still some distance from her, he bent his knees, crouching down.

"So, how long have you had those? Do you use them often?"

–

Yellow took a step back, peering up evenly at Hematite's face. From this angle, the visor was completely black and glimmered in the sunlight.

"Oh, these?... I've had them for many centuries, actually," she responded, a little surprised that he was even remotely interested in them. Holding up her hands, she looked at them as the fingers between the two enhancers swapped with each other in a showy manner. One hand's fingers floated effortlessly over to the other, settling quickly back into place. "I don't really use them too often, just when I deem them necessary. Limb enhancers are made to help gems with their jobs, perform tasks more efficiently, or help them in battle. They aren't exactly cheap, though, so not every gem has them. Actually, they're more common to see around technician gems, who rarely ever take them off... like the Peridots." She said, motioning to the one who was working diligently a few feet away. "The Diamonds, however, only use them when we need them, and we have our different uses for them." Her fingers shuffled back into place again, clicking the ends of her 'thumb' and index finger together, creating a small spark between them.

–

Hematite wore a look of only half-disguised awe and interest, and he nodded silently as he listened to Yellow's explanation.

 _Wait, 'Diamonds' plural? They_ _ **all**_ _had a set?_

The service gem folded his hands together quietly and nodded, watching with wide eyes as the crystalline fingers sparked.

"Oooh-" Hematite stopped abruptly and cleared his throat, suddenly realizing how incredibly unprofessional he must have looked at the moment. "Ahem, sorry. They're quite spectacular. I'm glad I got to see them in action!"

–

Yellow stifled the smallest of smirks, but it was almost too subtle to even deem a smile of any kind.

"Well, good to see you like them. Perhaps someday you'll see them again." She said, the sparks dissipating from her fingers.

"They aren't much, really. Just your average gem tech." She began walking away from the Coliseum, the ground glowing once more under her feet. She paused, walking past the massive service gem and glancing in the opposite direction of him.

"Hey, Hematite. I actually have something I'd like to...talk to you about."

–

Watching the Diamond walk past him, Hematite arched a brow and stood straight. He folded his arms behind his back.

 _I actually have something I'd like to... talk to you about._

The service gem felt an ominous shiver go down his spine.

That couldn't be good...

"Oh? Well, I'm free right now. This was my last job for a while."

–

The Diamond turned her head and nodded, still unreadable.

"Good. But we can't speak here... would you care to join me up in the Sky Arena?" She asked, standing stationary for the moment.

Hematite's eyes widened just slightly. His expression fell, suddenly unreadable.

"As you wish, Yellow Diamond."

Yellow nodded once more, and turned her head again, leaving without a word.

–

–

He didn't want to be back in this place again.

Sure, as of late he'd had a few better experiences in the Yellow District Sky Arena, but they couldn't hold a candle to the countless terrible ones. Despite things being 'better' between him and Yellow, Hematite couldn't help but remember all the ridicule, the hateful scowls, the pain. The mere sight of the place brought all those horrible feelings back.

Hematite took a single step off the warp pad. Yellow had gone ahead of him, and he was lagging behind a bit. What could she possibly want to talk about? Was it concerning what had gone on in recent months? Was it about how he'd threatened holding Blue hostage?

 _Whatever it was... it couldn't be good._

The service gem took a deep, steadying breath, and walked away from the warp pad, up a flight of stairs, and into the Sky Arena. Frowning, he glanced at the still-present scuffs on the floor near the entrance.

Hematite looked around, seeing if he could spot Yellow.

–

Yellow was standing on the far side of the arena, her sword in hand. Her back was facing the entrance, and it looked as though she were standing at attention. Slowly, she began swinging the weapon around gracefully, striking the air and spinning around, 'sparring' with someone who just wasn't there.

–

Stopping, Hematite folded his arms behind his back, trying to look professional.

 _Ah, does she want to spar?_

 _Yellow, that doesn't count as 'talking' to someone, you know._

The service gem waited a few long moments before he finally cleared his throat loud enough for her to hear. He started down the steps, toward the arena floor.

–

Yellow sliced her blade through the air, coming to an abrupt stop to her left, still not facing the approaching gem. She froze in place, her expression blank and almost hollow. Steadily, she lowered her sword.

"Ah, Hematite... it's good to see you showed up. I was worried you wouldn't..." She flickered her sword away in a show of sparks, turning her back to him and crossing her arms.

–

Quirking a brow, Hematite unfolded his arms, his professional air dropping slightly. Was something wrong?

"Why wouldn't I? You asked me to, and I said I would..." he trailed off toward the end of his sentence.

There was a pause, and Hematite stared at his superior, her back still to him. He looked around slowly.

"...We've come a long way, huh."

–

Yellow stood still, lowering her head slightly.

"Heh..." She huffed, beginning to walk forward towards one of the broken edges of the arena. _It was the exact same spot that she had been cornered by him a fair time ago._ Stopping in front of the massive drop, she stared out blankly at the warm sky in front of her. Sunset was peeking over the clouds, illuminating the two gems with a beautiful, golden glow.

"I should have done this a long time ago..."

–

The service gem watched Yellow walk away quietly. At first, it seemed he wouldn't follow her. Soon enough, however, he made the rest of his way down and stood a little distance behind the Diamond.

"…" He rubbed the back of his head, quietly mussing his hair. Without a word, he stepped closer and moved past the gem, carefully sitting down near the edge of the broken arena. His feet just barely stuck out over the edge, his legs stretched out in front of him. "It's a beautiful evening," he said quietly. It seemed that he, too, had something on his mind.

–

Yellow watched the service gem pass her curiously, but followed after him. She, too, sat down on the ledge and continued looking out to the sky. She looked distant, and not all there.

"That it is..."

–

Hematite was quiet for a long moment.

 _Tap_

 _Tap_

He tapped his toes together a few times, looking at them distractedly. A cool breeze blew past the arena, ruffling his ivory hair. There was a tense air of anticipation.

Which was finally broken when the service gem took a deep, steadying breath, and looked away slightly. When he spoke, he sounded almost sad.

"...You know."

 _Tap._

"I." The gem swallowed quietly. "I really _wasn't_ planning on hurting you, that day. After you... called off the match."

 _Tap._

A pause.

"I know it must have seemed like it. I've been told I... make a very convincing actor." He weakly shrugged. It seemed saying any of this was hard for him, as his voice had a faintly pained tone to it. "I already told you _why_ I did it. But. I never told you the **whole** reason." He set his jaw. "I haven't told **anyone**."

–

Yellow didn't falter, but she felt herself tense up a little bit. Eyes widening slightly, she glanced over to him without moving her head.

"And... that is...?"

–

"..."

Though it was barely visible from where Yellow was sitting... Hematite smiled sadly. But the smile quickly cracked, and tears started to stream down his cheek.

"I was waiting for someone to stop me."

–

Slowly, Yellow turned her head towards him. _What?_

"What do you... mean...?"

–

The service gem shrugged and turned his face away entirely. He didn't want her to see him like this.

He hadn't wanted anyone to see him like this.

There was a terribly long pause. The air almost seemed to get colder.

"I'd given up." Hematite folded his hands in his lap. "I was _done_. I went to you that morning with full intent to do what I did. And that resolve kept steady... Right up until before White showed up." The service gem sniffed quietly and cleared his throat a little. "I challenged you to that rematch... _not_ expecting to come out of it. I thought, one way or another, I'd end up shattered. Either by you, or by a guard, or by White or Blue, should they see what was happening. I thought it'd happen for sure."

A shudder passed through him.

"At the time, I'd _**hoped**_ it would."

Hematite reached up and wiped his face on his sleeve.

Yellow looked away as well, placing her palms together awkwardly. She didn't say a single word. _She couldn't._ Hematite continued on.

"Despite that... I trained. I trained _so_ hard with one of the other Hematites, to get my stamina up. Even though I was planning on not coming out of that match, I at least wanted to give people a show. _I wanted to be remembered for_ _ **something**_ _."_ He sighed quietly. "I guess I was just. Tired of being a side note. I was scared of what would happen to me in the future." A haunted, distant look flashed in his eyes. "If I was going to die one day, I wanted to take control of fate and see myself out in style."

He chuckled bitterly.

"Hah. Amazing how much can change... huh?" His voice sounded almost hollow, though there was a tinge of his usual optimism there.

–

Yellow looked up a little, grabbing onto her upper arm and rubbing it as if it were cold.

"…Yes," she said somberly, peering down at the clouds that floated aloft just beyond them. She felt the guilt rising in her chest, an ominous chill going up her spine. While his words might have struck a nerve with her, she didn't show much change in her already-melancholy expression. "A lot has changed... But... Honestly..." Yellow now tilted her head up, staring with half-lidded eyes at the warm sky, at nothing in particular. "Perhaps everything happens for a reason. Perhaps it was for the best. And here we are... talking civilly. Just as we should have been years ago."

–

Hematite's eyes widened.

 _ **Lives and history can be easily changed in the blink of an eye.**_

"...Who woulda thought, huh?"

His words were quiet, barely audible, in fact. He finally finished wiping his face dry before he turned his attention forward again, his expression heavy, but vague. It was hard to tell what he was thinking.

"To think it could have been this easy."

–

She didn't look at him. Her shoulders hung low, arm dropping to her side. She was lost in thought.

"But I couldn't make it that way, could I." Looking down, she sighed heavily. "…There's something I've been meaning to talk to you about... But, for a long time, I could never think of how to say it..."

The service gem blinked a few times before he finally turned to look at his superior, brows raising.

The Diamond gripped at the edges of the arena, staring out to the sky below.

"I had a lot of time to think while you were away all those months ago... just before I came back to apologize to you the first time. But... I didn't get to say everything I should have said." She said, her tone quiet and almost pained. "I guess I was still nervous at the time... or maybe I thought that what I had to say wouldn't have made much of a difference to you. So I cut to the chase." She glanced away for a moment, but looked back towards the service gem with an unreadable gaze.

"But I think, the more I've been thinking about it the past few days... After everything... Everything I've done and said to you before... I think you deserve a _proper_ apology."

Hematite's mouth hung slightly ajar, but he quickly closed it, folding his hands back in his lap. Yellow carried on.

"When I first met you, I didn't know what to think. I'd been exposed to White's Hematites before, but never so directly. White had never had any of her Hematites so close to the Diamond Authority. I knew they were big, and I had a general idea of what they did... And I knew they were powerful. Members of the second group attacked White directly at one point." The Diamond frowned, looking away again. This was going to be hard to say...but she needed to say it. She needed to say it properly. Officially. Unclouded by her emotions. This time, she wouldn't be afraid to say anything. Not even her pride would stop her this time.

"I felt threatened. No matter how much I knew I should have trusted White's judgment, I knew what she was capable of creating, _and I dreaded it._ I dreaded the thought that maybe she had created something too strong for even us to handle. The Hematites were a risky creation, but had immense promise if they could remain stable," she continued, tapping her fingers on her knees idly.

–

 _Wait, so... she genuinely_ _ **did**_ _consider him a threat from the get-go?_

 _Well... it made sense, he supposed. He wasn't sure he'd trust himself, if he was a 'normal' gem._

Hematite watched her quietly, making no move to speak up.

–

She continued, halfheartedly.

"But I thought you'd be a major threat; a service gem living among Diamonds with the capability of taking us out at our weakest, most vulnerable moments when we least expected it. A Hematite, especially one who learned of their fatal flaw, who would seek greater power or simply revenge for their existence..." She furrowed her brows, remembering the spite that she felt so many years ago. "And I truly believed that you had the potential to turn on us at any moment... and I never trusted you. So, I distanced myself. I thought, maybe if I was hard on you, it would keep you from ever considering stepping out of line. If I made you fear me enough, you wouldn't try it." Her face twisted from seemingly angry to something of _deep regret._

"But it didn't satisfy me. I kept on, ridiculing you and putting you down every chance I got. I refused to let myself get to know you. I wanted nothing to do with you. I never liked the idea of such a potentially-dangerous gem so close to us at any given point. So close to White..." She sighed again, crossing her arms together. Yellow looked out to the sky once more, solemnly. "But I never could have expected what I could have wrought because of it. Because of my pride, because of the fears buried deep within my very core... I guess I should have seen it coming, really, looking back... But I refused to. And I kept going. I could have stopped at any time, I could have decided when enough was enough. I should have stopped."

–

Hematite couldn't think of anything to say. He... partially agreed with her on all that stuff about a service gem being so close to the Diamonds.

He had wondered himself once or twice if that was a wise choice.

At her last statement, he honestly couldn't help a faint sense of bitterness from rising in his chest.

 _Yeah. You_ _ **should**_ _have stopped..._

The service gem kept his face straight, still quiet.

–

Yellow's expression fell harshly with a look of haunted terror.

"After our little... incident... I was furious. I was spiteful, I hated you so much. I feared you, and I hate fearing anything. But it wasn't over. Even after the incident had passed, for months I was plagued with horrendous nightmares." She shuddered, a cold, phantom chill creeping up her back. "I thought they would go away. Maybe it was just a one-time coincidence. But no... they became more vivid. More horrifying. They started to feel more real... And it always ended with the same, terrifying fate." She paused, swallowing nervously. She looked like she had seen a _ghost_. Half-reluctantly, she forced herself to continue. "They didn't stop...they just got worse. And he was always there... you. A monstrous form of you. He haunted me for a long time, and every time I saw you... all I could see was him. It made me afraid. It made me feel small... vulnerable... helpless... **Doomed**. Just like I had made _you_ feel." She looked away again, the pain and guilt returning once more. She faltered, a few moments passing before she dared to continue. "I couldn't rest. They were driving me crazy... Even in my waking moments, he seemed to be there. I felt watched. I felt hunted. Seeing you only reminded me of what he was, where he was, and what _you could be_. I'd convinced myself that it was your fault. I blamed everything on you... when I should have accepted that it was my fault the whole time."

–

Hematite's eyes widened, and he had to look away for a moment, shuddering. He remembered the glimpse of Yellow's nightmare that he'd seen... The dark, monstrous version of himself that had apparently been plaguing her for months.

The image of his own nightmares' 'Yellow Diamond' flashed through his mind's eye, and he cringed slightly, though he hid it well.

 _Seemed they both dealt with some inner demons they never talked about._

 _Small... vulnerable... helpless..._ _ **doomed**_ _._

 _Just like I had made_ _ **you**_ _feel._

The service gem stiffened slightly, and finally turned his attention back to his superior.

–

Yellow's brows raised, though the rest of her demeanor didn't seem to change much at all.

"There was nothing courageous about what I did. It wasn't justified. I should have just admitted that I was wrong from the beginning... If Blue and White trusted you, then I should have too, right?... But no. I couldn't accept it. I couldn't accept _you_." She said softly, crossing her arms together. Her brows furrowed once more. "I didn't want to believe, for some reason, that you were as innocent or good-willed as everyone believed you to be. Not only after what you'd done to me, but before that. I couldn't believe anything you said. I couldn't appreciate your optimism. I couldn't look at you and not feel some kind of threat. I convinced myself that it was an act... a show... a way to make us all comfortable while you waited for your time to strike... A time that would never come, because it was all in my paranoid, prideful head." She practically growled the last sentence, though she seemed more frustrated with herself than anything. Her lip twitched subtly, and she looked noticeably tense. "You didn't deserve any of that... any of how I treated you. Anything I said. Hah... And here I'm supposed a gem of honor and truth..."

–

 _An act... a show... a way to make us all comfortable while you waited for your time to strike._

 **That.**

 _ **That**_ _part seemed to hit him harder than anything else._

Hematite looked hurt. His brows furrowed, and he looked away, rubbing his upper arm.

 _You didn't deserve any of that..._

 _Yeah, you_ _ **think**_ _?_

Frowning, the service gem tried his best to push the bitter thoughts aside.

 _She's apologizing. Let her. It's in the past now... c'mon._

–

For a few more long, agonizing moments, Yellow paused again, unable to look at the service gem seated next to her.

"You have such little time here... and you want to make the most of it. Perhaps when you're a gem like me, you don't appreciate things like that. It's all mundane. It's all just another day to you... but to a gem with..." Her words became caught in her throat, her eyes widening.

 _"A ticking clock."_ Memories of huge, black claws tapping down on her gemstone flooded back to her, and she slowly lifted her hand to her gem.

"Time is so very precious... You tried your best at everything you did. At your jobs, how you presented yourself, how you spoke to people. You work so hard every day to make a difference, to make gems happy. You just want to help gemkind." The Diamond's head hung low with guilt, staring down past her feet. "You would think a gem like me would understand that..."

–

Quietly, Hematite drew his knees up to his chest, still unable to look at Yellow. He held his legs close, resting his chin on top of them. His eyes were brimming with tears, staring ahead, wide.

 _ **She finally understood.**_

–

Yellow closed her eyes and took a deep breath in through her nose.

"Why should I have cared? You weren't me, and I wasn't you. We're two very different gems... Surely it shouldn't have made a difference to me... But I've discovered that we're far more alike than you would think. Far more than I ever thought possible. We both want justice. We both want a better future for gemkind. We both are fiercely determined to do what is right, and protect those that we care about... even if it means risking everything." The Diamond opened her eyes, glancing off to the side away from Hematite. Suddenly, her expression actually softened. "I treated you so unfairly, Hematite. I refused to see what kind of potential you really had. Not the potential to hurt us... but the potential to bring out the best in us. The potential to encourage. Inspire. _Amaze_. And, as time goes on... The more you surprise me."

–

The service gem felt his shoulders starting to shake. He tried to keep his composure, but it was crumbling, and it was crumbling _fast_.

 _The more you surprise me._

Hematite blinked, tears streaming down his face. He glanced toward Yellow, but still didn't turn to her.

–

Yellow smiled briefly. Hanging her head again, she closed her eyes.

"You really care about us... don't you?" She stopped, though the question itself was rhetorical. She stifled a weak, tepid chuckle. "I should have believed you. I should have trusted you. I shouldn't have been as hard on you as I was... I should have given you a chance. It could have all been avoided... It could have been _easy_. But I just didn't allow it. I didn't want to take the chance. I didn't think it was worth it... but it would have been." Her smile faded, lowering her hand that once covered her gemstone into her adjacent palm.

–

 _You really care about us... don't you?_

A choked whimper escaped Hematite's throat, but he swallowed it back before it could become a sob. He took a long, steadying breath, and nodded silently. He wasn't even sure if she was looking at him, so she probably hadn't seen it.

 _I didn't think it was worth it... but it would have been._

Hema's eyes widened before shutting tight, and he buried his face in his knees. He clutched his legs closer to him.

 _It's okay._

 _Deep breaths._

Though it was muffled, Hematite gave a soft, weak chuckle.

"Would have been worth it, huh? Yeah... I guess so." He paused. "I could have made you some crystal spice tea." The statement was more or less rhetorical, to keep himself from breaking down entirely.

–

Yellow raised her brows, her fingertips digging into the wrist of her glove. She sighed quietly, finally glancing over towards him. She wasn't surprised to see him reacting this way. She looked away again, hiding her face from his view.

"But why would it have been worth it? What is a service gem to a Diamond?... What is a service gem to me? Just another cog in the machine, perhaps... and for the longest time, I thought you were just like any other."

There was a pause.

"Though, that changed."

Looking back to him, she gazed right through him with what small bit of fierceness she could muster up. "You are different... You're not _just_ another service gem. You are... something much more. You are extraordinary. Powerful. Courageous. **A Harvester...** You are Hematite. And I've found that despite trying to deny it... I actually find you're quite the respectable gem. Truth is, Hematite...you're rather pleasant to be around." She glanced up to him, another small, warm smile of hope on her face. But it, too, faded quickly. "I can only hope it's not too late, though... to fix what I've broken. I'm sure I've done quite the damage to you already. I'm sure you might find me hard to believe, given how quickly I turned on you back in those caves in the Pink District... You may never consider me a respectable gem. You may never look at me the same way again. I wouldn't blame you; no, I _couldn't_ blame you. I cannot excuse my actions, nor how I've treated you before... but... At the very least, Hematite, I figured you should know. Even if this changes nothing you thought about me before, perhaps _something_ I said today would shed some light on why I've behaved the way I have."

–

Her words hit him hard.

But this time... they hit him in a different way. His trembling stopped. The tears ceased streaming down his face. He slowly lifted his face from his knees, eyes wide.

 _Something much more._

 _Extraordinary. Powerful. Courageous._

 _You are Hematite._

 _I have a lot more respect for you nowadays._

Slowly, the service gem looked at her, brows raised in disbelief. He lifted a hand and rubbed at one of his eyes with his palm, never once taking his gaze from her.

–

"I've done and said some despicable things to you. I've made you feel like nothing. Hell, I'm pretty certain I've made you afraid to be _around_ me. But, I can only strive to be better and look at things from different perspectives. To not jump to such drastic conclusions... to not judge before I'm given a reason to. To treat you and other gems a bit more fairly..." Yellow continued, gripping at her wrist tighter and digging her nails into the soft fabric. Slowly, she raised her brows just slightly, looking away from him completely. "You know, I'm not exactly the best at being all... 'buddy buddy' like Blue is. And I'm not quite as 'open-minded' as White. I'm always business, efficiency, and professionalism. I don't simply let myself get closer to other gems, or vice versa... And I have my reasons." The Diamond pursed her lip quickly, for a moment taken aback by her own thoughts. "But, hey, who knows... Maybe someday, as far-fetched as it may be...I could even call _you_ some kind of friend." She hung her shoulders once more, letting her hands fall beside her.

"Regardless..." She paused, staring out to the sky in front of her just as she had done before, pained and almost distant. She took a quiet, steady breath and regained her own composure. "I... Hope you can forgive me."

–

A soft breeze blew through the arena, disturbing a few of the stray clouds that floated here and there. Hematite slowly wiped his other eye, taking his eyepiece off in the process. He put it on the ground next to him.

 _I'm pretty certain I've made you afraid to be_ _ **around**_ _me._

He thought about the other day, when Yellow herself had carefully carried him to White's office, and then talked to him in his room. The service gem thought about how willing he'd been to climb into the very hands that he had dreaded for so many years.

 _Did he_ _ **really**_ _fear her as much as he used to...?_

 _Maybe someday, as far-fetched as it may be... I could even call you some kind of friend._

 _ **Maybe someday, she could even learn how to love like you.**_

He had to let her know that he forgave her... Because he really _did_.

 _But what would sink in?_

 _He could just say it... or he could show her something like he had with Morgan and Puff... but would that prove anything?_

 _What could he do? What would show her...?_

Hematite's index finger and thumb rubbed together quietly. A soft breeze blew through the Sky Arena, very nearly masking the soft sound of the service gem shifting in his spot.

And just like that, a soft, gentle warmth embraced the Diamond. Hematite went silent. He was suddenly leaned over, his arms around Yellow's middle, his eyes squeezed shut. He embraced her tightly.

–

"..."

 _And just like that. It was over._

Everything she had felt before; all the crippling fear, all the regret, all the pain, anger, and guilt that had built up and swirled around inside the Diamond was dissipated with the simplest of gestures. It felt like the weight of the world had lifted from her shoulders. Ever since the night of the incident, she had never found a true moment of peace. Some days had been better than others, but she couldn't really say that she ever truly felt the weight of her mistakes lift from her shoulders.

She was missing the final piece. The final closure she needed.

 _To know if_ _ **he**_ _could forgive_ _ **her**_ _._

Staring out at the sky with wide, unblinking eyes, tears began to flow down her own cheeks, dripping down in thick droplets. She stayed silent aside from her body occasionally shivering from the quiet sobs that escaped her.

 _It was finally over._

–

–

 **You think this is over?**

 _ **It was dark. C o l d.**_

 _...But not as cold as it had been every time before._

Back in this place again...

After so long.

 _She was back in this place_ _ **again**_ _._

Yellow Diamond wandered through the black nothingness that she'd once become so familiar with. Something seemed different. The darkness wasn't closing in, it wasn't nearly as inky, and it almost felt a bit warmer than it tended to be. So... what had changed?

From behind Yellow, a low, furious growl rumbled. It was a dreadful, familiar sound. But the presence behind it was far less... imposing than it usually was.

 _Something was different._

 **"You think this is over, Yellow Diamond?"**

–

Yellow felt her body tense up. Rising steadily higher, the fears that she'd suppressed at last came creeping back.

 _No way... it can't be. How is this possible?! Why him, why now?! What happened?!_

She turned, eyes wide with horrified disbelief to look behind her.

–

 _Rattle._

 **"Rrghhhh, you think this is done?!"**

It was certainly the monstrous Hematite she'd come to fear...

But he was small. As small as Hematite normally was, and his hands were shackled and chained to the floor, at some unseen point far behind him.

Gnashing his stark-white teeth, visor clicking and whirring aggressively, the vicious gem pulled against his restraints, slowly getting closer to the Diamond. The yellow target on his black screen glitched wildly, focused _directly_ on her.

–

Yellow's eyes widened, and she took a few steps back.

"...Wha?..."

She was completely _baffled_. Never had she ever seen him... well, like this! Still it _was_ him. He could pull a trick at any given moment. This could just be another one of his horrible games. Clenching her fists, sweat started to form on her brow. _This_ _ **isn't**_ _over!_

–

The nightmarish Hematite seemed to have caught her innermost thoughts, and he grinned, suddenly laughing maniacally.

 **"That's right, Yellow Diamond! We're not finished! YOU THINK THIS IS OVER?! NO, NO, WE'RE ONLY JUST BEGINNING!"**

The chains started to weaken, and he made a few quick paces toward her, clawed hands outstretched.

 _Whirrrrr_

 _..._

 _Glimmer_

Far in the sky, directly behind and above the furious, dark gem, shimmered a bright white star. Another appeared soon after. And another.

Until the entire jet-black sky was filled with twinkling points of light.

The chains suddenly yanked back, stopping the Hematite in his tracks.

–

Yellow looked up slightly, eyes fixated on the twinkling stars beyond the vicious figure. Then, slowly, she looked back down at him. What was going on? She took another step back, holding up her hand in front of her gemstone. She said nothing, not taking her eyes off of his visor.

–

The hunter was breathing raggedly, his teeth bared in an ugly snarl. He gnashed his teeth at her again, trying in vain to step closer, but he was stuck.

And he was starting to slide backward.

 **"RrRRAGH! NO, WE AREN'T FINISHED!"**

 _CRACK_

Suddenly, the dark figure's visor snapped in half. It fell to the ground, his bangs now covering half of his face. He looked up. Now, clearly visible, was a single, wide eye. But instead of an iris, there was a bright-yellow diamond insignia.

His expression was one of pure, enraged _hatred_.

 **"I'LL BE BACK! YOU CAN'T HIDE FROM ME FOREVER! And when I return... I'll be stronger, FASTER,** _ **BIGGER**_ **! WE AREN'T FINISHED HERE, YELLOW DIAMOND!"**

–

Yellow clenched and unclenched her fists, baring her own teeth. She was still noticeably scared, but something started to quell her rising anxiety. Even for a moment, she started to feel something other than cold. She started to feel something other than fear. It may have been a mask, but, for the time being, it was a good one. A massive chill went up her spine as the visor fell, and she stared with horror into the single eye staring maliciously at her.

"..."

–

 **"Are you scared?~ Good! You should be! Because when I come back, none of you will be safe from me! The Diamond Authority will FALL! AND I'M GOING TO-"**

 _" h."_

 **S L A M!**

Stretched out in front of Yellow, directly where the nightmarish form had just been, was a giant, stark-white hand. Which lead up to a very large, very familiar gem.

Hematite was crouched on his knees, bent over just slightly. His eyes were closed peacefully, a neutral expression on his face.

The ground around his hand started to shift from black... to gray.

–

Yellow gasped silently, staring in shock at the massive hand that bore down on the ground where the monstrous Hematite once stood.

 _Is... is he?_

She slowly looked upwards in complete disbelief, shuddering. _Hematite_?...

–

The huge gem didn't respond at first. Slowly, the ground beneath Yellow's feet began to lighten, and the air started to get warmer. Glimmering brightly, the stars twinkled in the distance, even more starting to appear.

Everything was slowly getting brighter.

Hematite opened his eyes.

He glanced at Yellow Diamond quietly before looking down at his hand. Steadily, he drew it up and away. When it was a few feet off the ground...

 _Vwip!_

The now-tiny, nightmarish Hematite was trapped in a silvery bubble, and fruitlessly clawed at the surface of his prison as he was lifted up. Hema sat up on his knees and put his free hand on his leg. Perching the bubble on his clawed fingers, he held the vicious form near his face.

And then he began to speak. His words were slow. Powerful. Even.

 _"So long as I stand. So long as my gem is intact. Nobody like you will harm this gem again."_

He closed his eyes, slowly lifted his other hand, and closed it over the bubble. There was a momentary shout of objection before-

 _Plip!_

The dream went white in a flash.

When the light faded, the still-giant gem was quietly sitting on his knees, his hands folded in his lap, his form now in color. The area around the two gems was a near-white with bright, pinkish-white stars glimmering in the sky. It was warm, welcoming, and there was _no_ trace of the monstrous gem.

Hematite opened his eyes, his neutral expression finally breaking. He looked down at the Diamond before him... and smiled warmly.

–

Yellow felt the faintest trace of tears well up in her eyes, flinching as the world around her suddenly grew far more welcoming. Half-expectantly, she lowered her arms, holding back the subtle tears from her eyes. Slowly, she looked back up, meeting Hematite's gaze.

 _She felt relief. She felt like she could breathe again. She felt warm._

But she didn't move forward. No, as if she were half-expecting something else to happen- like this, too, was some sort of trick- she held up her hands over her gemstone again. She didn't know if she could trust her own dreams... and yet, why did she feel this way?

–

Hematite gave the softest of chuckles. But instead of being amused or malicious... it was genuine. It sounded _relieved_.

 _"Here."_

The giant gem closed his eyes and smiled, his form starting to glow. In a moment, he'd shrunken down to his usual size, and stood a little distance from Yellow. Opening his eyes again, he gave her a bright, welcoming grin.

 _"Does this... make it any easier?"_

He stepped forward.

–

Yellow blinked, staring right through the service gem. Admittedly, it did make it a little easier...but she didn't move. She was frozen in place, unsure of what to do or say. Could this still turn? ... No. She didn't feel that way. She wouldn't believe it. She just needed to trust him.

"I-Is he... gone?..."

–

Hematite stopped a few feet away, looking up at the Diamond before him. He gave her a single, reassuring nod.

 _"He's gone. It's over."_

Lifting his arm, the small service gem offered an outstretched hand. There were tears in the corners of his eyes. With another soft, relieved chuckle, he tilted his head, smiling warmly.

 _"You can wake up now."_

The Diamond stared down at the hand that extended towards her, her hands falling away from her gemstone. Her lips parted slightly like she was going to say something, but nothing came out. For the first time in a very long time, she actually felt _safe_ in her dreams. She felt content. Protected. She even felt remotely _happy_.

Slowly, she lifted her hand and reached out, eyes wide.

Just before her fingers made contact with his hand, the world and everything in it disappeared with a soft, white flash, and warmth overcame her very core.

She opened her eyes. Staring up at the ceiling of her room, Yellow lay in her bed quietly for many long minutes before moving to sit up.

It was really over, wasn't it? It was finally over.

The nightmarish Hematite that had plagued her for so long was now thwarted, and the cold, dark abyss that she so dreaded every time she fell asleep was gone at last. Sure, the concept of the dark being was nebulous at best... but it didn't matter. Yellow knew things had changed this time. She could feel it. Slowly, Yellow Diamond closed her eyes and took a deep, steady breath. A warm, relieved smile spread across her lips.

 _Thank you, Hematite._


	62. Farewell

Morning, everyone.

* * *

With Arc 4 done and posted, we're glad that a couple of you haven taken a moment to say you enjoy the story so far. However, we must unfortunately part ways with this site. The set-up for the site is clunky and difficult to manage, and both of the authors do not have the time to upload both here and on Archive of Our Own.

 **So while we must part ways with you here, if you're still interested in the story,** **you can find the next 34 chapters already posted here:** **archiveofourown org/works/5349707/chapters/21518252 (replace the space between archiveofourown and org with a period, the document manager doesn't let us use links.) **

**[This link takes you to chapter 62, the premiere of arc 5 where we left this account off. Please do not just skip to the most recent chapter. You'll miss new characters, major plot points, and the death of a major secondary character.]**

The story is ongoing and is only nearing the end of arc 6 of 13. The most recent chapter was posted last night, so it's updating on a regular basis. You can leave anonymous guest comments there, or create an account. Or, you can just continue to be a silent reader if that suits you better.

Either way, we will not be continuing to post here. Thank you to the few people that took the time to leave positive comments, and we hope to see you around on AO3.


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